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ELOCUTION;
OR,
MENTAL AND VOCAL PHILOSOPHY.
INVOLVING THE PRINCIPLES OF
READING AND SPEAKING;
AND DESIGNED
FOR THE dIeVELOPMENT AND CULTIVATION
OF
BOTH BODY AND MIND.
IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE
NATURE, USES, AND DESTINY OF MAN:
IliLr^RATED'B,"^ ]
TWO OR Tfiids HL»NDltl5l> CKOlSB ANECDOTES;
THREE THOUSAND ORATORICAL AND POETICAL READINGS; FIVE THOUSAND
PROVERBS, MAXIMS AND LACONICS, AND SEVERAL HUNDRED
ELEGANT ENGRAVINGS.
BY PROF. BRONSON, A. M., M. D.
FORTY-TOIRD THOUSAND.
RB7ISKD AND CORRECTED, WITH LARGE ADDITIONS, ORIGINAL AND BSLECTED DLALOQOKS AND
SPEECHES, WHICH ARE COPr-RIOHTED.
LOUISVILLE, KY.
JOHN P. MOIiTOlSr &c CO.
ADVEETISEMENT.
THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF THIS SYSTEM.
Some years ago, the Author was extensively engaged as a Public Speakei
and, in consequence of the habit of speaking, principally, with the muscles of
the throat and breast, he finally broke down, — falling senseless, after speaking
about an hour and a half: that was followed by a protracted illness ; durino
which, he providentially discovered the Causes, and also the Remedies, of the dif
Acuities under which he had labored; and now, for months in succession, by the
aid of thefee principles, he often speaks from six to ten h(^rs a day, without the
least inconvenience: the principal cause of which is, that the effort is made
from the dorsal and abdominal region. Few are aware of the comprehensive
nature of the principles here partially unfolded ; and probably the Author would
now be in a similar state, had it not been for the teachings afforded by children
and Indians. To secure a perfectly healthy distribution of the vital fluids
throughout the body, and a free and powerful activity of the mind, there must
be a full and synchronous action in the brain, the lungs, and the viscera of the
abdomen ; the soul operating, naturally, on the dorsal and abdominal muscles,
and thus setting in motion the whole body.
That he was the first to teach the specific use of those muscles, for a healthy
breathing, and the exercise of the vocal organs, as well as blowing on wind in-
struments for hours together, without injury, he has not the least doubt; and, if
any person will produce evidence to the contrary, from any medical writer, or
teacher of elocution, previous ^o 1330, he shall be handsomely rewarded. The
time is fast approaching, when this, and its kindred subjects, will be duly ap-
preciated ; and it will be seen epaI felt, that witbouc a practical knowledge of
these important principle*^ jCiq one can becomo a. suceessfal speaker, or teacher :
and the opinion is advisedly expressed, that they will produce as great a revo-
lution in regard to the promotion of health, the art of reading and speaking with
science and effect, and the perfect development and cultivation of mind, voice,
and ear, — as the discovery of the mariner's compass, or the invention of the
steam engine, in navigation, manufacture, and travel ; — and, to be the medium
of introducing such a system, by which so many thousands have been greatly
benefited, and hundreds of lives saved, is the occasion of devout gratitude to the
Infinite Author of all that is good and true.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1845, by C P. Broksoit,
In the Clerk's office for the District Court of Kentucky.
x:)0(c>i:)
PHYSIOLOGICAL INTKODUCTION.
1. E-feiv Art, and Science, has its Externals,
and Its Internals, its Generals and Particulars;
wliiclimust be understood Analytically, and Syn-
thetically, if we would practice either successful-
ly. The Internals of Elocution, are Thoughts
aiw Feelings, and its Externals comprise all that
ie tddressed to our five senses: its Generals are
Mind and J3ody, with their various Languages,
or modes of manifestation. Comparatively, Lan-
guage— is the Tune, Body — the Instrument, and
Mind — the Performer : hence, the necessity of
becoming acquainted, theoretically and practi-
cally, with their Natures, Relations and Uses.
S. As the subjects of Mind and Language,
are partially unfolded in the following work, in
this part, something must be said of the Body,
the harp of ten thousand strings : particularly in
regard to structure, position, and the organs to be
used for the production and modification of
sounds, in Speech and Song : also of Gestures,
or Actions; illustrated by appropriate Engravings,
wli ch may be imitated by the Pupil, for the pur-
pose of bringing the Body into subjection to the
Mii.d; without, however, any reference to spe-
cific Recitations, — lest he should become artifi-
cia , instead of natural.
3. The more we contemplate Man, the more
•we see and feel the truth, that he is a Microgosm
indeed ; a miniature-world,— an abstract of crea-
tion,—an epitome of the universe,— a finite repre-
eentation of the Infinitb Deity! Well sairh the
heathen motto,'' Know thyself ! " and rhe poet—
"The proper study op mankind— is Man."
And it may truly be said, that there is nothing
in the Mineral, Vegetable and Animal Kingdoms,
that cannot be found, essentially, in the human
body ; and nothing in the world of Mind, that is
not shadowed forth in his spiritual nature : hence,
the grandeur, the magnificence — of our subjects,
and our objects.
4. The three grand essentials of the Body pro-
per, are the Osseus, or bony system, which fixes
its form, and gives it stability : the Muscular, or
fleshy system, which is designed to act on the
Osseus ; and Nervous system, acting on the Mus-
cular : while the Mind, acts on and throug-h the
Nervous ; receiving its life and power from Ilim,
who is emphatically " THE LIFE : " tlft8,we can
look through Nature, up to Nature's God. Ob-
serve, the Analytical course is from outermosts
to innermosts, from effects to causes ; and the
Synthetical progress from innermosts to outer-
mosts ; or from causes to effects.
5. Nerves op Odganic Life. Every thing
must have a beginning : and nothing is made per-
fect at once. Now in the body, there is a cer-
tain portion, called Nerves of Organic Life ; be-
cause they are the first formed, and constitute
the grand medium, through which the soul builds
up the Body, with the materials, fumishefl k j the
external world. The Soul is the architect, *nd
tlie body_ iw
workmanship.
Here is a good
representation of
tliis nervcm
mass, which is a
kind of brain,
(or series of
brain,) that pre-
side* over those
glands, or work-
shops, that take
charge of the
food, digest it,
and watch over
its changes, till
it is made into
blood, and then
appropriated to
the body. The
nervous centre,
called Semilunar
Ganglion and So
lar Plexus, may
be seen at a, a, a,
a; it is situated
under the dia-
phragm ar.d part-
ly behind the
stomach : other
subordinate cen-
tres may be seen
al e, e, e, e; also
in other places,
that need not be
designated, as
lliey are very
numerous : these
centres are like
miner posts in a
state, or king-
dom. At », it
seen a pair of
chords, call d trisplanchnic nerves: and at o, o,
are seen other nerves, with their little brains, oi
centres, where they come togetJier, forming a line
along the spir.e, from the bottom of the chest, tc
the top of the neck. From this large collection
of Organic Nerves, others proceed to every pan
of the system, uniting in smaller centres, aud
forming ganglions in the palms of the handsi,
balls of the fingers, &c. Our Astronomical sys-
tem is called the Solar System, because the Sun
is its centre, watching over our planets ; so, of
these nervous centres of the grand and smaller
deparUnents of our miniature-universe. Owing
to the intimate connection of these nerves with
1^45830
.PHYSIOLOGICAL INTRODUCTION.
Iheir muilerolid fcenSras, -ari*', -witli the aepves of
the whole body, they are sometimes called tlie
Great S\Tnpathetic Nerves, and Nerves of Vege-
table Life. There are three orders of these
Nerves : one going to llie blood-vessels and other
parts of the vascular system ; one to the contrac-
tle tissues or muscles of involuntary motion:
and oxt to tlie nerves of organic sensation, con-
veying the impressions made on the organs.
6. I.T this view of the Nerves of Respiration,
(or.ginating in the Medulla Oblongata, which is an
extension of the Cerebellum, (b,) or seat of Volmi-
lary Motion, and of the Cerebrum, (a,) or seat o{
Rationality,) may be seen tlie nerve (c.) that goes
to the Diaphragm (i,) and is concerned in the office
of breathing, which generally acts without the aid
of the Will ; but yet is controllable by the Will, to
a certain extent; for we may breathe fastor slow,
Jong or short. Next above this, js the Spinal Ac-
ieessory Nerve, used in moving the breast, &c., in
respiration ; one of its fellow roots goes to the
longue (d,) and is concerned in mastication, swal-
lowing, speaking, &c. [Some nerves are thrown
back, the better to be seen.] Next in order is the
pneumosgastric, or lungs-and-slomach nerve (/,
g, A,) which sends a branch to the meat-pipe, la-^
rynx and wind-pipe, («,) aiso to the cardiac, or
heart plexus, just above, and a little at the right
« ig) ; a recurrent branch goes to the larynx, dec;
Mher branches go to the face, to exhibit the feelings.
All interweave, and bring the vocal organs into
miportant relations with tlie heart and lungs, with
feelings and thoughts; while the main body goes
0 tie etomacl*, and unites witb the great ciiitre
x)f organic life, or solar plexus Tlie roets of iiese
nerves are in the cerebellum, ihe seat of motion,
a receptacle of life. Now, we see why inten^Lty
of thought, carking cares, &c., impede respiraiioiv
and infringe on the laws of health, for want of the
proper co-operation with the nerves of organic
life ; inducing dyspepsia, and even consumption ,
hence, the painful mode of teaching children to
read by a book : away with this false system, u.r»-
less you would inhumanly sacrifice the rising gen-
eration on the altar of evil; let the etr. or righ.
feeling predominate : please work out the whole ;
for you can do it : a hint is sufficient for those who
think.
7. Here is an excellent representntion oi the
Nerves of Voluntary Motion, and of Sense, which,
with the nerves of Organic Life, and the Respira-
tory Nerves, constitute the inmosls of the body;
also, a posterior, or back view, of the two l)rains!
which is the seat of the Mind, the constituents of
which, are Will and Understanding. The leitei
c, indicates the cerebrum, or large brain, where
the Understanding, Rationality, or thought ia 1».
cated; and cv, the cerebellum, or little brain,
under, and adjoining the cerebrum, where the
PHYSIOLOGICAL INTRO! UCTION.
Vli
ntnionUl black line is: here is the seat of the
WiJl, Affections, Passions or Emotions ; also the
seat of the Motive power of the body ; and from
these proceed the spinal marrow, (me,) enveloped
m three different membranes, lying in the hollow
of the back bone, and branching off by thirty pairs
of spinal nerves into a great many ramifications
over every part of the body; pb, tlie brachial
plexus, a reunion or assemblage of the different
nerves distributed to the arms, or upper extremities;
and ps, the plexus, or folds of nerves, that form
the great sciatic nerves, descending to the legs,
or lower extremities. From the spinal marrow,
the lerves arise by two sets, or bundles of roots ;
the front (anterior.) one serving for motion, and
the back (posterior,) are the nerves of feeling, or
sensibility. Now, in all voluntary actions of the
body, whether reading, speaking, singing, or
working, there should be a perfect harmony and
co-operation of the Organic Nerves, Respiratory
Nerves, and Moiary Nerves; hence, the volun-
:ary effort must be made from the abdomen, where
13 the great centre of Organic Nerves, in connec-
tion with those of Respiration.
8. Here is a
striking view
of the Muscu-
lar, or fleshy
portions, that
form the me-
diimi of com-
nunication
between the
Nerves and
the Bones:
there are sev-
eral hundreds,
acting on tlie
'jones like
ropes on the
masts of ships:
let them be
trained in per-
fect subjectioa
to the Soui,
through ths
Mind; so than
whatever is
felt & thought,
may be bodied
forth to the life.
Now Jet us put
these three
systems, the
NerveSj Mus-
cles and
Bones, logeth-
sr, and con-
template the
whole as a
unit, bound up
in the skin,
and acting in
obedience to its rightful owner, tlie Mind; while
tbat mind is subscrvisit to the Creator of mind.
9. We now descend to the hard parts »f the
body, which have the least of Ufe in them. Tliis
is a very correct representation of the Osseoua
system, or the bony parts which may be aptly
called the basis, or foundation, of the splendid
temple we live in; which is three stories high;
viz. the cavity below the diaphragm, the one above
it, and the skull. Examine, minutely, each part,
the situation and attachment of the different bones
of the head, the five short ribs, and the seven long
ones, the breast-bone, &c. In a complete human
frame, there are 350 bones: they afford us the
means of locomotion. Do you see any a-ialogy
between the body and Unguage?
10. Zoology — (the doctrine or science of life,)
is a necessary element of education. Whose cu-
riosity has not been excited by the innumerable
living beings, and things, with which we are sur-
rounded? Is it not desirable to scrutinize their
interiors, and see how they are made, and under-
stand their various uses? Look at a man, a fish,
a spider, an oyster, a plant, a stone; observe their
differences, in many respects, and their similan-
ties in others: they all have essence, form, use.
The tendency of the study of the three kingdoms
of nature, the Animal, Vegetable, and Mineral,
nil
is to emancipate the human mind from the dark-
nesfl and slavery of ignorance, into the light and
Hberty of rational humanity. The things of the
Animal kingdom live, and move from an interior
power; those of the Vegetal)le kingdom grow;
and those of the Mineral kingdom do not live or
grow ; they simply exist.
11* lliree objects are designed by this er^ra-
ving : first, to show tlie body, clothed in its own
beautiful envelop, the skin, which is the conti-
aent of our most wonderful piece of Mechanism :
Becond, to call attention to the fact, that it is full
of pores, or little holes, through which passes out
of our systems more than half of what we eat
PHYSIOLOG. CAL INTRODUCTION.
and drink, in the'form of what is called insensi-
ble oerspiration, which is indicated by the cloudy
mift, emanating from every part of the surface ;
and as our bodies wear out, by degrees, and are
renewed every seven years, and the skin being
the principal evacuating medium for the worn-out
particles of the system; the great importance
of keeping it in a clean, and consequent healthy
condition, by daily washing in soft cold water,
must be evident to every one of reflection, it be-
ing the safety-valve of the body : and thirdly, to
indicate a higher truth, that of the passing off of
a subtle and invisible fluid from the mind, in ac-
cordance with its state ; which is often perceived
when certain persons are present; also when
powerful speakers are pouring forth their highly
wrought affections, and brilliant thoughts ; so as
to give the mind a kind of ubiquity, co-extensive
Willi their tones and audible words, ruling im-
mense audiences with absolute sway, and de-
monstrating the power of truth and eloquence.
Animals and Plants increase by nutrition:
Minerals by accretion. In infancy, we weigh
but a few pounds : at adult age, we exceed one
hundred pounds. "Whence, but from foreign sub-
stances, are the materials of which our organs
are composed ? In sickness, extreme emaciation
proves that our bodies may lose a portion of their
bulk, and give bat k to the world what was once
Jtt own. Thus, coirpositid n and decomposition,
constituting the nutritiv* fonct or of which liv.mj
bodies are the centre, are revealed to us by evi-
dences too plain to be misunderstood : may we have
power to apprfct-iite them, being assured that all
truths are in perfect harmony with each other,
la. Here iia a representauon of the Human
Form clothed and e>igaged in some of the uses
of Elocution. But it i« necessary to enter more
into the particulars of our subject; which .8 5oiy»
in the succeeding parts of this introduction: how-
ever, let the reader bear in mind, that only the out-
lines of subjects are given in the book, designed
for such as are determined to dig for truth and
eternal principles, as for hidden treasures ;
whose motto is " Press On."
Animals and Plants endure for a time, and
under specific forms, by making the exte-nal
world a part of their own being ; i. e. they have
the power imparted to them of self-nourishment,
and when this outward supply ceases they die,
having completed their term of duration : hence,
death, to material existences, is a necessary cor.-
sequence of life. Not so with minerals: they eX'
ist so long as external forces do not destroy them ;
and if they increase, it is simply by the juxtapo-
sition of other bodies; and if they diminish, it is
by the action of a force, or power, from with-
out Has not every thing its circle? How in-
teresting must be the history of all things, ani-
mate and inanimate '. Oli that we had eyes to see,
and ears to hear, every thing that is manifested
around us, within us, and above us !
13. If we would have the Mind act on llvj
Body, and the Body react on the Mind, in an o*>
PHYSIOLOGICAL INTRODUCTION.
IX
derly, and, consequently, beneficial manner, it is
necessary that the body be in a natural and up-
right position. The following engraving repre-
sents the Thorax, or Chest, which contains the
Heart and Lungs ; and reason teaches, that no or-
gans should b3 in the least infringed upon, either
by compressions, or by sitting in a bent position.
The Lungs are reservoirs for the air, out of which
we make sounds, by condensation. All are fami-
liar with the hand-bellows: observe the striking
analogy between it and tlie body, in the act of
Fpeaking, singing and blowing. The wind-pipe is
.;ke its nosle, the lungs like the sides, and the ab-
dominal and dorsal muscles, like its handles; of
course, to blow with ease and power, one must
take hold of the handles ; to speak and sing right,
the lower muscles must be used ; for there is only
one right way of doing anything.
liarynx, .....
Wind-pipe, . . ,
Collar bone, . .
Bronchia, . .
Heart & Lungs,
7 Lo?>g Ribs, . .
Diaphragm, . . .
5 Short Ribs, . ,
Dorsal and
Abdominal
Muscles
14. This is a view of a well developed and
naturally proportioned chest ; with space for the
.ungs, the short ribs thrown outwardly, affording
ample room for the free action of the organs : it is
the true model of the form of one who would live
to a good old age.
15. Tight Drkssins. No one can enjoy good
health, or perform any kind of labor with ease, or
read, speak, or sing, when the thorax is habitual-
ly compressed. It diminishes the capacity of th«
lungs, for receiving the necessary quantity of air
to purify the blood, and prevents the proper action
of the diaphragm. The following engraving shows
the alarming condition of the chest, when com-
pressed by tight lacing; a practice that has hur-
ried, and is now hurrying, hundreds of tliousands
to a premature grave ; besides entailing upon the
offspring an accumulation of evils, too awful to
coclemplate. What is the difference between
Killing one's self in five minutes with a riizor, and
doing it in five years by tight lacing, or any other
bad habit? Our clothing should never be so tight
as to prevent the air from coming between it and
the body.
16. Here follows an outline of the chest, or
thorax of a female, showing the condition of the
bones of the body, as they appear aAer death, in
every one wlio has habitually worn stays and
corsi 's, enforced by tight lacing. ' But,' says one,
I do not lace too tight.' If you lace at all, you
most certainly do, ani will, sooner or later, expe-
rience the dreadful consequt.ncts. Observe, aH
the short ribs, from the lower end of the breast-
bone, are unnaturally cramped inwardly toward
the spine, so thai
the liver, stomach,
and other digestive
organs in that vici
lily, are pressed
into such a small
compass, that tbnir
funci ious are grea.t~
ly interrupted, and
all the vessels,
bones and viscera are more or less distorted and
enfeebled. Cease to do evil, and learn to do well.
17. This engraving,
of a bell-shaped glass,
C, C, shows how the
air gets into the lungs,
and some of its effects.
A head is placed on
the cork, T, represent-
ing the wind-pipe, and
having a hole through
XI. L, represents a
bladder, lied to the
lower end of the cork,
to indicate a lung. At
D, is seen the dia-
phragm. The cavity
of the bell repTesenls
the Inside of the thorax, where the heart and lunji
are : there is no communication with the external
}iir, except through the hole in the cork ; air, en
tering through that hole, can go only into the blad-
der. Now, when the centre of the diaphragm ia
raised to D, the bladder will be flaccid and devoid
of air ; but when it is dropped, to the situatiorj of
the dotted line, a tendency to a vacuum will be
the consequence, which can be supplied with cir,
only through the hole in the cork ; the air expand-
ing the bladder to its full extent, is shown by the
dotted circle, around L ; and when the diaphragm
is elevated again, the air will be forced from the
bladder; thus, the lungs are inflated and exhaus-
ted by this alternate operation of the diaphragm,
and of the contraction and elongation of the ab-
dominal muscles ; hence, the comparison between
the vocal organs proper, and a pair of bellows, io
distinctly seen.
McscuLAR Action. These
two engravings represent some
muscular fibres in two states:
the upper one at rest, with a re-
laxed nervous filament ramified through the fibres,
as seen under the microscope ; and the lower one in
a state of contraction, and the fi-
brr s in zigzag lines, with a simi-
lar nervous filament passing ovei
them: apply the principle to all
muscles. The subject might be greatly extended ;
but for further infcrrr.at'on, see tlie Author's large
work on Physiology and Psychology, which will
be published as soon as convenient.
K PHYSIOLOGICAL
18. Here is a representation of the Air Cells
£l the Lungs, laid open and highly magnified.
The body is formed by Blood, which consists of the
nutritious portions
of our food, and
18 in the form of
very sma.! glob-
ules, or little
round balls : a
represeatation of
which is here pre-
sented as seen
through a micro-
scope, magnified
one thousand
• times.
Every
three
or four
minutes, as a gen-
eral rule, the
blood flo'w^s thro'-
out the whole
body ; and, of
course, through
the lungs, where
it undergoes a purification : hence may be seen
the importance of an upright position, and perfect
inflation of the lungs ; no one can live out his
days without them.
19. Here are two attitudes, silting, and stand-
ing, passive and active. Beware of too much
stifTuess, and too much laxity, of the muscles ; be
natural and easy. Avoid leaning backwards or
forwards, to the right or left : and especially, of
resting your head on your hand, witii the elbow
on something else: by which practice, many
have caused a projection of one shoulder, indu-
ced spinal affections, &c. Beware of every thing
that is improper : such as trying how much you
can lift with one hand, &c.
/80. Here follows a representation of the position
of the diaphragm, and illustrations of its actions,
in exhaling and inhaling. Figure 1, in the left
engraving, represents the diaphragm in its great-
est descent, when we draw in our brealli : 2, mus-
cles of the abdomen, when protruded to their full
extent, in inhaling : 1, in the right engraving, the
diaphragm in its greatest ascent in expiration: 2,
'Jic T>u8cl(.s of the abdomen in action, forcing the
INTRODUCTION.
viscera and diaphragm upwards tl>«. lungs co-
operate with the diaphrigm and abdominal mus-
cles ; or rather, the soul, mind, nerves and mus.
cles act unitedly, and thence with ease, grace and
effect. Observe, the Stomach, Liver, &c. are be-
low the diaphragm, and are dependent on it, in a
measure, for their actions.
31. Here is a view of the Heart, nearly sur-
rounded by the Lungs, with the different blood-
vessels going to, and from them : these organs ar«
shown partially separated ; tho' when in their nat-
ural positions, they are quite compact together.
and wholly fill up the cavity of the che.st : every
one has two hearts, for the two different kinds of
blood, and each heart has two rooms: a, right
auricle, that receives all the blood from every pari
of the body, through the vena cava, or large veiii,
which is made up of the small veins, e, e, e, e, s;
it thence passes into the right ventricle, t, thenca
into both lungs, where it is purified; after which
it passes into the left auricle, and left ventricla,
then into the aorta, o, and the carotid and subcla-
vian arteries (u, and v,) to every part of th2 body •
returning every three or four minutes.
ORATORICAL AND POETICAL GESTURES
X]
583. This engraving represents the larynx, or
vocal box, at 1, near tlie top of the wind-pipe, 2;
tlie bronchial
tubes, or
branches of
the trachea,
3, 4, going tt,
each lung ;
tht left lung -s
vFJjoIe ; the
si.')Stance of
tiie right one
is removed, to
sliov the ra-
mifications ot
tMe bronchial
twigs, termi-
nating in the
air-cells, 7, 7,
6, like leaves
on the trees.
The bronchi-
al tubes are
the three
branches of
the wind-
pil)e, and enter the lungs about one third of the
distance from the upper end : hence, how foohsh
for persons having a sore throat, or larynx, to sup-
pose they have the bronchitis ; which consists in
a diseased state of the bronchia ; generally brought
on by an improper mode of breathing, or speak-
ing, Sec, with exposure. The remedy may be
found in the practice here recommended, with a
free use of cold soft water over the whole body,
and bandages wet with the same, placed about
the chest and neck, to be removed every few
uours, as they become dry.
523. Here is a horizontal view of the Glottis:
A", F, are the arytenoid cartilages, connected
■ with the chordae vocales, (vocal cords, or hga-
ments,) T, F, stretching across from the top of the
arytenoid to the point of the thyroid cartilage :
tnese ecrds caai be elongated, and enlarged to pro-
duce lower souriiis, and contracted and diminished
fo' Jugher ones : and, at the same time, separated
Irom each other, and allowing more conden-
sed air to pass for the former purposes; or brought
nearer together, to favor the latter : there are a
great many muscles attached to the larynx, to
give variety to the modifications oi voice in
speech and song.
34:. Here is a front view c the Vocal Organs .
e is the top of the wind-pipe, and within and a
little above d is the larj'nx, or vocal box, where
all voice sounds are
made : the two
horns at the top, rep-
resent the uppei ex-
tremities of the th Y ■
<2^^HH^B ^^'^^ cartilage: the
tubes up and down.
and transverse, are
l)lood-vessels : be-
ware of having
anythingtigh
around the neck,
also of bending the
neck much, impeding the free circulation of the
blood, and deterniiuinsr it to the head.
ORATORICAL AND POETICAL ACTION.
Positions of Feet and Hands.
\n
ORATORICAL AND POETICAL GESTURES.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
17
^^^N
1. This system unfolds the true Philoso-
pny of MixD and Voick, in accordance with
the nature of Man, andthe.strwdMre of Lan-
guage. 1 ho Elements are first presented;
then, the common combinations, followed by
the more difficult ones ; all of which are to be
practiced in coricert, and individually, after
the Teacher. These exercises essentially aid
in cultivating the Voice and Ear, for all the
objects of Speech and Song : while the Prin-
ciples and Practice tend to develop and per-
fect both mind and bodij, agreeably to the
Laws, that should govern them. The Vowels
mxisl first be mastered, then the Consonants ;
and the exercises interspersed with reading,
and rigid criticism on the Articulation and
Pro7umciatio7i.
N. B. The words printed in italics and CAPITALS, are more or
.ess emphatic ; though otiicr words may be made so, according to
tlia dei;red effect: the dash ( — ) indicates a pause for inhalation:
connecting words are sometimes excepted.
S. A lias fovu* regiilar sounds : First,
Name sound, or long ; ALE ;
ate, a-zure; rare a-pri-cots;
scarce pa-tri-ots; fair brace-
lets for Za-tent mus-to-ches;
hai-ry ma-gi and sa-pi-ent lit-
er-a-ti for pa-trons ; ?ia-tion-al
fa-ter-er for r«-di-a-ted sta-
mens, and sa-li-ent pas-try with the ^a-lo
gra-tis ; the ra-tion-al plain-tiff tears the cam-
bric, and dares the stairs for the sa-\or of
rai-sins ; they drain the mne-brakes and take
'he bears by the nape of tJie neck ; the may-or's
oray-er to Mayn-ton Sayre is — to be-ware of
he snares pre-par'd for the matron's shares:
i-men has both syllables accented; but it
should never be pronounced ah-men (2d a,)
ftor aiv-men.
JJ. Positioiu Sit. or stand erec^, with the
slioulders thrown back, so as to expand the
chest, prevent the body from bending, and
facilitate fall and deep breathing. Open the
mouth wide enough to admit two fingers,
side-wise, between the teeth, and keep the
lips free and limber, that the sounds may
fiow with clearness and precision ; nor let
there be too much, nor too little moisture in
the mouth, A piece of hard wood, or ivory^
an inch, or an inch and a half long, of the
size of a pipe stem, with a notch in each end,
if placed between the teeth, perpendicularly,
while practicing, will be found very useful in
acquiring the habit of opening wide the mouth.
4. E lias this sound in certain words; among
which are the f6lIo\ving ere, ete-long ; feint
lieirs; the Aei-nous Bey pm-veys a bo-quet;
ibo-ka ;) they rein their prey in its ey-ry, and
pay their freight by weifht ; heij-dey ! o-bey the
eyre, and do o-&ei-sanc3 to the Dey ; they sit
tete-a.~tate (ta-tah-tate,l at trey: also, there
and where, in all their compounds,— there-a«,
there-fry, there-fore, tl.ere-in, there -on, there-
orfA, where-at, where-6y, wA«r«-fore, where-
BRONSON. 2
in, where-on, where-wilh, &.c. : also, in the con-
traction of ewer and never, — as where-e'cr I ^c,
where-e'er I am, I ne^er shall see thee more.
"How blest is he, who ne'er consents, By ill ad-
vice to walk."
Anecdote. Ptaio — defines man — "An
animal, having two legs, and «o feathersJ'*
This very imperfect description attra'^.ted tlia
ridicule of Di-og--e-nes ; who, wittily, and ia
derision, introduced to his school — a. fowL,
stripped of its feathers, and contemptubusli ~
asked, — " Is this Plato'' s man P*
IVotes* 1. Don't caricature this sound of a and e b»for»
r, by giving it andue stress and qumtity, in such words as — air
(ay-ur,) pa-rent, (pae-rent,) dare, (day-ur,) chair, there, where, fcc,
nor (five it a flat sound, as some do to e in bleat, pronouncing it
blaat. To give this sound properly, separate the teeth an inch,
project the Kps, and bring forward the corners of the mouth, like
a funnel. 2. It would be jnst as proper in prose, to say, whe.re-
ee-ver I go, where-ceuer I am, I neever shall see thee more ; as to
say in poetry, where-tar I am, I near shall see thee more. 3. £ in ^
weight, whey, it, y, gh are silent,) and a in age, luhcdc, &c., are
just alike in sound; and as this sound of e does not occur a^non;
its natural, or regular sounds, as classed by our orthoepists, it is
called "irregular ;^' i. e. it borrows this name sound of a; or it
sounded like it. 4. Some tiy to make a distmction between a in
fate, and a in fair, calling it a medial sound : which error is ow-
ing to t being an abrupt element, and r, a prolonged one : but no
one can make a good sound of it, either in speech or song, when
thus situated, by giving it a sound unlike the name souad of o; be-
ware of unjust prejudices and prepossessions. I say na-shun-iU,
ra-shun-al, &c., for the same reason that I say no-tional and de-oo-
tional ; because ol analogy and effect.
Provei'l>s. 1. Accusing — is proving, whec
malice and -power sit as judges. 2. Adversity —
may make one wise, but not rich. . 3. Idle folks
— take the most pains. 4. Every one is architect
of his own fortune. 5. Fine feathers make fine
birds. 6. Go into the country to hear the news
of the town. 7. He is a good orator — who con-
vinces himself. 8. If you cannot bite, never show
your teeth. 9. Lawyers^ houses — are built on the
heads of fools. 10. Little, and often, fill the purse.
11. Much, would have more, and lost all. 12.
Practice— makes perfect.
The BiMe — ^requires, in its proper deliv-
ery, the most extensive practical knowledge
of the principles of elocution, and of all the
compositions in the ivorld; a better impres-
sion may be made, from its correct reading,
than from the most luminous commentary.
Varieties. 1 . Love what you ought to do>
and you can easily doit; — oiled wheeJs run
freely. 2. Cicero says, that Roscius, a Ro-
man orator, could express a sentence in as
many different ways, by his gestures, as W,
himself could by his words. 3. Why is tlie
letter A, like a honeysuckle 1 Because a B
follows it. 4. Never speak unless you have
something to say, and always stop when you
have done. 5. The most essential rule in de-
livery is — Be natural and in earnest 6. Our
education should be adapted to the full de-
velopment of body and mind. 7. Truth can
never contradict itself; but is eternal and im.
mutable — the same in ail ages : the states of
men's reception of it — are as various as the
pi-indples and subjects of natural c? eation.
As good have no time, aa make bad use of it.
18
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
5 £locutifin-is an Art, that teaches me how
to manifest my feelings and thoughts to
others, in such a way as to give them a trae
idea, and expression of how, and what, I feel
and think ,- and, in so doing, to make them
feel and think, as / do. Its object is, to enable
me to communicate to the hearers, the whole
truth, just as it is ; in other words, to give me
the ability, to do perfect justice to the subject,
to them, and to myself: thus, involving the
philosophy of end, cause, and effect,-ihQ cor-
respondence of affection, thoughts and words.
6. Tlie second soiuid of A is grave,
or Itahan. Ah; alms, far; pa-
pa calms ma -ma, and com-
mands Charles to craunch the
fl/-monds in the haun-\jedi paths ;
his ma-ster de-man-ded a| \^^
haunch of par-tridge of fa- \ \^j^
ther; aunt taun-X&d. the laun-
[A in FAR.]
dress for salve from the
na-na tree; Jar-vis farms sar-sa-pa-riWa in
A-m€r-i-ca; ma-niWa balm is a charm to
halve the qualms in Ra-yew-na ; he a.-bides in
CAi-na, and vaunts to have saun-tered on
the a-re-na, to guard the vil-la. hearths from
Aarm-ful ef^^w-vi-a; they^wn-ted on theso-
fe, ar-gu-ing for Quarles' psalms, and for-mu-
ia for Jaun-^ce in Mec-ca or Me-rft-na; a
caJf got the chol-e-Ta. in Cu-ba, and a-rose to
run the gaunt-let for the ayes and noes in A-
ceWa-ma.
7, In making the vowel sounds, by expel-
iing them, great care must be taken, to con-
vert all the breath that is emitted, into pure
sound, so as not to chafe the internal smrface
of the throat, and produce a tickling, or
hoarseness. The happier and freer from re-
straint, the better: in laughing, the lower
muscles are used involuntarily; hence the
adage, ' laugh, and be fat.^ In breathing,
reading, speaking, and singing, there should
be Ttr rising of the shoulders, or heaving of
the oosom ; both tend to error and ill health.
Beware of using the lungs, as it is said; let
them act, as they oxe acted upon by the lower
muscles.
Notes. I. Tan, strictly «peakin«, a the only natural
jnind in ail linfuages, and it the esiieit made: it merely requiret
the under jaw to be dropped, and a vocal sound to be produced :
ail olfier vowels are derived from it; or, rather, are modificationf
of It. 2. Wlien a is an article, i. e. when used by itself, it always
baa this sound, but must not be accented ; as, "a man saw » h.rse
4U<1 a sheep in a meadow:" except as contrasted with tht , as, "I
«id the man, not a man." 3. When o forms an unaoLent«d syl-
WDle, it has this sound : as, a-wake, a-bide, a-like, vware, a-tone,
a-void, a-way, &c. 4. It ha« a similar sound it 'he end of words,
^tther with, or without an A: as, No^, flim-nah, So-rah, Af-ri-
ca. A-nur-i-ca, i-o-ta, dog-ma, &c. Beware ot saying, No-er, Sa-
ry, &c. 6. It generally has this sound, when followed by a single
in the same syllable: as, ar-son, ar-tist, &c. ; also in star-ry, (full
CitUtn,) and tar-ry, (besmeared with tar.)
Education. The derivati/m of this word
—will assist us in imderstanding its mean-
mg; it being composed of the Latin word
e-du-ro, to lead or draw out All develop-
ments, jott of matter and spirit, are from
within — out; not from without — in. The
beautiftd rose — does not grow by accretion,
like the rocks ; its life flows into it through
the nutriment, imbibed from the earth, the
air, and the water, which are incorporated
vnth the very life-hlood of the plant as a mt'
dium : it is a manifestation of the Lif2 that
fills all things, and flows into all things, ac-
cording to their various/orms. The analogy
holds good as it respects the human mind; '
tho' vegetables are matter, and mind — io
spirit ; the farmer is of course much more
confined than the latter. The powers of the
mind — must be developed by a power from
within, and abov& itself ; and that is the best
education, which will accomphsh this most
rapidly, and effectually, in accordance witli
the laws of God, — ^which always have refer-
ence to the greatest good and the most truth.
Anecdote. A clergyman, whose turn it
was to preach in a certain church, happening
to get wet, was standing before the session-
room fire, to dry his clothes ; and when his
colleague came in, he asked him to preach for
him ; as he was very wet. " No Sir, I thank
you ;" was the prompt reply : ^^ preach your-
self; you will be dry enough in the pulpit."
Proverbs. 1. A burden that one chooses, in
not felt. 2. A guilty conscience needs no accu-
ser. 3. .Sfter-wii is every body's wit. 4. Enough
—is as good as & feast. 5. All is but lip wisdom,
that wants experience. 6. Better bend, than break
7. Children and fools often speak the truth. 8
Out of debt, out o{ danger. 9. Wade not in t;n.
known waters. 10. Do what you ought, and lei
come what will. 11. Empty vessels make tht
greatest sound. 12. Pause, before yon futow ai.
example.
Natural and SpiAtual, feirce we are
possessed of both body and soul, it is of the
first importance that we make uhe of natural
and spiritual means foi oLtahiing good; i.e.
natural and spiritual truths. Our present
and eternal destinies-should ever be kept in
mind; and that, which is of the greatest mo-
ment, recev/e the principal attention: and,
since deaih-is only a continuation of life, oui
education should be continuous : both states
o*" jeing will be best attended to, when seen
and attended to in connection.
Varieties. 1. Horses will often do more
for a ivhistle,tha.n a whip: as some yotith arc
best governed by a rod of love. 2. Why is a
bankrupt like a clock? Because he mufet
either stop, or go on tick. 3. True reading
is true exposition. 4. Conceive the inten-
tions of the author, and enter into the charac-
ter. 5. The sciences and mechanical arts are
the ministers of wisdom, not the end. 6. Do
we love our friends more when present, ot
absent ? 7. All natural trutlis, which respcrt
the worksof God in creation, are not oniy real
natural truths, but the glasses antJ rortaining
principles of spiritual ones.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
19
8. The means to be used, thus to malce
known my feelings and thoughts, are tones,
wards, looks, actions, expression, and silence:
whence it appears, that the body is the grand
medium of communication between mytsclf
and others ; for by and through the body, are
tones, words, looks, and gestures produced.
Thus I perceive, that the mind, is the active
agent, and the body, the passive agent ; that
ihis is the instrument, and that the perfor-
mer : here I see the elements of mental and
vocal philosophy.
9. Tlie third sound of A is broad:
ALL, wall, auc-tion, aus-pice ;
his vaul-t'wg daugh-ter haul'd /
the dau-phin in the sauce-ipan ; j
the pal-try sauce-hox waltz'd /
in the tea-san-cer ; al-&e-it, the \
muwk-ish au-ihor, dined on ^
7iau-se-on3 sau-sa-ges ; the au- [a in ah,.]
burn pal-{rey draws Zaw-rel plait-dhs ; his
naugh-Xy dwart got the groat through the
fau-c\i ; he thwar-ted the /aZ-chion and sal-
ted the shawl in false wa-ier ; the Zcw-Iess
gaw-k.y got m-stalVd in the aw-tumn, and
de-/raM-ded the green sward of its 6aZ-dric
2w;7«-ing.
10. CuuRAX, a celebrated /mA orator, pre-
sents us with a signal instance, of what can
be accomplished by assiduity and persever-
ance : his enunciation was so lyredpitate and
confused, that he was called "stuttering Jack
Curran.''^ To overcome his numerous de-
fects, he devoted a portion of every day to
reading and reciting aloud, slowly, and dis-
tinctly, some of the most eloquent extracts in
our language ; and his success was so com-
vlete, that among his excellencies as a speak-
er, was the clearness of his articulation, and
an appropriate intonation, that melodized
every sentence.
Notes* 1. To make \b\» »ound, drop and project the jaw,
and Bhape the mouth as in the engraving : and when you wi»h to
produce a very grave sound, in speech or song-, in addition to the
above, swell the windpipe, (which will elongate and enlarge the
vocal chords,) and form the voice as low as possible in the larynx;
for the longer and larger these chords are, the graver will be the
voice : also, practice making sounds, while exhaling aud inhaling,
Jo deepen the tones. This sound is broader than the German a.
2. 0 soiuetiuies has this sound : I thought he caught the cough,
when De oought the cloth ; he ^vrought, fought, and sought, but
talked naught. 3. Beware ol adding an r after w, a« lawr, jawr,
fawr, &c. 4. The italic a m the following, is broad, will were
•p-palled at the thraldom of Wal-ter Ro-iejgh, who was al-mo«t
*;a,ld-ed in the cal-dron of boiling wa-ter.
Habits of tbougbt. Thinking is to the
mind what digestion is to the body. We
may hear, read, and talk, till we are gi^ay ,-
but if we do not think, and analyze our sub-
jects, and look at them in every aspect, and
eee the ends, causes, and effects, they will be
of httle use to us. In thinking, however, we
must think clearly and without confusion, as
we would examine objects of sight, in order
to get a perfect idea of them. Thinking — is
spiritually seeing,- and we should always
think of things so particularly as to be able
to describe them to others ;vith as mucn ac-
curacy as we do any external objects, which
we have seen with our material eyes.
Anecdote. Wild Oats. After the first
speech, made by the younger Pitt, in the House
of Commons, an old member sarcastically re-
marked,-"! apj9?'e^e/id that the young gentle-
man has not yet sown all his vnld oats.^^ To
which Mr. Pitt politely replied, in the course
of an elaborate and eloquent rejoinder, "Age
— has its privilege; and the gentleman him-
self— affords an ample illustration, that I re-
tain/oo(i enough for geese to joicfc."
Proverbs. 1. A calumny, tho' knoion to be
such, generally leaves a stain on the reputation-
2. A blow from a frying' pan, tho' it does nol
hurt, sullies. 3. Fair and softly, go sure and far.
4. Keep your business and conscience well, and
they will be sure to keep you well. 5. A man
knows no more, to any purpose, than he practices.
6. Bells call others to church, but enter not them-
selves. 7. Revenge a wrong by forgiving it. 8.
Venture not all you have at once. 9. Examine
your accounts and your conduct every night. 10.
Call me cousin, but don't cozen me. 11. Eagles-
Ay alone, but sheep flock together. 12. U is good
to begin well, but better to end well.
Theology — includes all rehgions, both
Iieathen and christian,- and comprehend?
the study of the Divine Being, his laws
and revelations, and our duty towards Him
and our neighbor. It may be divided into
four grand divisions ; viz. Paganism, Mahom-
edanism, Judaism, and Christianity. The
study of Theology is the highest and noblest
in which we can be engaged: but a mere
theoretical knowledge, like the sunbeam on
tlie mountain glacier, may only dazzle — ^to
blind,- for, unless the heart is wanned with
love to God, and love to man, the coldness
and barrenness of eternal death wUl reign in
the sotd: hence, the all of Religion relates to
life ,- and the life of Religion is — to do good
— for the sake of good.
Varieties. He, who studies books aJone,
will know how thing-s ought to be ; and he
who studies men, will know how things are..
2. If you would relish your food, labor for it;
if you would enjoy your raiment, pay for it
before you wear it; if you would sleep sound'
ly, take a clear conscience to bed with yon,
3. The more we follow nature, and obey her
laws, the longer shall we live ,- and the far-
ther we deviate from them, the sooner we
shall die. 4. Always carry a few proverbs
with you for constant use. 6. Let compul'
sion be used when necessary ,- but deception
— never. 6. In CAina, physicians are always
under pay, except when their patrons are
sick ,- then, their salaries are stopped till health
is restored. 7. All things speak; note weJJ
the language, and gather wisdom from it.
JiTature—K but a name for an effect^
Whose cau8e~\s Ood.
20
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
kXJ^
[A in AT.]
11. Words, I see, are among the pri?icipal
means used for these important purposes;
and they are formed by the organs of voice :
these two things, then, demand my first and
particular attention, words and voice ; words
are composed oi letters ; and the voice, is the
effect of the proper actions of certain parts of
the body, called vocal organs, converting air
into sound ; which two mighty instruments,
words and voice, must be examined analyti-
Mlly, and synthetically ; without which p^o-
:ess I cannot understand a7iy thing.
I'H. Tlie foiirtli sound of A Is short :
AT, aft, add ; I had rath-ex
have a6ar-rel of as-j5ar-a-gus,
than the en-am-el and ag--ate ;
ihe ctL-haliox-hade the mal-e-
fac-tOT his ap-par-e\-andjave-
lin ; CAar-i-ty danc'd in the
^ran-a-ry with Cap-ri-corn ;
the mal-con-te7its pass'd thro^ Ath-ens in
Feh-xn-ar-y ; his cam-els quaff'd the As-
pAaZ-tic can-aZ with fa-ci7-i-ty ; plas-tex the
/aZ- low-ground a/-ter Ja«-u-ar-y ; the ad-
age an-swers on the com-rade''s staff; the
plaid tassel is man-u-/ac-tur'd in France ;
he n.i-tack'd the tar-itt with raiZ-le-ry, af-
ter he had scath'd the block and tack-le with
his ac-id pag-en-txy-
13. The more perfect the medium, the
better will it subserve the uses of communi-
cation. Now, by analyzing the constituents
of words and voice, I can ascertain whether
they are in a condition, to answer the varied
purposes for which they were given ; and
fortunately for me, while I am thus analyz-
mg the sounds, of which words are com-
posed, I shall, at the same time, become
acquainted with the organs of voice and
hearing, and gradually occms^oot them to the
performance of their appropriate duties.
Notes. 1. To give the txact ioundB of any of the
vowels, take words, in which they are found at the beginning, and
proceed a« if you were going to pronounce the wftote word, but
ttyp the instant you have produced the votoeZ sound ; and that is the
true one. 2. Beware of clipping this, or any other sound, or
thanging it : not, Tkn go, you'kn see, they'kn come ; but, I can go ;
you can see ; they can come, 3. A, in ate, in verbi, is generally
long ; but in other parts of speech of more than one syllable, it is
usually short ; unless under some accent : as — intimate that to my
intimate friend ; educate that delicate and obstinate child ; he calcu-
lates to aggravate the case of his affectionate and unfortunate wife ;
•he compassionate son meditates how he may alleviate the condition
of his disconsolate mother; vindicate your consulate's honor ; depre-
cate an unregenerate fleart, by importunate prayer ; the pre2-ate
Mid primate calculate to regulate the ultimates immediately. 4.
Ofiserve — that often the sounds of vowels are sometimes modified,
•>-c/ian»ed, by letters immediately preceding or succeeding; which
may be seen, as it respects a, for instance, In reji-e-gade, rriem-brane,
-»7)-ro-tate, con-did-ate, po-ten-tate, night-in-gale, &c. : some hav-
iiig a slight accent on the last syllable ; and others having the a
preceded, or followed by a vocal consonant : see previous Note 3.
5. A le»ter ii called 3hort, when it cannot be prolonged in Speech,
(though it can in Song,) without altering its form ; and long, when
It 0071 be prolonged without such change: therefore, we call a
sound long, or thort, because it is sun and felt to be so : as, cold,
hot ; pale, mat : in making a long sound the glottis is kept open in-
de6nitely ; and in making a short one, it is closed suddenly, produ-
ejng an abrupt sound, like some of the consonants,
A.Hecdot«. Saving Fuel. Some time ago,
when modern stoves were first introduced,
and offered for sale in a certain city, the ven-
der remarked, by way of: recommending them,
that one stove would save half the fuel
Mr. Y being present, replied, " Sir, I wii
buy two of them, if you please, and then I
shall save the whole.'*
Proverbs. 1. All truths must not be told at
all times. 2. A good servant makes a good mas-
ter. 3. A man in distress, or despair, does ao
much as ten. 4. Before you make a friend, eat
a peck of salt -wiih him, 5. Passion — will master
you, if you do not master your passion. 6. Fomi
— is good, but not formality. 7. Every tub mual
stand on its own bottom. 8. First come, first served
Friendship — cannot stand all on one side. 10.
Idleness — is the hot-bed of vice and ignorance
II. He that will steal a pin, will steal a hettm
thing. 12. If you lie upon roses when yaung, yea
will lie upon thorns when old.
Q,ualificatioiis of Teacliers. Inas
much as the nature of no one thing can be
understood, without a Jcnowledge of its origin,
and the history of its formation, the qualifi-
cations of teachers are seen and felt to be so
great, as to induce the truly conscieiitious to
exclaim, in view of his duties, " Who is suffi-
cient for these things'!" How can we er/?;-
cate the child in a way appropriate to his state
and relations, without a knowledge of his
mental and physical stiructure? Is not a
knowledge of psychology and physiology as
necessary to the educator, as the knowledge
of mechanics is to the maker or repairer of
a watcti ? Wfio would permit a man even
to repair a watch, (much less hire a man to
make one,) who had only seen its externals?
Alas! how ;)oorZy qualified are xiixie-tcnths
of our teachers for the stations they occupy /
almost totally ignorant of the nature and ori-
gin of the human mind, and the science of
physiology, which teaches us tlie structure
and uses of the body. But how little tliey
understand their calling, when they supposH
it to be merely a teaching of Z»oofc-knowledge :
without any regard to the development of
7nind and body. A teacher should possess a
good moral character, and entire self-<;ontrol
a fund of knowledge, and ability to commu-
nicate it ; a uni^'orm temper, united with de-
cision and firmness ; a mind to discriminate
character, and tact to illustrate simply the
studies of his pupils; he should be patient
and forbearing ; pleasant and affectionate, and
be capable of overcoming all difficulties, and
showing the uses of knowledge.
Varieties. 1. If one were as eloquent as
an angel, he would please some folks, much
more by listening, than by speaking. 2. An
upright politician asks — what recommends a
man ; a corrupt one — wfio recommends him.
3. Is any law independent of its maker ? 4.
Kind words — cost no more than unkind ones
5. Is it not better to be ivise than rich ? 6
The power of emphasis — depends on concen-
tration. 7. Manifested wisdom — infers rte.
sign.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
21
[E in EEL.]
1 1. 1 here are then, it appears, two kinds
of language; an artificial, or conventional
language, consisting of words; and a natu-
ral language, consisting of tones, looks, ac-
tions, expression, and silence ,• the former is
addi-essed to the eye, by the book, and to the
tar, by speech, and must thus be learned ; the
latter — addresses itself to both eye and ear, at
tb.8 same moment, and must be thus acquired,
80 far as they can be acquired. To become
an Elocniionist, I must learn both, these lan-
guages ; that of art and science, and that of
the passions, to be used according- to my sub-
ject and object.
15. K has two regular sounds ; first,
Its name sound, or long: ,
EEL ; e-ra, e-vii ; nei-ther
de-ceive nor in-vei-g\e the
seam-stress ; the sleek ree-gro
bleats like a sheep ; Cce-sar's
e-dict pve-cedes the e-poch of
tre-mors ; the sheik's beard
streamed like a me-te-or ; the ea-gle shriek'd
his pcB-nn on the lea ; the e-go-tist seemed
pleas'd with his pZe-na-ry Ze?s-ure to see the
co-te-rte ; ^-ne-as Leigh reads Mo-sheim
on the e-dile's heath ; the peo-ple tre-pann'd
the fiend for jeer-ing his prem-ier ; his liege,
at the or-gies, gave ce-tZ-iads at my niece,
who beat him with her 6e-som, like a cav-
a-Zi'er in Greece.
16. Since the body is the grand medium,
for communicating feelings and thoughts,
(as above mentioned,) I must see to it, that
each part performs its proper office, without
infringement, or encroachment. By observa-
tion and experie?ice, I perceive that the
miwl uses certain parts for specific pur-
poses ; that the larynx is the place where
vocal sounds are made, and that the power
to produce them, is derived from the com-
bined action of the abdominal and dorsal
nmscles. Both body and mhid are rendered
healthy and strong, by a proper use of all
their organs and faculties.
17. Ii'regular Sounds. I and Y often
have this sound; as — d,\\-tique, ion-tine ,- the
■po-lice of the bas-ZiZe seized the man-da-rin
for his ca-price at the mag-a-zi/ie ,• the u-
ni(2ue fi-nan-cicr, fa-tigued with his bom-ba-
zine \a.-lise, in his re-treat from Mo-bile, lay
by the ma-rines in the ra-vine, and ate ver-
di-gris to re-lieve him of the cri-tique. • Sheri-
dan, Walker and Perry say, yea yea, and nay
nay, making the e long ,- but Johnson, En-
tick, Jainieson and Webster, and the author,
pronounce yea as if spelled yay. Words de-
rived immediately from the French, accordhig
to the genius of that language, are accented
on the last syllables ; — cdi-price, fa.-tigue, po-
lice, &c.
Eorrow—lreads heavily, and leaves behind
A deep impressiun, e'en wnen sne aeparts :
While Jor/— trips by, with steps, as light as wind.
And scarcely leaves a trace apon our hearts
Of her faint /oo£-/aZ;5.
18. That the body may be fne, to a-ci in
accordance with the dictates of the mind, ai!
unnatural compressiotis and contractions must
be avoided; particularly, cravats and stocks
so tight around the neck, as to interfere with
the proper action of the vocal organs, ana
the free circulation of the blood ; also, tigh
waistcoats ; double suspenders, made tight-
er with straps ; elevating the/eet to a point
horizofital with, or above, the seat; and
lacing, of a7t^ description, around the waist,
impeding the freedom of breathing naturdU-
ly and healtlifully.
Anecdote. True Modesty. When Wash-
ington had closed his career, in the French
and English war, and become a member of
the House of Burgesses, in Virginia, the
Speaker was directed, by a vote of the house,
to returrf thanks to him, for the distinguished
services he had rendered the country. As
soon as Washington took his seat, as a mem-
ber. Speaker R jbinson proceeded to discharge
the duty assigned him ; which he did in such
a manner as to confound the young hero ;
who rose to express his acknowledgments ;
but sucli wiis his confusion, that he was
speechless ; he blushed, stammered, and trem-
bled for a short time ; when the Speaker re-
lieved "'"m by saying — " Sit down, Mr. Wash-
ington ; your modesty is equal to j'our valor ;
and that — surpasses the power of any lan-
guage that I possess."
Proverbs. 1. A blythe heart makes a bloom-
ing visage. 2. A deed done .las an end. 3. A
great city, a great solitude 4. Desperate cuts —
must have desperate cures. 5. .^U men are not
men. 6. A stumble— may prevent a fall. 7. A fool
always comes short of liis reckoning. 8. Beggars
must not be choosers. 9. Belter late, than never.
10. Birds of a feather flock together. 11. JVotking
is lost in a good market. 12. All is well, that ends
well. 13. Like priest, like people.
Varieties. 1. Thetriximphs of truth — are
the most glorious, because they are bloodless ,•
deriving their highest lustre — from tlie num-
ber of the saved, instead of the slain. 2. Wis-
dom— consists in employing the best means,
to accomplish the most important ends. 3.
He, wlio would take you to a place of vice, or
immoralUy, is not your real friend. 4. If
gratitude — is due from man — to man., how
much more, from man — to his Maker / b.
Arbitrary power — no man can either give, or
hold; even conquest cannot confer it: hence,
law, and arbitrary power — are at eternal en-
mity. 6. They who take no delight in vir-
tue, cannot take any — either in the employ-
ments, or the inhabitants of heaven. 7. Be-
ware of violating the laws of Life, and you
will always be met in mercy, and not in
judgmerit.
The calm of that old reverend Irow, the glow
Of its thin silver locks, was like a flash
Ot sunlight— m the pauses of a storm.
22
PEINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
[E in ELL.]
19. Having examined the structure of the
hody, I see the necessity of standing, at
first, on the left foot, and the right ioot a
few inches from it, (where it will naturally
fall, when raised up,) and pomtmg its heel
toward the hollow of the left foot ; of throw-
ing the shoulders back, so as to protrude the
chest, that the air may have free ac-cess to
the air cells of the lungs ; of havmg the
upper part of the body quiescent, and the
niind concentrated on the lower muscles,
until they act voluntarily.
ao, Tlie second sound of E is short :
ELL; edge, en; the dem-o-
crat's cq-m-p&ge was a leath-
er eph-od ; the ea-qutre leaped
from a pei-es-tal into a ket-
tle of eggs ; a lep-er clench'd
the epA-a, zeaZ-ous of the e6-on
feath-er, and held it stead-y ;
get the non-pa-ret/ weap-ons for the rec-
on-dite Aer-o-ine ; the ap-pre»-tice for-^efs
the shek-els lent the deal preZ-ate for his
Aer-o-rne ; the clean-ly leg-ate held the tep-
id mead-ow for a spe-cial /tome-stead ; ster-
e-o-type the pref-a.ce to the ten-ets as a prel-
ude to our ed-i-h\e re-tro-spec-tions ; yes-
te'r-day I guess'd the fet-id yeast es-caped
with an ep-i-sode from the ep-ic into the
petals of^the sen-na ; the pres-age is im-
press''d on his ret-i-na instead of the keg of
phlegm.
ai. In these pecuHar exercises of voice —
are contained all the elements, or principles
o( articulation, accent, emphasis and expres-
sion ; and, by their aid, with but little ex-
ertion, I shall be enabled to economize my
breath, for protracted vocal efforts, and im-
part all that animation, brilliancy and force,
ihnt reading, speaking and singing ever re-
quire.
}43. Irregulars. A, I, U, and Y, some-
times have this sound : as — an-y, or man-y
pan-e-gi/r-ists of Mar-y-land said, — the bur-
y-ing ground a-gainst the world; says the
lan-cet to the ^rwm-pet — get out of my way
a-gain, else the bicr-i-a\ ser-vice will be said
over you in the black-ness of dark-ness ; there
is ^fc-ness in the 6a.se-ment of our plan-et,
from the use of as-sa-/cEZ-i-da, in-stead of her-
rings: never say sus-pect for ex-pect, busi-
niss for busi-ness, pay-mwnt for pay-ment,
nor gar-munts for gar-ments.
23. As much depends on the quality of
which any thing is made, I must attend to
the manner, in which these sounds are pro-
duced, and see that they are made jitst right;
each having its appropriate weight, form,
and quantity. Taking the above position,
and opening th^ mouth wide, turning my
lips a little out all round, trumpet fashion,
and keeping mv eyes on a horizonta-l level,
and inhaling full breaths, I will expel these
sixteen vowel sounds into the roof of my
mouth, with a suddenness and force similar
to the crack of a thong, or the sound of a gun.
An ape— is an zpe, a varlet—^s a varlet.
Let then> be cl nhed in silk, or scarlet.
Notes. 1. I'o make this souna of h, ftrop 'a e zoitx p. m
open thg mouth wide, as indicated by the engraving, « a» to pre-
vent it from becoming in the least nusal. 2. E in eni, ence, aa4
ess, generally hag this sound ; tho' «onietune8 it ilides into short
u. 3. When e precedes two r's (it,) it should alway* have thw
sound : as err, er-ror, mer-it, cher-ry, wher-ry : but alien follo«'e<J
by only rnie r, it glides into short u, tho' the under jaw should be
much depressed : as— the mer-chaiit ieard the clerk, calling on tj«
»er-geant for mer-cy ; let the ter-ma-gant learn that the pearls were
jerked from the rob-ber in the tav-ern, / it similarly situated in
certain words : the girls and birds in a mh&^l ir-da, sang di*.
ges to the virgin : see short u. 4. E is silent i^a tfej lui salable of—
e-ven the shov-els are broken in the oven; a weasel opeu the nr?-
cl, with a sick-ening sniv-el; driv-en by a deaf-cning ti-tle from
heaven, he was of-ten taken and shaken till he was softened aod
ri-pcned seven, e-leven or a doz-en times. 5. The long vowels ara
open and ccmtinwnis ; the short ones are shui, abrupt, or iiacrO*,
and end as soon as made.
Anecdote. A lawyer, to avenge himself
on an oppone7it, wrote ^'Rascal " in his hat.
The oivner of the hat took it up, looked rue-
fully into it, and turning to the Judge, ex-
claimed, " I claim the protection of this hon-
orable court ; — for the opposing counsel has
written his name in my hat, and I have strong
suspicion that he intends to make off with it.' '
Provertos. L Malte both ends rftee•^ 2. Fair
play — is a jewel. 3. Proverbs existed before books.
Ml blood is alike ancient. 5. Beauty— is only skin
deep. 6. Handsome is, that handsome does. 7.
One fool makes many. 8. Give every one his due.
9, No rose without a thorn. 10. Always hare a
few maxims on hand for change.
Sublimity and Pathos. As weak lights
— are obscured, when surrounded by the daz-
zling rays of the sun, so, sublimity, poured
around on every side, overshadows the arti-
fices of rhetoric : the lilve of which occurs in
painting; for, tho' the light and shade, lie
near each other, on the same ground, yet; the
light first strikes the eye, and not only ap-
pears projecting, but much nearer Thus,
too, in composition, the sublime and pathetic
— ^being nearer our souls,on account of some
'natural connection and superi ^r spleridor, are
always more conspicuous than figures ; they
conceal their art, and keep themselves veiled
from our view.
Sounds. 1. The whole sound made is not in
the whole air only ; but the whole sound is in
every particle of air : hence, all sound will enter a
small cranny unconfused. 2. At too gre-at a dis-
tance, one may hear sounds of the voice, but not
the words. 3. One articulate sound confounds
another ; as when many speak at once. 4. Ar-
ticulation requires a mediocrity of loudness.
Varieties. 1. See how we apples swim.
2. He carries two faces. 3. Strain at a gate
and swallow a saw-mill. 4, Who is tlie true
gentleman? He whose actions make him
such. 5. A sour countenance is a manifest
sign o{ a froward disposition. 6. Speak — as
you mean ,- do — as you profess, and perform
what you promise. 7. To be as nothing, 13
an exalted state: the omnipotence of the
heavens— exists in the truly humbled heart
Whatever way you wendf.
Consider well the end.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
gd
34. 1 observe thai there are three distinct
• principles involved in oral words, which
are their essences, or vowel sounds ; their
forms, or the consonants attached to them,
and their mea7iins, or uses. By a quick,
combined action of the lower muscles upon
their contents, the diaphragm is elevated so
as to force the air, or breath, from the lungs
into the windpipe, and through the larynx,
where it is converted into vowel sounds;
which, as they pass out through the mouth,
the glott's, epiglottis, palate, tongue, teeth,
lips, and noss, make into words.
J85. I lias tAvo tegular sounds : First,
its NAME sound, or long: ISLE ;
ire, t-o-dine : 6re«-tUes o-blige /
their wines to lie for sac-cha- /
fine Zt-lacs to fx-pe-dite their/?
line gibes; the oh-lique grind- \
etone lies le7igth-wise on the ho-
ri-zon ; a ti-ny le-vi-a-tlian, on ^' '" ■'^^^■^
the heights of the en-t't-rons of ylr-gives,
as-pires to sigh through the wii-cro-scope ;
the e-dile likes spike-nard for his he-Zi-a-
cal ti-a-ra; the mice, in tri-ads, hie from the
aisle, si-ne di-e, by a vi-va. vo-ce vote ; the
bi-u'd-ry di-gest of the chrys-ta-Zme ma-gi,
was hir'd by the choir, as a si-ne-cure, lor
a Zi-vre.
86. These vocal gymnastics produce as-
tonishing power and jlexihility of voice,
making it strong, clear, liquid, musical and
gover7iable ; and they are as healthful as
they are useful and amusing. As there is
only 07ie straight course to any point, so,
there is but one right ivay of doing a7iy
thing, and every thing. If I" wish to do any
thing well, I must first learn hoto; and if I
hegiti right, and keep so, every step will
carry me forward in accomplishing my o&-
jects.
Notes. . F, in some word*, has this lound ; particularly,
*-i.en accmted, and at the end of certain nouns and verht : the ly-
ce-uni's 3.1-ly proph^-cy to the rfi,'-nas-ty to mag-m-fy olherU faults,
but t7Mn-i-fy Its ovm. 2. This first dip-thongal sound begins
nearly like 2d A, as the engraving indicates, and enis with the
name souud of e (a^e.) 3. / is not used in any purely English word
as a final letter; y being its representative in such a position. 4.
When / commences a word, and is in a syllable by itself, if the re-
cent be on the mcceeding syllable, it is generally long: as, i-de-a,
'[■cUii-t\-(y, i-rfoZ-a-try, i-ras-ci-ble, i-roji-i-cal, i-toZ-ic, i-tm-e-rant,
?:c. It is long in the first syllables of vi-toW-ty, di-am-e-ter, di-itr-
rtal, di-/cm-ma, bi-en-ni-al, cri-«e-ri.on, chi-me-ra, bi-og--ra-pliy, !i-
cf'i-tious, ?i-ga7i-tic, pri-rne-val, vi-4ra-tion, &e. 6. In words de-
rived from the Greek and I^tin, the prefixes bi, (twice,) and tri,
(tlirice,) the / is,generally long.
Anecdote. Seeing a Wind. "I never
saw such a wind in all my life ,•" said a man,
during a severe storm, as he entered a tem-
perance hotel. ^'Saw a wind/ " observed
another,—" What did it Zoofe like]" "Like/"
said the traveller, " why, like to have blown
my hat off."
On a Mommy.
Why should this worthless tegument— endure.
If its undying ^tist — be lost forever 1
O let us keep the 3jul — embalmed and pure
In living virtue ; .hat when hoth must sever.
Although corruption — may our frame consume,
Th' immortal «^m^— in the skies may bloo.a.
Proverbs. 1. A crowd, is not t.ftnpany. 2.
A drowning man will catch at a straw. 3. Half
a loaf is better than no bread. 4. An ill work-
man quarrels with his tools. 5. Better be alow
than in bad company. 6. Count not your chick
ens before they are hatched. 7. Every body 'a
business, is nobodtfs business. 8. Fools—make
feasts, and wise men eat them. 9. He that will
not be counselled, cannot be helped. 10. If it were
not for hope, the heart would break. 11. Kind'
nesa will creep, when it cannot walk. 12. Oil and
truth will get tippermost at last. —
General Intelligence. It is a signal
improvement of the present day, that the ac-
tions and reaciio7is of 6oo/f-learning, and oi
g-eneral inielligence — are so prompt, so in-
tense, and so pervading all ranks of society.
The moment a discovery is made, a principle
demonstrated, or a proposition advanced,
through the medium of the jwess, in every
part of the world; it finds, immediately, a
host, numberless as the sands of the sea, pre-
pared to take it up, to canvass, confirm, re-
fute, or pursue it. At every loaZer-fall, or
the line of every canal and raiZ-road, in the
coi^?iZmg--room oi every factory and mercan-
tile establishment; on the quarter-deck, of
every skip that navigates the high seas ; on
the farm of every intelligent husbandtna\i f
in the workshop of every skillful tnechanic ;
at the desk of every cSc/iOoZ-master ; in the of-
fice of the lawyer; in the study of the physi-
cian and clergyma7i; at the fireside of everi
man who has the elements eta good educa-
ticm, not less than in the prcfessed retreats of
learning, there is an intellect to seize, to
weigh, and to app7-oj>riate the suggestions^
whether they belong to the world of science,
of tenets, or of morals.
Varieties. 1. Ought women be allowed
to vote ? 2. Nothing is troublesome, that we
do willingly. 3. There is a certain kind of
pleasure in weeping ; grief— is soothed and
alleviated, by tears. 4. Labor hard in the
field of observation, and turn every thiiig to a
good account. 5. What is a more lovely sight,
than that of a youth, growing up under the
heavenly influence of goodness and truth P
6. To speak ill, from knoiu ledge, shows a
want of character ,• to speak ill — upon sus'
picion, shows a want of honest pnncijde
7. To be*perfectly resigned in the whole l.fe
and in its every desire, to the ivill and govern^
ance of the Divine Providence, is a worship
most pleasing in the sight of the Lord.
To me, tho' bath'd in sorrow's dew,
The dearer, far, art thou :
I lov^d thee, when thy woes were few
And can I alter— note ?
That face, in jot/s bright hour, was fair ,
More beauteous, since grief is there ;
Tho' somewhat pale thy brow ;
And be it mi7ie, to soothe the pain,
Thus pressing on thy heart and brain.
24
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
^tnr
at, Articulatio7i is the cutting out and
shaping, in a perfectly distinct and appro-
priate manner, with the organs of speech,
all the simple and compound sounds which
our twenty-six letters represent. It is to
the ear what a fair hand-writing is to the
eye, and relates, of course, to the sounds,
not to the names, of both vowels and conso-
nants. It depends on the exact positions
and correct operations, of the vocal powers,
and on the ability to vary them with rapid-
ity, precision and effect: thus, articulation
is purely an intellectual act, and belongs
not to any of the brute creation.
S8. Tlie second sound of I is short :
ILli; inn, imp; the ser-vile
spir-it of a rep-tile Zi6-er-tine is
hos-tile to fem-i-nine fi-del-i- /
ty; the pu-er-ile dis-ci-i^ine I
of mer-can-tile chi-ca«e-ry, is \
the ar-<?/-i-cer of mi7-i-ta-ry
rfes-po-tism ; the fer-tile eg- f' '" ^^^
Ian-tine is tZes-tin'd for aju-ve-nile gift ; the
g-e?i-u-ine pro-file of Cao-tain White-field is
the an-ftp-o-des of in-di-vi-si-5iZ-i-ty ; the
wind, in the vi-czw-i-ty of mount Lib-a-nns,
is a n\e-di-ci-na[ for the con-spir-a-cy of the
ir?^-and; the pris-tine /o7/7t-tains of the
ad-a-ma«-tine spring is s?^Z-Iied with the
guil-Xy gm\-o-tine ; man is an ea:-quis-ite
e-pi^o-me of the z«-fi-nite Di-vw-i-ty, and
should be stud-led as def-l-m\e-ly as pos-
si-ble.
89. Two grand objects are, to correct had
nabits, and form good ones ; which may be
done by the practice of analysis and syn-
tltesis : that is, taking compound sounds,
s'/fluhles, words, and sentences into pieces;
or, resolving them into their component
parts, and then recombining, or putting them
together again. Error must be eradicated,
or truth cannot be received ; we must cease
to do evil, and learn to do well : what is
true can be received only in proportion as
its opposite false is removed.
30. Irregulars. ^, E, O, U, and Y, in a
few words, have this sound : as-the horn-age
ffiv-en to pret-ty woni-en has been the rich-est
bus-'ness of pet-ty tyr-an-ny, since the English
proph-e-cy of Py-<Aa^-o-rus ; the styg-i-an fur-
nace of bus-y Wal-Iace, in Hon-ey al-ley, is a
werf-ley of pyr-i-tes, and the treb-\e cyn-o-sure
of cy;o--nets, Ar^s-sop, and syn-o-nyms.
Notes. I. Beware of Mr. Walker's error, in giving the
•rjnd of long E to the final unaccented /and K of syllables and
trsrdj, which is always short: as,— as-per-ee-tee, for as^er-i-ty,
(Dce-uor-ee-lee, for mi-rwr-i-ty; char-ee-tee for cAar-i-ty; pos-see-
* 1-ee-tee, for pos-si-Wi-i-ty, &c. 2. Some give the short sound oS
t\oA ifl the unaccented syllables of— ad-age, cofc-bage, pos-tage,
/«jt-dage, u-sage, &c., which is agreeable to the authorities, and to
5ive the a as in ai, savors of affectation. 3. / is silent in evil, de-
»«i, cousin, basin, &c 4. /, in final unaccented syllables, not
n%d»ns a word, is generally shoH; ji-ma-i-tude, fi-deZ-i-ty mi
fc)r-i-ty
A bark, at midnight, sent alone —
To drift upon a moonless sea, —
A lute, whose leading chord — is gone,
A wounded bird, that has but one
Imperfect wing — to soar upon, —
Is like what /am— wi hout thee.
Anecdote. Accommodating. A fkjfti-
dan — advertised, that at the request of nis
ft'iefids, he had moved near the church-ynTd;
and trusted that his removal would accom-
modate many of his patients. No doubt of it.
Proverbs. 1. A thousand probabilities will
not make one truth. 2. A Aand-saw is a goo<J
thing, but not to shave with. 3. Gentility, with-
out ability, is worse than beggary. 4. A man
may talk like a wise man, and yet act like a fool,
5, If we would «Mcceed in any thing, we must Me«
the proper means. 6. A liar should have a good
memory. 7. Charity begins at home, but doea
not end there. 8. An ounce of mother wit is
v/otih 9. pound oi learning. 9. Short reckonings
make long friends. 10. Custom is the plague of
wise men, and the idol of fools. 11. Every one
knows best where his own shoe pinches Afamt
heart never won a fair lady.
Freedom. V7lier\. freedom is spoken of
every one has an idea of what is meant ; for
every one has known what it is to live in
freedom, and also what it is to five, and act
under restraint. But then it is obvious,
that different persons feel in freedom, ac
cording to circumstances ; things which re-
strain and infringe upon the freedom of
some, have no sucn effect upon others. So
that in the same situation in which one
would feel free, another would feel himself
in bondage. Hence, it is evident that tho'
all have a general idea of what freedom is,
yet all have not the same idea of it. For
as different persons would not ail be free in
the same circumstances, it follows, that free-
dom itself is not the same thing to all. Of
course, the kinds of freedom are as many
and various as the kinds of love are by which
we are all governed: and our freedom is
genuine or not genuine, according as our
ruling love is good or evil.
Varieties. 1. Did you ever consider how
many millions of people — live, and die, igno-
rant of themselves and the world ? 2. Stin-
giness soon becomes a confirmed hxihit, and
increases with our years. 3. The man, who
is just, and firm ui his purpose, cannot be
shaken in liis detennined mind, eitlier by
threats or promises. 4. By continually scol-
ding children and domestics, for small faults,
they finally become accustomed to it, and de-
spise the reproof, b. Good books — are nirt
only ^.nourishment to the mind, but they eji-
lighten and expand it. 6. Why do we turri
from those livmg in this world, to those who
have left it, for the evidences of genuine love ?
7. All principles love their neaiest relatives,
and seek fellowship and conjunction wtli
them.
There are some bosoms — dark and dre^ir
Which an unwater'd desert are ;
Yet there, a curious eye, may trace
Some smiling spot, some verdant place.
Where little flowers, the tceeds between
Spend their sofl fragrance— ^[\ unseen.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
25
^v:'
31, The organs of speech are, the dorsal
and abdominal muscles, the diaphragm and
intercostal muscles, the thorax or chest,
the lungs, the trachea or wind-pipe, the
larynx, (composed of five elastic cartilages,
the ipper one being the epiglottis,) the glot-
tis, palate, tongue, teeth, lips and nose :
but, in all efforts, we must use the whole
body. All vowel sounds are made in the
larynx, or vocal box, and all the consonant
sounds above this organ.
33. O lias tliree regular souxtds : first,
its NAME sound, or long: OLD ;
the sloth-ixA doge copes with the
/o-rist before Pfta-raoh, and
sows oK-ly yeZ-low oats and o-
sier ; the home-\y por-trait of the
a-fru-cious gold-sxmih. is the yeo-
man-ry's j9t7-lovv ; Job won't go [OmOLJ.]
to Rome and pour <aZ-low o-ver the broach
of the pre-co-cious wid-ow Gross; the
whole corps of for-gevs tore the iro-phy
from the /eZ-low's nose, and told him to
store it under the po-ten-tate's so-fa, where
the de-co-rus pa-<roZ pour'd the lioa-ry min-
nows.
33, A correct and pure articulation, is
indispensable to the public speaker, and es-
sential in private conversation : every one,
therefore, should make himself master of it.
All, who are resolved to acquire such an
articulation, and faithfully use the means,
(which are here furnished in abundance,)
will most certainly succeed, though opposed
by slight organic defects ; for the mind may
obtam supreme control over the whole body.
34. Irregulars. Au, Eau, and Ew, have
this sound in a few words : The beau Ros-
geau, with mourn-fn\. hau-^ewr, stole the haut-
boy, bu-reau, cha-teau and flam-beaua:, and
poked them into his port-manteau, before the
belle sowed his toe to the har-row, for strew-
ing the .s^eio-bread on the plat-eai*.
Anecdote. A Narrow Escape. A pedan-
tic English traveler, boasting that he had been
so fortimate, as to escape Mr. Jefferson's ce-
lebrated non-importation laiv, was told by a
Yankee lady, " he was a very lucky man : for
she understood that the non-importation law
prohibited the importing of goods, of which
brass — was the chief composition.^'
Proverbs. 1. Jiffairs, like salt-fish, should
b-i a long time soaking'. 2. A fooPs tongue, like
a .nonkey's tail, designates the animal. 3. Jill
are not thiexes that dogs bark at. 4. An ant may
work its heart out, but it can never make honey.
5. Better go around, than fall into the ditch. 6.
Church work generally goes on slowly. 7. Those,
whom guilt contaminates, it renders equal. 8.
Force, without forecast, is little worth. 9. Gen-
tility, without ability, is worse than plain beg-
crary. 10. Invite, rather than avoid labor. 11.
He'll go to law, at the wagging of a straw. 12.
Uj' ton^s choice, — that, or none.
'Tis not, indeed, my talent— to engage
In lofty triflrs ; or, to swell my puge—
With wind, and noise.
Natural Pliilosopliy — mclude.i a/l sub-
stances that affect our five senses, — heanng,
seeing, tasting, smc'Mng and feeling; whicli
substances are called matter, and exist in
three states, or conditions, — solid, when the
particles cohere together, so as not to be easily
separated ,- as recks, icood, trees, &c. : liquid,
when they cohere slightly, and separate
freely ,• as water : and gaseous, or aenform
state, when they not only separate freely^
but tend to recede from each other, as far as
the space they occupy, or their pressure wiir
permit, — as air, &c.
Educators, and Education. Wo all
must servo an apprenticeship to the five
senses ; and, at every step, we need assist-
ance in learning our trade : gentleness, pa-
tience, and love — are almost every thing in
education : they constitute a niild and bless-
ed atmosphere, which enters into a child's
soul, like sunshine into the rosebud, slowly,
but surely expaading it into vigor and
beauty. Parents and Teachers must govern
their own feelings, and keep their hearts
and consciences pure, following principle,
instead of impulse. The cultivation of the
affections and the development of the ftotZy'.-i
senses, begin together. The first effort of
intellect is to associate the frames of objects
with the sight of them ; hence, the neces-
sity of early habits of observation — of pay-
ing attention to surrounding things and
events ; and enquiring the whys and where-
fores of every thing; this will lead to the qual-
ities, shapes, and states of inanimate sub-
stances ; such as hard, soft, round, square,
hot, cold, swift, slow, &c. ; then of vegsta^
bles, afterwards of xnimals ; and finally, of
men, angeh, and God. In forming the
human character we must not proceed as
the sculptor does, in the formation of a sta-
tue, working sometimes on one part, then
on another ; but as nature does in forming
a flower, or any other production ; throwing
out altogether the whole system of being,
and all the rudiments of every part.
Varieties. 1. The just man will flourish
in spite of envy. 2. Disappointment and
suffering, are the school of wisdom.. 3. Is
corporeal punishment necessary in the school,
army and navy ? 4. Every thing within the
scope of human power, can be accomplished
by well-directed efforts. 5. W<)MATir — the
morning-^tar of our youth, the ti^y-star of
our manhood, and the evening-pXdiT oionxage.
6. When Newton wns asked — by wh-^t means
he made his discoveries in science ,- he .-^plied,
"by thinking." 7. Infinity — can nev<}r be
received fully — by any recipient, eitb«r In
heaven, or on earth.
The silver eel, in shining volumes roll'd,
The yellow carp, in scales bedropp'd with g«.Id}
Round broken columns, clasping ivy twin'd,
And o'er the rwiTis— stalk'd the Btately hind.
O cursed thirst of gold I when, for thy sake.
The /ooZ— throw? up his iuterest in bolh worlds;
Firsl,starv'din ch's.lhan, {amn'd— in that to com*.
•46
3». Attend to the quantity and quality of
the sounds, which you and others make;
that is, the volume and purity of voice, the
fnne occupied, and the manner of enuncia-
ting letters, words, and seritences : also,
learn their differences and distitictlons, and
j-iake your voice produce, and your ear 06-
»«rwe them. Get clear and distinct ideas
and concej>tio7is of fAm^s and principles,
both as respects «piri<, and matter ; or you
w ill grope in darhiess.
36. Tlie second soiuid of O is cloise :
OOZE; do stoop, and choose
to ac-foM-tre the ^o«r-mand , ^,
ar.d trou-ba-(foMr, with boots ' /^^/j;:;i^\^
and shoes ; the soot-y coM-ri-er
broods n youth-i\\\ boor to gam- '—- ' y
hoge the goose for a dou-ceur ; ^ ;^ qq^e.]
Brougham, (Broom,) proves the
.lucouth dva-<ro«7t to be a wound-ed fou-rist
ny his droop-'mg snr-tout ; it he-hoves the
W-by to shoot his bou-sy 7ioo-dle soon,
lest, huo-yant with soup, the fool moor his
poor ca-7toe to the roof of the moon.
37. The dUFerence between expulsion
and explosion fc, that the latter calls into
use, principally, the lungs, or thorax : i. e.
the effort is made too much above the dia-
phragm : the former requires the combined
action of the muscles below the midriff; this
is favorable to voice and health ; that is de-
leterious, generally, to both: many a one has
injured his voice, by this unnatural process,
and others have exploded their health, and
3;:me their life ; beware of it.
Wotes. 1. Au, inaoiM: Praick words, have this sound ;
14— chef-d'eau-vre, (slie-docvr, a. master stroke ;) also, Eu ; as — ma-
nai-vre; coup-d'mil, {coo-dale, first, or slight view;) c!njp-de-
tiuiin, (a sudden attack O and conp-ile-grac£, (coo-de-grcw, the fin-
Bhing stroke). 2. Bewsjreof Walker's erroneous notation in j.»g-
nouncing oo in hook, cook, took, look, &c., like the second sound ct o,
f.< in borni, pool, tocih, &c. In these first examples, the oo is like u in
pull ; and in the Ktter the o is close. In the word to, in the following,
when it conptitutea a jart of the verb, the o is close : as — " in the
examples alltded to;" "attend t' the exceptions." 3. In concert
practice, macy will let out their voices, who would read so low as
uot to be heard, if reading individually.
Proverl?s. 1. A fog— cannot be dispelled
with a fan. 2. A good tale— is often marr'd in
telling. 3. Diligence— ma.V.GS all things appear
easy. 4. A good name — is better than riches. 5.
A man may even say his prayers out of time. 6.
A-peZ-les — was not a painter in a day. 7. A plas-
trr is a pinall amends for a broken head. 8. All
a.'e not saints tiiat go to church. 9. A man may
live upon little, but he cannot live upon nothing
ax all. 10. A rolling fifo7ie gathers no muss. 11.
Patience — is a bitter seed; but it yields sweet
fruit. 12. The longest life Hiust have an end.
There iis a pleasure — in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture — on the lonely shore,
There is society, where none intrudes,
By the deep Sea, and music — in its roar :
I love not Man — the less, but JSTature — more,
From these our interviews, in which I steal
From all 1 may be, or have been befor',.
To mingle — with the Universe, and feel —
What I can ne^erei press, yet cannot all conceal.
PRINCIPLES OF EL(X>UTIO^.
Causes of Greek Perfection. All Greek
Philologists have failed to account satisfac-
torily, for the form, harmony, power, and
superiority of that language. The reason
seems to be, that they have sought for a tiling
where it is not to be found; they havelook'd
into books, to see — what was never written
in books ; but which alone could be heard..
They learned to read by ear, and not by let-
ters; and, instead of having vianuscripts he-
fore them, they memorized their contents, and
made the thoughts their own, by actual appro-
priation. When an author wished to have
his work published, he used the living voice
of himself, or of a public orator, for the prin-
ter and bookseller : and the public speaker,
who was the best qualified for the task, would
get the most business : the greater effect they
produced, the higher their reputation. The
human voice, being the grand instrument,
was developed, cultivated, and tuned to the
highest perfection. Beware of dead hook
knowledge, and seek for iiving, moving na-
ture : touch the letter — 6nly to make it alive
with the eternal soul.
Anecdote. / liold a wolf by the ears :
which is similar to the phrase — catching
a Tartar ; supposed to have arisen from a
trooper, meeting a Tarter in the woods,
and exclaiming, that he had caught one : to
which his companion replied, — " Bring him
along, then;" — he answered, "I ca'-A't ;''
"Then come yomself;'''' — "He won't let
me." The meaning of which is, to repre-
sent a man grappling with such difficulties,
that he knows not how to advance or recede.
Varieties. 1. 1^ it not strange, that
such beautiful flowers — should spring from
the dust, on which we tread? 2. Pcttient,
persevering thought — has done more to en-
lighten and improve mankind, than all the
sudden and brilliant efforts of genius. 3. It
is astonisldng, how much a little added to a
little, will, in time, amount to. 4. The hap-
piest state of man — is — that of doing good,
for its oivn sake. 5. It is much safer, to
think — what w^e say, than to say — what we
think. 6. In affairs of the heart, the 07ily
trafic is — love for love; and the exchwrge —
all for all. 7. There are as many orders of
truth, as there are of created objects of ordof
in the world ; and as many orders of good-
proper to such truth.
There is a spell— m every flower,
A sweetness — in each spray.
And every simple bird—hath power-
To please me, with its lay.
And there is music — on the breett,
Th't sports along the glade.
The crystal dezo-Aropa — on the trcea,
Are gems — by fancy made.
O, there is jo?/ and happiness —
In every thing I see,
Which bids m/ soul rise up, and blosa
The Ood, th'v blesses me.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
2'>
[0 in ON.]
3S. Oratory — in all its refinement, and
necessary circumstances, belongs to no par-
ticular people, to the exclusion of others;
nor is it the gift of nature alone ; but, like
other acquirements, it is the reward of ardu-
us efforts, under the guidance of consummate
skill. Perfection, in this art, as well as in all
others, is the work of time and labor, prompt-
ed by true feeling, and guided by correct
tJcought.
39. Tlie tliird sound of O is short
ON ; /ore-head, pro^-uce ; the
JoZ-o-rous coZZ-ier trode on th
bronz'd o6-e-lisk, and his sol-
ace was a co/n-bat for om-lets
made of g-or-geous cor-als ; the
vol-a-tiie pro-cess of making
ros-in j^/o6-ules o( trop-'\-ca\ mon-Kdes is ex-
f raor-di-na-ry ; the doc-i\e George for-fi-o^
tUe_;oc-und copse in his som-bre prog-ress
to the moss broth in yo7t-der trough of
A:;zoi«Z-edge ; beyond the jlor-xd frosts of
morn-ing are the sop-o-r//'-ic prod-ucls of
the /ioZ-y-days.
40. Dean Kirwan, a celebrated pulpit ora-
tor, was so thoroughly convinced of the im-
portance of manner, as an instrument of do-
ing good, that he carefully studied all his
tones and gestures ; and his well modulated
and commanding voice, his striking attitudes,
and his varied emphatic action, greatly aided
his wing-ed words, in instructing, melting,
inflaming, terrifying and overwhelming his
auditors.
41. Irregulars. A sometimes has this
si)und : For what was the wad-dling swan
9Mar-rel-ing with the wasp wan-der-ing and
wab-h\ing in the swamp ? it was in a qua7i-
da-ry for the qua7i-ti-ty of wars be-tween
the squash and wash-tuh, I war- rant you.
N^OteS. L The 0 in 7ior is like o in on and or : and the rea-
son why it appeal! to be diiTerent, is that the letter r, when smooth,
beine formed the lowest in the throat of any of the consonants,
partakes more of the properties of the vmvd than the rest. 2. 0
is silent in the final syllables of pris-on, bi-son, dam-son, ma-son,
par-son, sex-ton, ar-son, bla-zon, glut-ton, par-don, but-ton, rea-son,
niut-ton, ba-con, trea-son, reck-on, sea-son, u-ni-son, he-ri-zon, crim-
son, les-son, per-son, Mil-ton, John-son, Thomp-son, &c.
Proverbs. 1. A man of gladness— se\dom
falls into madness. 2. A new broom sweeps
clean- 3. A whetstone — can't itself cut, yet it
makes tools cut. 4. Better go around, than fall
into the ditch. 5. Religion — is an excellent ar-
mor, but a bad cloke. 6. The early bird — catches
tbe worin. 7. Everrj one's faults are not written
in Iheir fore -heads. 8. Fire and water— are ex-
cellent servants, but bad masters. 9. Fools and
obstinate people, make lawyers rich. 10. Good
counsel — has no price. 11. Great barkers — are
no biters. 12. Regard the interests of others, as
well as your own.
'Tis liberty, alone, that gives the flower
Of fleeting life its lustre, and perfume ;
And we are weeds without it.
Man's soul— in a perpetual motion flows,
And to no outward cause — that motion owes.
Analogies. Light— is used in all lan-
guages, as the representative of tnJh m ita
power of illustrating the understanding.
Sheep, lambs, doves, &c., are analogous to,
or represent certain principles and ajfectiom
of the mind, which are pure and innscent,
and hence, we select them as fit representu ■
lives of sucli affections : while, on the other
hand, bears, wolves, sei-pents,*nnd the like,
are thought to represent their like afTections.
In patjiting and sculpture it is the artist's
great aim, to represent, by sensible colon ^
and to embody under material forms, cer-
tain ideas, or principles, which belong to the
mind, and give form to his conceptions on
canvass, or on 'marble : and, if his execu-
tion be equal to his conception, there will
be a perfect correspondence, or analogy, be-
tween his picture, or statue, and the ideas,
which he had endeavorsd therein to express.
The works of the greatest masters in poe-
try, and those which wih live the longest,
contain the most of pure correspondences ;
for genuine poetry is identical with truth;
and it is the truth, in such works, which is
their living prijiciple, and the so"vce of their
power over the mind.
Anecdote. Ready Wit. A boy, having
been praised for his quickness of reply, a
gentleman observed, — " When children are
so keen in their youth, they are generally
stupid when they become advanced in
years.''"' " What a very sensible boy y.-'t
must have been, sir,"— replied the lad.
Varieties. 1. Why is a thinking perso.
like a mirror ? because he reflects. 2. Selj
sufficiency — is a rock, on which thousand
perish ; while diffidence, with a proper sens
of our strength, and worthiness, generallf
ensures success. 3. Industry — is the law o.
our being ; it is the demand of nature, cfrea
son, and of God. 4. The generality of man
Idnd — spend the early part of their lives ii
contributing- to render the latter part misera-
hie. 5. When we do wrong, being convinc-
ed of it — is the fir^st step towards amend-
ment. 6. The style of writing, adopted by
persons of equal education and intelligence,
is the criterion of correct language. 7. To
go against reason and its dictates, when pure^
is to go against God'- such reason — is the di-
vine governor of man's life: it is the very
voice of God.
THE EVENING BELLS.
Those evening hells, those evening bells »
How many a tale — their music tells
Of youth, and home, and native clime.
When I last heard their soothing chime.
Those pleasant '^ours have passed awayt
And many p heart, that then was gay.
Within tl> Uivib -now darkly dwells.
And heai-» n-- luore those evenmg bells.
And so it win he when /am gone;
That tuneful pc«Z— will still ring on,
When other bards— shall walk these dellH
And sing your praise, sweet evening bells.
«8
PRINCIPLES OF LLOCUTION
4^ . Yield implicit obedience to all rules
and principles, that are founded in nature
and science; hecanse, ease, gracefulness, and
effii iency, always follow accuracy ; but rules
may be dispensed with, when you have be-
come divested of bad habits, and have per-
j'ecten yourself in this useful art. Do not,
howe\ er, dest«oy the scaffold, until you have
erected the building; and do not raise the
6uper-s/rttr^ure, till you have dug deep, and
laid i\s foundation stones upon urock.
43. U lias tlirce regvilai- sounds : first,
SAME sound, OX long : MUTE; ,s^_^.Lj
June re-/w-ses osrtute Ju-ly the / ^-^ \
juice due to cu-cum-ber; tiiis feu- / J^^\
dal con-nois-si€wr is a suil-a.-ble i "x^^^^ )
co-ad-yif-tor for the c«-ri-ous ^ \ /
?;ia7i-tua-ma-ker; the a-gue and [U in mute.]
/e-ver is a si?i-gu-lar nuisance to the a-ct^-
men of the nm-lat-to; the c^^-rate cal-cn-
lates to ed-u-cate this lieu-/e?2-ant for the tri-
6u-nal of the Duke'syu-di-cat-ure.
44. Elocution, is reading, and speaking,
with science, and effect. It consists of two
parts : the Science, or its true principles, and
the Art, or the method of presenting them.
Science is the knowledge of Art, and Art
IS the practice af Science. By science, or
knowledge, we know how to do a thing ; and
the doing of it is the art. Or, science is the
parent, and art is the offspring ; or, science
is the seed, and art the plant.
45. Irregulars. Ew, has sometimes this
diphthongal sound, which is made by com-
rjjencing with a conformation of organs much
hke that required in short e, as in ell, termi-
nating with the sound of o, in ooze ; see the
engraving. Re-uiety the deiv-y Jew a.-new,
while the cat mews for the stew. In pro-
nouncing the si7igle sounds, the mouth is in
one condition ; but, in giving the diphthong,
or double sound, it changes in conformity to
them.
IVoleS. I. U, when long, at the beginning of a word, or
lyllaLile, is preceded by the consonant sound of y : i. e. it has this
coiLsmuitit and its own vowel sound : as ; u-ni-verse, (yu-ni-verse,)
pen-u-ry, (pen-yu-ry,) slat-u-a-ry, (stat-yu-a-ry,) ewe, (yu,) vol-umt,
(vol-yume,) na-ture, (nat-yure,) &c.: but not in coJ-umn, oZ-uui,
kc, where the u is short 2. Never pronounce duty, dooty ; tune,
toon; news, noo«; blue, Woo; slew, sloo; dews, doos; Jews,Joos;
Tuesday, T-joi Liy ; gratitude, gratitoode, kc. 3. Sound all the
syllables full, for a time, regardless of sense, ant) make every let-
ter tliat it not silent, tell truly and fully on the ear : there is no
danger that you will net clip them enough in practice.
Anecdote. A Dear Wife. A certain ex-
travagant spe(ulatnr, who failed soon after,
informed a relation one evening, that he
had that day purchased an elegant set of
jewels for his dear wife, which cost him
two thousand dollars. " She is a dear wife,
indeed,'''' — was the laconic reply.
Knowledge— dwells
»n heads, replete with thoughts oi other men ;
Vi.sDOM. in minds attentive to their own.
Proverbs. I. Fuols — viake fashions, and
other people follow them. 2. From nothing
nothing can come. 3. Give but rope enough, arj'^
he will hang himself. 4. Punishment— may he
tardij, but it is sure to overtake the guilty. 5.
He that plants trees, loves others, besides him-
self. 6. If a fool have success, it always ruins
him. 7. It is more easy to threaten, than to do.
8. Learning — makes a man fit company for him-
self, as well as others. 9 Little strokes (e £-'cat
oaks. 10. Make the best of a bad bargain. 11.
The more we have,the more we desire. 12. dn-
teel societj' — is not always good society.
Tlie Innocent and Gnllty. If those,
only, who sow to the wi?id — reap the whirl'
wind, it would be well : but the mischief
is — that the blindness of bigot?:]/, the mad.
ness of ambition, and the miscalculation of
diplomacy — seelc their victims, principally,
amongst the innocent and itnoffending.
The cottage — is sure to suffer, for every er-
ror of the court, the cabinet, or the camp.
When error — sits in the seat of power and
authority, and is generated in high places,
it may be compared to that torrent, which
originates indeed, in the mountain, but
commits its devastation in the vale below.
Sternal Joy. The delight of the sow? —
is derived from love and wisdom from the
Lord ; and because love is efl'ective through
wisdom, they are both fixed in the effect,
which is use : this delight from the Lord
flows into the soul, and descends through
the superiors and inferiors of the mind — in-
to all the senses of the body, nnd fulfills it.
self in them ; and thence jo/y — becomes joy,
and also eternal— from the Eternal.
Varieties. I. Gaming, like quicksand^
may swallow up a man in a moment. 2.
Real independence — is Hving within our
means. 3. Envy — has slain its thousands ;
but neglect, its tens of thousands. 4. Is not
a sectarian spirit — the deviPs wedge — to sep-
arate christians from each other? 5. That
man is little to be envied, whose pa/rio/wvu—
would not gain force on the plains of Mara-
thon ; or whose piety would not grow warm-
er among the ruins of Io7iia. G. Rational
evidence — is stronger than any miracle
whenever it convinces the understanding;
which miracles do not. 7. Man, in his sal-
vatio7i, has the power of an omnipotent Gof^
to fight for him ; but in his damnation, he
must fight against it, as being ever in the ci
fort to save him.
THE SEASONS.
These, as they change, Almighty Father! thcsfe
Are but the varied God. The rolling year
Is ftdl of thee. Forth in the pleasing spring
Thy beauty walks, thy tenderness and love.
Wide flush the fields ; the sofl'ning air is balm ,
Echo the mountains round ; Ihe forest smiles^
And ev'ry sense, and ev'ry heart is joy.
Even from the body''s purity— the mind-
Receives a secrwt, sympathetic aid
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
21»
46. By As'ALTsis — sounds, syllables,
words, and sentences are resolved into their
constituent parts ; to each is given its own
peculiar sound, force, quality, and meaning,-
and thus, every shade of vocal coloring, of
thought and feeling, may be seen and felt.
By Synthesis, these parts are again re-uni-
ted, and presented in all their beautiful and
harmonious combinutions, exhibiting all the
varieties oi perception, thought, and emotion,
tliat can 'be produced by the human mind.
47. Tlie second sotuid of U is short :
UP ; an z/7-tra numh-skuW is a s^i,,Lj
mur-ky scwZ-lion; she urged / /-E-TX
her cawr-te-ous hus-hand to / /J^^\\ \
coup-\e himself to a ire-men- ( "wcj^l
dous iur-i\e ; the coun-try ur- \ ^ ^ /
chin pwr-chased a bunch of [UinUP.]
mush and fwr-nips, w^ith an ei-ful-geni duc-
at, and burst with the bulk of fun, because
the wm-pire de-mwrr-ed at the swc-co-tash.
4:8. Lord Ma7is field, when quite young,
used to recite the orations of Demosthenes,
on his native mountains ; he also practised
before Mr. Pnj)e, the poet, for the benefit of
his criticis7ns ; and the consequence was, his
melodious voice and graceful diction, made
as deep an impression, as the beauties of his
!.iyle and the excellence of his matter;
which obtained for him the appellation of
" the silver-toned Murray.""
49. Irregulars. A, E, I, O, and Y,
occasionally have this sound : the wo-man's
AjAS-band's clerk whirled his com-rade into a
bloody flood for mirth and mon-ey ; sir
8quir-re\ does noth-ing but shove on-ions up
the coZ-lan-der ; the sov-reign monk has just
come to the coZ-ored mo7t-key, quoth my
won-dex'vag mother; this sur-geon bumbs
the 7irtr-ror-stricken 5e(i-lam-ites, and cov-
ets the com-pa-ny of mar-tyrs and ro6-bers,
to ^/M7i-der some tons of co«s-ins ot their
gloves, coOT-fort, and hon-ey ; the bird en-
vfZ-ops some worms and pome-gran- ates
in its s«ow-ach, Si-hove the myr-t\e, in front
of the ^au-ern, thus, fres-pass ing on the
foy-er-ed vi-ands ; the wa?i-ton sex-ton en-
co/n- pass-es the earth with g-i-ant whirl-
winds, and plun-ges its sons into the bot-
lom-less o-cean with his s7ioj;-el.
Notes. 1. E and U, final, are sileiit in such words as,
hopw, va^uc, eclogue, synagogue, plague, catalogue, rogue, denia-
goffue. &r, 2. Do justice to every letter and word, and as soon
think ot itepping backward and forward in walking, as to repro-
liourxe your words in reading: nor should you call the words in-
MtTbctiy, any sooner than you would put on your shoes for your
"uU. or your liomut for your s'tawl. 3. When e or t precedes one
T. in the same syllable, it generally has this sound : berth, n.irth,
barn), vir-gin,&c..seciV. p. aa. 4. Sometimes r is double m sound,
tiouifli written single.
Could we — with ink — the ocean fill,
Were earth — of parchment made ;
Were every single stick — a quill,
Each man — a scribe by trade ;
To write the tricks— of half the sex.
Would drink the ocean dry : —
Gallants, heioare, look sharp, take care,
The WJ7»d— eat many a fly.
C
Proverl>s. 1. Like the doff in the maxger ,
he will neither do, nor let do. 2. Many a slip be-
tween the cup and lip. 3. No great loss, 1 u»
there is some small gain. 4. Nothing ventiire,
nothing have. 5. One half the world knows no*
how the other half lives. 6. One story is good
till another is told. 7. Pride— goes before, and
sAamc— follows after. 8. Saying and doing, are
two things. 9. Some— are wise, and some — arf
otherwise. 10. That is but an empty purse, that
is full of other folk's money. 11. Ccmmon /awM_
is generally considered a liar. 12. No weapon^
but truth ; no law, but love.
Anecdote. Lawyer's Mistake When the
regulations of West Boston bridge were drawn
up, by two famous lawyers, — one section, it
is said, was written, accepted, and now stands
thus: "And the said proprietors shall meet
annually, on the first Twes-day of June;
provided,the same does not fall on Sunday."
Habits. If parents — only exercised the
same forethought, ond judgment, about the
education of their children, as they do in
reference to their shoemaker, carpenter , join-
er, or even gardener, it would be much bet •
ter for these precious ones. In all cases,
what is learned, should be learned well : to
do which, good teachers — shouM be preferred
to cheap ones. Bad habits, once learned,
are not easily corrected : it is better to learn
one thing well, and thoroughly, than ma7iy
things wrong, or imperfectly.
Varieties. 1. Is pride — an indication ot
talent? 2. A handsome woman — please?
the eye ) but a good woman the heart : the
former — is di jewel; the latter — a living trea
sure. 3. An ass — is the gravest beast; an
owl — ^the gravest bird. 4. What a pity it is,
when we are speaking of one who is beauti-
ful and gifted, that we cannot add, tliat he
or she is good, happy, and innocent! 5.
Don't rely too much on the torches of others ;
light one of your own. 6. Ignorance- is
like a blank sheet of paper, on which we may
write ; but error — is like a scHbbled one. 7.
All that the natural sun is to the natural
world, that — is the Lord — to his spiritual
creation and world, in which are our minds —
and hence, he enlightens every man, that
cometh into the world.
Our birth— is but a sleep, and a forgetting ;
The soul, th't rises witli us, our life's star,
Hath had elsewhere — its setting,
And cometh from afar;
Not in entire forgetfulness.
And not in utter nakedness.
But trailing clouds of glory— do we come
From Ood, who is our hoine.
And 'tis remarkable, that they
Talk most, that have the least to say.
Pity — is the virtue of the law.
And none but t7jrants--use it cruelly.
'Tis the ^rst sanction, nature gave to tnna,
Each other to assist, in what they can.
r2
30
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
50. It is not the quantity read, but the
ma?iner of reading, and the acquisition of
correct and efficient rules, with the abihty
TO apply them, accurately, gracefully , and
involuntarily, that indicate progress in these
arts : therefore, take ofie principle, or com-
bination of principles, at a time, and prac-
tice it till the object is accomplished : in tfiis
way, you may obtain a perfect mastery over
your vocal powers, and all the elements of
language.
61. The tlilrd sound of U Is Fnlli
PULL ; crw-el Bru-tns rued the I
crude fruit bruised for the pud- ^^^r\
ding ; thepru-dent rw-ler wound- I /^X
ed this youth-i\x\ cuck-oo, he- j <y~-^\
cause he would, could, or should I ^^^ )
not im-6r«e his hands in Ruth's \ /
gru-el, pre-par'd for a faith-ful [U in full.]
dru-id ; the butch-er's bul-let push-ed poor
puss on the sm-ful cush-ion, and grace-
ful-ly put this tru-ant Prussian into the
p?iZ-pit for cru-ci-^a:-ion.
52, Avoid rapidity and indistinctness
of utterance ; also, a drawling, mincing,
harsh, mouthing, artificial, rumbling, mo-
notonous, whining, stately, pompous, un-
varied, wavering, sleepy, boisterous, labor-
ed, formal, faltering, trembling, heavy,
theatrical, affected, and self-complacent
manner ; and read, speak, sing, in such a
clear, strong, melodious, flexible, winning,
bold, sonorous, forcible, round, full, open,
brilliant, natural, agreeable, or mellow tone,
as the sentiment requires ; which contains
in itself so sweet a charm, that it* almost
atones for the absence of argument, sense,
dind fancy.
53. Irregulars. Ew, 0, and Oo, occa-
sionally have this sound: the shrewd wo-
man es-chewed the wolf, which stood pul-
ling Ruth's looZ-sey, and shook Tru-man
Wor-ces-ter's crook, while the brew-er and
his bul-\y crew huz-za'd for all ; you say it
is your truth, and / say it is my truth ; you
may take care of yo7ir-se\i, and / will take
care of my-sclf.
^Otes. I. Beware of omitting vowel* occurring between
c.insonantf in unaccented syllables : as histVy, for his-to-ry; lit'ral
for lit-e-ral: vot'ry, torvo-torry; pasfral, for pas-to-rcU; numb'ring,
for num-ler-ing ; cori)'ral, for cor^o-raX; gen'ral, for gen-e-ral;
meni'r)', for mem-o-ry, kc. Do not pronounce this tound of u
like 00 in boon, nor like u in mute ; but like u in fuU: as, chew,
not choo, &C. 2. The design of the practice on the forty-four lounds
of our letters, each in its turn, is, besides developing and training
Uie voice and ear for all their duties, to exhibit the general iaws
«nJ analogies of pronunciation, showing how a large number of
» caIb should be pronr>unced, which are often spoken incorrectly.
Anecdote. Sf.upidifi/. Said a testy law-
yer,— " I believe the Jury have been inocula-
fed for stupidity.'' " That may be," replied
lus opponent; "but the bar, and the cotcrt,
are of opinion, that you had it the natural
way."
<) there are hours, aye moments, that contain
Feelings, that years may pass, and never bring.
The soul's dark c:ttage, battered, and decayed.
Rtil'i lets in iw7u,thro' rkinks, ih^t «iot« has made.
Proverbs. I. Jlway goes the devh when the
door is shut against him. 2. A liar is not to be
believed when he speaks the truth. 3. Never
speak ill of your neighbors. 4. Constant occu-
pation, prevents temptation. 5. Courage — ought
to have eyes, as well as ears. 6. Experience-
keeps a dear school , but fools will learn in no
other. 7. Follow the wise few, rather than the
foolish many. 8. Good actions are the best sacri-
fice. 9. He who avoids the temptation, avoids
the sin. 10. Knowledge — directs practice, yet
practice increases knowledge.
Duties. Never cease to avaL yo?ureelf of
information: you must observe closely —
read attentively and digest what you read,— •
converse extensively with high, and low, ricfi
and poor, noble and ignoble, bond and free, —
meditate closely and intensely on all the
knowledge you acquire, and have it at per-
fect command. Obtain just conceptions of
all you utter — and communicate every thing
in its proper order, and clothe it in the most
agreeable ajid effective language. Avoid all
redundancy of expression; be neither too'
close, nor too diffuse, — and, especially, be as:^
perfect as possible, in that branch of oratory,
which Demosthenes declared to be thej^rs/,;
second, and third parts of the science, — a^
tion, — god-like actio]s^, — which relates to
every thing seen and heard in the orator.
Elocution, — enables you, at all times, to
command attention : its effect will be electric,
and strike from heart to heart ; and he must
be a mere declaimer, who does not feel hiDt
self inspired — by the fostering meed of such
approbation as mute attention, — and the re
turn of his sentiments, fraught with the sym
pathy of his audience.
Varieties. 1. Have steamboats — been
the occasion of more evil, than good? 2.
Those that are idle, are generally troublesome
to such as are industrious. 3. Plato saye—
God is t7-uth, and light — is his shadow. 4.
MaZ-information — is more hopeless than non-
information; for eiTor — is always more diffi-
cult to overcome than ignorance. 5. h«,
that will not reason, is a bigot ; he, tliat can
not reason, is a fool; and he, who dares nt)t
reason, is a slave. 6. There is a great ditier-
ence between a well-spoken man and an oror
tor. 7. The Word of God — is divine, and,
in its principles, infinite : no part can really
contradict another part, or have a meaning
opposite — ^to what it asserts as true ; although
it may appear so in the letter: for the lettet
killeth ; but the spirit — giveth life.
They are sleepingl Who are sleeping 1
PatLse a moment, softly tread ;
Anxious /rtends — are fondly keeping
Vigils — by the sleepei-^s bed I
Other hopes have all forsaken,—
One remains,— that slumber deepf
Speak not, lest the slumberer waken
From that sweety that saving sleep.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
SI
54. A Diphtho?ig, or double sound, is the
union of two vowel sounds in one syllable,
pronounced by a single continuous effort of
the voice. There are four diphthongal
sounds, in our language ; long i as in isle ;
oi, in oil ; the pure, or long sound of u in
lure, and ou in our ; which include the same
sounds under the forms of long y in rhyme;
of oy in coy; of ew in pew;; and ow in how.
These diphthongs are called pure, because
they are . all heard ; and in speaking and
singing, only the radical, (or opening full-
ness of the sound,) should be prolonged, or
gung.
55. Diplitlioiigs. 0?" and Oy : OIL,
broil the joint of loin in poison \ \^
and omf-ment ; spoil not the oys- , jTuT \
ters for the hoy-den ; the boy /
pitch-es quoits VL-droit-ly on the
soil, and suh-joins the joists to \
the pur-loins, and em-ploys the rQiinOiL.]
de-8troy''d toi-let to soil the res-
er-voir, lest he be cloy'd with his me-moirs.
58. The late Mr. Fitt, (Lord Chatham,)
was taught to declaim, when a mere hoy ;
and was, even the7i, much admired for his
talent in recitation : the resiclt of which
was, that his ease, grace, power, self-pos-
session, and imposing digidty, on his first
appearance in the British Parliament, "drew
audience and attentio7i, still as night ;" and
the irresistible force of his actio?i, and the
power of his eye, carrried conviction with
nis arguments.
Notes. 1. The radical, or root of this diphthong, com-
mences nearly with 3d a, as in all, and its vanish, or terminating
point, with the name sound of e, as in eel ; the first of which is in-
dicated by the engraving above. 2. Avoid tlie vulgar pronuncia-
tion of He, for oil ; jice, for joist ; pint, for point ; bile, for boil ;
ynt, for jovit ; hist, for hoist ; spile, for spoil ; quate, for quoit ;
jjtir line, for pur-io'in ; pt-zen, for pot-son; brile, for broil; Clyde,
for cloyed, &c.: this sound, especially, when given with the jaw
riiuch dropped, and rounded lips, has in it a captivating nobleness;
but beware of extremes. 3. The general rule for pronouncing the
vowels is — they are open, continuous, or long, when final in ac-
cented words and syllables; as a-ble,/a-ther, ato-ful,me-tre,i»:-b'e,
noble, »noo-ted, tw-mult, fcrtt-tal, pot-son, ow-ter-most; but they
are shut, discrete, or short, when followed in the same syllable by
1 consonant ; as, ap-ple, sew-er, lit-i\e, poWer, but-ion, sym-pa-thy.
Examples of exceptions — ale, are, all, file, note, tune, &c. 4. An-
other general rule is — a vowel followed by two consonants, that
are repeated in the pronunciation, is short : as, master, ped-far,
<t( ter, but-ler, &c.
Anecdote. The hinges evil. A student
of medici7ie, while attending medical lec-
tares in London, and the subject of this evil
being on hand, observed — " that the king's
cinl had been but little known in the Utiit-
ed States, since the Revolution.
They are sleeping ! Who are sleeping 1
Misers, by their hoarded ffold ;
And, in fancy— now are heaping
Gems and pearls — of price untold.
Oolden chains— their limbs encumber,
Diamonds — seem before them strown ;
But they waken from their slumber,
And the splendid dream — is flown.
Compare each phrase, examine every line.
Weigh every word, and every thought refine.
Proverbs. 1. Home is home, if it be ever so
homely. 2. It is too late to complain when a thing
is done. 3. In a thousand pounds of law, there is
not an ounce of love. 4. Many a true word is
spoken in jest. 5. One man's meat is another
man's poison, fx Pride, perceiving humility —
HONORABLE, Often borrows her cloke. 7. Say-
well— is good; but do-well— is better. 8. The
eye, that sees all things, sees not itself. 9 Th«
crow — thinks her own birds the whitest. 10. Ttte
tears of the congregation are the praises of thw
minister. 11. Evil to him that evil thinks. iQi
Do good, if you expect to receive good.
Our Food. The laws of man's const (u-
Hon and relation evidently show us, that th^
plainer, simpler and more natural our food
is, the more pefectlf these laws will be fulr-
filled, and the more healthy, vigorous, and
long-lived our bodies will be, and consequent-
ly the more perfect our senses will be, and
the more active and powerful may the intel-
lectual and moral faculties be rendered by
cultivation. By this, is not meant that we
should eat grass, like the ox, or confine our-
selves to any one article of food : by simple
food, is meant that which is not compo mined ,
and complicated, and dressed with pungent
stimulants, seasoning, or condiments ,• such
kind of food as the Creator designed for us,
and in such condition as is best adapted to
our anatomical and physiolog-ical powers.
Some kinds of food are better than others,
and adapted to sustain us in every condition ;
and such, whatever they may be, (and we
should ascertain what they are,) should con-
stitute our susteiiance: thus shall we the
more perfectly fulfil the laws of our being,
and secure our best interests.
Varieties. 1. Was Eve, literally, made
out of Adam'^s rib? 2. He — is doubly a
conqueror, who, when a conqueror, can con-
quer/timseZ/". 3. People may be borne down
by oppressioii for a time ; but, in the end,
vengeance will surely overtake their oppres-
sors. 4. It is a great misfortune — not to be
able to speak well ; and a still greater one.
not to know when to be silent. 5. In the
hours of study, acquire knowledge that will
be useful in after life. 6. Nature — reflects
the light of revelation, as the moon does
that of the sun. 7. Religion — is to be a?
much like God, as men ca7i be like him :
hence, there is nothing ni«yre contrary to
religion, than angry disputes and conlen
tions about it.
The pilgrim /a<Acrs— where are they 1
The waves, that brought them o'er,
SttZZ'roll in tlie bay, and throw their spraij,
As they break along the shore : —
Still roll in the bay, as they roll'd that day.
When the May Flower moor'd below ;
When the sea around, was black with starves.
And white the sAore— with snow.
By reason, man — a Oodhead can discern :
But how he should be worshiped, car not Isam
32
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
57. There are no impure diphthongs or
triphthongs, in which Uoo or three vowels
re-present, or unite, in one sound ; for all are
sileni except one ; as in air, awnt, ar«l, pia?a,
steal, lead, curtain, soar, good, your, co«gh,
feu-dal, dun-geon, beau-ty, a-dieu, view-ing.
These silent letters, in connection with the
vocals, should be called di-graphs and tri-
graphs ; that is, doubly and triply written :
they sometimes merely indicate the sound
of the accompanying vowel, and the deriva-
tion of the word. Let me beware of believ-
ing anything, unless I can see that it is true:
and for the evidence of truth, I will look at
the truth itself.
58. Diphthongs; Om, and Ow : OUR;
Mr. Brown wound an ounce ot ,^L>
sound ti-ro2i7id a cloud, and / '^'^X^X
drowned a mouse iii •-: oound of / y^^N\\
sour chow-der; a "^row-sy Vi^~~~z j
mouse de-vour''d a hovjao and I v^?v /
howl'd a po£0- wow a-bout the j-yy in our]
»io?i7i- tains ; the gou-ty oM
crouched in his tow-ex, and tlirP scowjZ-ing
cow bowed down de-i;o«<-ly in hor how-ex ;
the giour'(jower) en-shro^id-edi in pow-ex,
en-dow-eA the count's prow;-ess with a re-
nown^d trow-e\, and found him with a stout
gown in the coun-ty town.
59. Demosthenes, the Grecian orator,
paid many thousa?ids to a teacher in Elocu-
tion ; and Cicero, the Roman orator, after
having completed his education, in other
respects, spent two whole years in recitation,
under one of the most celebrated tragedi-
ans of antiqvxty. Brutus declared, that he
vyould prefer the honor, of being esteemed
the master of Roman eloquence, to the glo-
ly of many triumphs.
GO. Notes. 1. Ou and 0M> are the only representatives
if this dipththongaJ sound ; the former generally in the niiddU
>l wordt, and the latter at the end : in itoio, shvw, and low, w
H silent. 2. There are 12 jno7io-thongal vowels, or stngrZe voice
5'mnds, and 4 d»/(A-thongal vowels, or dcmhlt voice sounds : these
ips heard in is/e, time, oil and out. 5. There is a very incorrtct
ill J offaisive sound given by some to this diphthong, particularly
ID the Norlliem stales, in consequence of drawing the comers of
the rnoutli back, and keeping the teeth too close, while pronouncing
if; it fliay be called 3. flat, ncual sound: in song it is worse
tlan in sjieecli. It may be represented as follows — heou, 7ieou,
""nin, fieoixr, deotin, keounty, theower, ^c. Good natured,
UiH^lans pe/jpje, living in colddimaf«, where they wish to keep
tlie inouih nearly closed, when talking;, are often guilty of this vul-
(pirily. It may be avoided by opening the mouth wide, projecting
tlie under jaw and making the sound d-iep in the throat.
Aitecdote. Woman as she should be. A
young woman went into a public library, in
a certain towfi, and asked for "Man as he is."
" That is ouf. Miss," said the librarian ; " but
we have 'Woman as she should &e,'" She
took the boiik and the hint too.
Where are the heroes of the ages past : [bnes
Where the brave chieftains — where the mighty
Who flourish'd in the infancy of days 1
.All to th-; ^rave gone down!— On their fall'n /ame,
Etultant, mocking at the pride of man,
!*ils grim Forg-et fulness. The warrior's arm
Lies nerveless on the pillow of its shame :
t/ush^d IS his« storm'-' voice, and quenched the blaze
or his red eue-ba'l.
Proverbs. L As you make your bed, so raust
you lie in it. 2. Be the character you would bo
called. 3. Choose a calling, th't is adapted to your
inclination, and natural abilities. 4. Live — an<J
let live ; i. e. do as you would be done by. 5
Character — is the measure of the man. 6. Zeal»
ously keep down little expenses, and you will
not be likely to incur large ones. 7. Every one
knows how to find fault. 8. Fair words and
foul play cheat both young and old. 9. Give a
dog an ill name, and he will soon be shot 1 >. He
knows best what is good, who has endured enl.
H. Great ;)ai7»5 and little ^aiTw, soon niaKe umu
weary. 12. The fairest rose will wither at tost.
Cause and Effect. The evils, which
afflict the country, are the joint productiona
of all parties and all classes. They have
been produced by ovei-hanktng, o\ex-trad-
tng, o\ex-spendi7ig, ovex-dashing, ovex-dri-
ving, ovex-reaching, ovex -borrowing, over-
eating, ovex -drinking, ovex -thinking, over-
playing, ovex-riding, and ovex-acting ot
every kind and description, except over
working' Industry is the foundation of so
ciety, and the cor7ier-stone of civilization.
Recipients. We receive according to our
states of mind and life : if we are in the love
and practice of goodness and truth, we be-
come the receivers of them in that propor
tion ; but if otherwise, we form receptacles
of their opposites,— /aZsi/?/ and evil. When
we are under heavenly influences, we know
that all thing-s shall work together for our
happiness ; and when under infernal influ
ences, they will work together for our inis-
ery. Let us then choose, this day, whom we
will serve ; and then shall we know — ivhere
in consists the art of happiness, and the art
of misery.
Varieties. 1. Is not the single /ad, that
the human mind has thought of another
world, good proof that there is one 1 2. Tol-
eration— is good for all, or it is good for
none. 3. He who swallows up the sub-
stance of the poor, will, in the end, find that
it contains a bone, which will choke him. 4.
The greatest share of happiness is enjoyed
by those, who possess affluence, without su
peifiuity, and can command the comforts ol
life, without plunging into its luxuries. 5. Do
not suppose that everi/ thing is gold, which
glitters,- biiiid not your hopes on a sandy
foundation. 6. Tlie world seems divided
into two great classes, agitators SiXid the non-
agitators: why should those, who are estab
lished on the immutable rock of truth, feat
agitation] 7. True humiliation — is a pear,
of great price; for where there is no resist-
ance, or obstacle, thei-e, — heaven, and itsm*
Huences must enter, enlighten, teach, purify^
create and support.
The only prison, th't enslaves the suul.
Is the dark habitation, where she dwells.
As in a noisome dun^reon.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
33
59. Reading — by voivel sounds only, is
analagous to singing by note, instead of by
word. This is an exceedingly interesting
and important exercise : it is done, simply,
by omitting the consonants, and pronounc-
ing the vowels, the same as in their respec-
tive words First, r -onounce one or more
words, and then re-pronounce them, and
leave otf the consonants. The towels con-
stitute the EssKxcK of words, and the conso-
NANTS give that material the proper form.
60 All the vowel sounds, thrice told, —
James Parr; Hall Mann ; Eve Prest ; Ike Sill;
Old Pool Forbs; Luke Munn Bull; Hoyle
Trout — ate palms walnuts apples, peaches
melons, ripe figs, cocoas goosberries hops,
cucumbers prunes, and boiled sour-crout, to
their entire satisfaction. Ale, ah, aU> at;
eel, ell; isle, ill; old, ooze, on; mute,
up, full ; oil, ounce. Now repeat all these
vowel sounds consecutively, : A, A, A, A ;
E, E; I, I; O, O, 0; U,U,U; Oi. Ou.
61. Elocution — comprehends Expulsion of
Sound, Articulation, Force, Time, Pronunci-
ation, Accent, Pauses, Measure and Melody
of Speech, Rhythm, Emphasis,- the Eight
Notes, Intonation, Pitch, Inflexions, Circum-
flexes. Cadences, Dynamics, Modulation,
Style, the Passions, and Rhetorical Action.
Reading and Speaking are inseparably con-
nected with music ; hence, every step taken
in the /ormer, according to this system, will
aavancc one equally in the latter : for Music
is but an elegant and refined species of Elo-
cution.
6a. CeRTATX vowels to be PROJfOXTJfCED
KEPATiATELT. In reading the following, be
very deliberate, so as to shape the sounds per-
fectlj/, and give each syllable clearly and dis-
tinctly ; and in all the ex-am-ples, here and
elsewhere, make those sounds, that are ob-
jects of attention, very prominent. Ba-a],
the o-ri-ent «-e-ro-naut and cham-]}\-on offi-
er-y scor-pi-ons, took his a-e-ri-al flight into
the ge-o-me^-ri-cal em-py-re-an, and drop-
ped a heau-W-fnl z;i-o-let into the ^jo-pi-i Fo-
rum, where they sung hy-me-ne-al re-qui-
ems ; Be-eZ-ze-bub ri-o-lent-ly rent the va-ri-
e-ga-ted rfi-a-dem from his zo-o-Zog--i-cal cra-
ni-um, and placed it on the Eu-ro-jpe-an ge-
ni-i, to 77ie-li-o-rate their in-cho-ate i-de-a. of
cM-ring the ^iZ-e-ous m-val-ids of Maw-tu-a
and Pom-pe-i, with the tri-ew-ni-al pan-a-ce-a
of no-oZ-o-gy, or the Zm-e-a-ment of «-ri-es.
Notes, 1. The constituent diphthongal sounds of /are near.
W 3d o, and Iste; those of «, approach to 2d e, and 2d o; those of
at, to 3d a, and 2d i ; and those of ou to 3d o, and 2d o ; make and
Riialyze tliem , and obsen-e the fusael shape of the lips, which
sliaoge with tlie changing sounds in passing from the radicals to
thtir vanishes. 2. Prevewtives and curativea of incipient disease,
ray be found in these principles, pwitioni and exercises.
Loveliness —
Needs not the aid oi fcreign ornament ;
But is. when ^^7^adorned adorned the most.
BR0N80N. 3
Proverbs. 1. A iraaa Ja n« \etter for liking
himself, if nobody elae likes him. 2. A ichitf
glove often conceali a dirty hand. 3. Bettf r pass
at once, than to b'j always in danger. 4. Misun-
derstandings—vlxq often lest prevented, by jien
and ink. 5. Knowledge is treasiire, and memory
is the treasury. 6. Crosses— are ladders, lead-
ing to heaven. 7. Faint praise, is disparagemeni
8. Deliver me from a person, who can talk onh'
on one subject. 9. He who peeps throgh a key-
hole may see what will re him. 10. If shreu'd_
men play the fool, they do it with a vengeance.
11. Physicians rarely take medicines. 12. Curses,
like chickens, generally come home to roost.
Anecdote. A get-off. Henry the Fourth
was instigated to propose war against the
Protestants, by the importunity of his Par-
liament ; whereupon, he declared that he
would make every member a caftain of a
company in the army : the proposal was
then unanimously negatived.
Contrasts. Our fair ladies laugh at tlie
Chinese ladies, for depriving themselves
of the use of their feet, by tight shoes and
bandages, and whose character would be
ruined in the estimation of their associates,
if they were even suspected of being able
to walk : — while they, by the more danger-
ous and destructive habits of tight-lacing,
destroy functions of the body far more im-
portant, not only to themselves, but to their
offspring ; and whole troops of dandies,
quite as fo7?er-waisted, and almost as mas-
culine as their mothers, are the natural re-
sults of such a gross absurdity. If to be
admired — is the motive of such a custom, it
is a most paradoxical mode of accomplish-
ing this end ; for that which is destructive
o( health, must be more destructive of beau-
ty— that beauty, in a vain effort to preserve
which, the victims of this fashion have de-
voted themselves to a joyless youth, and a
premature decrepitude,
Varieties. 1 . Is it best to divulge the truth
to all, whatever may be their state of mind
and life 1 2. A good tale — is never the worse
for being twice fold. 3. Those who do not
love any thing, rarely experience great enjoy-
ments ; those who do love, often suffer deep
griefs. 4. The way to heaven is delightful
to those who love to walk in it ; and the diffi-
culties we meet with in endeavoring to keep
it, do not spring from the nature of the way,
but from the state of the traveler. 5. He,
who wishes nothing, will gain nothing. 6. It
is good to know a great deal ; but it is better
to make a good use of what we do know. 7.
Every daij — brings forth something for tlie
mind to be exercised on, either of a mental
or external character ; and to be faithful in
it, and acquit ourselves with the advantage
denved thereby, is both wisdom and duty
Whether he knew things, or no.
His tongue eternally would go ; •
For he had impudence— a.t will.
34
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
03. Elocution and Music being insepar-
able in their nature, every one, ot common
organization, whe»;her aware of it, or not,
uses all the elements of Music in his daily
intercourse with society. When we call to
one at a distance, we raise the voice to the
upper pitches: when to one near by, we
drop it to the lower pitches ; and when at a
medium distance, we raise it to the middle
pitches : that is, in the first case, the voice
is on, or about the eighth note : in the sec-
ond, on, or about the first note : and in the
last place, on, or about the third or fifth
note. In commencing to read or speak in
Eublic, one should never commence above
is fifith note, or below his thirdjiiote : and,
to ascertain on what particular pitch the
lowest natural note of the voice is, pro-
nounce the w'»rd awe, by prolonging it,
without feeling ; and to get the wpper one,
sound eel, strongly.
64r. Vocal Music. In the vowel sounds
of our language, are involved all the ele-
ments of music; hence, every one who
wishes, can learn to sing. These eight
vowels, when naturally sounded, by a de-
veloped voice, will give the intonations of
the notes in the scale, as follows , com-
mencing at the bottom.
lit e in eel, 8 — O— C note O-S-la-High.
Half tone.
1st 1 in Isle, 7 — O— B note-
Sdoinooze,6
1ft o in old, 5
4tA a in at, 4
lit a in ale, 3
Zd
^a
— o-
— o—
-O-
Tone.
A note-
Tone.
Gnote O-S-la-Jlfedittm.
Tone.
P note —
Half tone.
E note O-3-Ia-Jlifediwm.
Tone.
D note-
Tonei
3d a in aU, 1 — O— C note O-l-la-Zotc.
65. This Diatonic Scale of eight notes,
(though there are but seven, the eighth being
a repetition of the first,) comprehends five
whole tones, and two semi, or lialf tones.
An erect ladder, with seven rounds, is a
good representation 3f it ; it stands on the
ground, or floor, which is the tonic, or first
note ; the first round is the second note, or
Bupertonic ; the second round is the third
note, or mediant; the third round, is the
fourth note, or suhdominant ; between
which, and the second round, there is a
temitone ; ihe fourth round is Xhe fifth note,
or dominant ; the fifth round is the sixth
note, or submediant ; the sixth round is the
teventh note, or suUonic ; and the seventh
round is the eighth note, or octave.
Keep one consistent plan— \xom end—Xo end.
Notes. 1. In Song, as well as in Speech, tLe ArticukUvyr^
Pitch, Force, and Time, must be attended to ; i. e. in both art*, mas-
ter the right form of the elements, the degree of elevation and de-
pression of the TOice, the kind and degree of loudness of soijida,
and tiieir duration : there is nothing in tinging that may not bt
found in speaking.
Anecdote. Musical Pun. A young Mu-
sician, remarkable fa his modesty and sin-
cerity, on his first appearance before the pub-
lic, finding that he could not give the trills,
effectively, assured the audience, by way of
apology, " that he trembled so, that he could
not shake.
Proverbs. 1. A word— is enough to the teise,
2. It is easier to resist our bad passions at first,
than afte indulgence. 3. Jokes — are bad coin
to all but the jocular. 4. You may find yotir
worst enemy, or best friend — in yourself. 5. Ev-
ery one has his hobby. 6. Fools— hRve liberty to
say what they please. 7. Give every one his diu.
8. He who wants content, cannot find it in an
easy chair. 9. /«-will never spoke well. 10.
Lawyer's gowns are lined with the wilfulness of
their clients. 11. Hun/rer — is an excellent «omci'.
12. I confide, and am at rest.
True Wisdom. All have the faculty
given them of growing wise, but not equal-
ly w^ise : by which facuhy is not meant the
ability to reason about trttth and goodness
from the sciences, and thus of co?ifinni?ig
whatever any one pleases ; but that of dis-
cerning what is true, choosing what is suit-
able, and applying it to the various uses of
life. He is not the richest man, who is able
to comprehend all about making money, and
can count millions of dollars ; but he, who
is in possession of millions, and makes a
proper use of them.
Varieties. 1. Does not life — beget life,
and death — generate death? 2. The man,
who is always complaining, and bewailinc;
his misfortunes, not only feeds his ownjnjs-
ery, but wearies and disgusts others. 3.
We are apt to regulate our mode of living —
more by the example of others, than by the
dictates of reason and common sense. 4.
Frequent recourse to artifice and cunning —
is a proof of a want of capacity, as well as
of an illiberal mind. 5. Every one, who
does not grow better, as he grows older, is a
s-^endthrtft of that lime, which is more pre-
cious than gold. 6. Do what you Itnow,
and you will Itiiow what to do. 7. As is
the reception of truths, such is the yfercep-
tion of them in all minds. 8. Do you see
more than your brother? then be more
humble and thankful ; luirt not him with
thy meat, and strong food : when a man, he
will be as able to eat it as yourself, and,
perhaps, mx>re so.
Walk with thy fellow creatures : note the Aw«»
And whisperings amongst them. Not a spring
Or leaf— hut hath his morning hymn ; each busk
And oaA— doth know I am. Canst thou not sing ?
O leave thy cares amd follies I go this way,
And thou art sure to prosper— all the day.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
35
66. Th.c t-wentj'-eiglit consonant
sounds. For the purpose of still farther
developing and training the voice, and ear,
for reading, speaking, and singing, a system-
atic, and thorough practice, on the twenty-
eight consonants, is absolutely essential : in
which exercises, it is of the, first importance,
to make the effort properly, and observe the
exact positions of the organs^ These conso-
nants are either single, double, or triple;
»r;d some of them are vocal sounds, [sub-ton-
ics, or sub-vowels,) others, merely aspirates,
breath sounds or atonies : let them be analy-
zed and presented according to their natures,
and uses.
67. B lias liut one sound, wlileli is
its name sound: B A ; baa, vA^l^y
ball, bat; be, beg; bide, bid; /. (, \
bode, boon, boss ; bute, buss, ((|*^^^^\
br ute ; boil , bound ; a ro6- in im- ^ ^ '
bibed hlub-hers from a 6o6-bin, [b in ba.]
and o-o6-bled forcai-bage; theroft-ber blab-
bed 6ar-ba-rous-ly, and bam-&oo-zled the
«a6-by 7ia-bob ; Ja-cob dab-h\ed in rib-
bons, and played hob-nob with a co^-ler ;
the bab-0074 6a-by gab-hied its g-i6-ber-ish,
and made a hub-huh for its bib and black-
ber-ries ; the ra6-ble's hob-hy is, to brow-
heat the 6ram-ble bushes for 6iZ-ber-ries, and
bribe the 6oo-by of his bom-?;as-tic black-
bird.
68. By obtaining correct ideas of the
sounds of our letters, and their influences
over each other ; of the meaning and pro-
Kunciatio7i of words, and their power over
the understanding and will of man, when
properly arranged into sentences, teeming
with correct thought and genuine feeling,
I may, with proper application and exercise,
become a good reader, speaker, and writer.
Notes. 1. To get the vocal sound of b, tpeak its name,
be, and then make a strong effort to pronounce it again, compreaj-
ing the lip« closely; and the moment you give thesouTidol be,
when you get to e, stop, and you vrill have the right sound ; or,
pronounce ub, in flie usual way, then, vrith th« teeth sliut, and the
lips very close, prolonging the last sound ; and, in both cases, let
none of the sound of b, come into the mouth, or pass through the
nose. 2. It was in analyzing and practicing the sounds of the let-
ters, and the different pitches and qualities of voice, that the author
became acquainted with the principles of VENTRILOQUISM, (or
vocal ffiodiilatim, ai it should be called,) which art ii perfectly
simple, and can be acquired and practiced by almost any one of
"Common organization. Begin by swallowing the sound, suppresa-
ing and dep-essing it. 3. B is silent in dett, suit-le, douit, lamt,
s?mA, dum2i, thumi, liml, crumi, suit-le-ty, suc-cumt, MeJl-inm,
Anecdote. A beautiful Enghsh countess
said, that the most agreeable compliment she
ever had paid her, was from a sailor in the
sheet; who looked at her, as if fascinated,
and exclaimed, ^^ Bless me ! let me light my
pipe at your eyes.'^
We rise— in glorij, as we sink— in pride ;
Where boasting-— ends, there dignity— begins.
The true, and only friend— is he,
'Who, like the Arhor-vitts true,
Will bear our image — on his heart.
Whatever is excellent, in art, proceeds
From labor and enduranc*.
Proverbs. 1. Gentiaty, sent Ic market, ■will
not buy even a peck of corn. 2 He, that is
warm, thinks others so. 3. A true friend — should
venture, sometimes, to be a little offensive. 4. It
is easy to take a man's part ; but the difficulty is
to maintain it. 5. Misfortunes — seldom come
alone. 6. Never quit certainty — for hope. 7. Ona
—beats the bush, and anotfter— catches the bird.
8. Plough, or not plough, — you must ;ay your
rent. 9. Rome — was not built in a day. 10. Saeh
till youfind, and you will not lose yocr labor.
11. An oa&— is not felled by one stroke. 12. A
display of courage — often causes real cowardica.
Party Spirit. The spirit of party — ^un-
questionably, has its source in some of the
native passions of the heart ; and free gov-
ernments naturally furnish more of its alv^
ment, than those under which liberty of
speech, and of the press is restrained, by the
strong arm of power. But so naturally does
party run into extremes ,• so unjust, cruelj
and remorseless is it in its excess ; so ruthless
is the war which it wages against private
character ; so unscrupulous in the choice
of means for the attainment of selfish ends ;
so sure is it, eventually, to dig the grave of
those free institutions of which it pretends
to be the necessary accompaniments ; so inety
itably does it end in military despotism, and
unmitigated tyrany ; that I do not know
how the voice and influence of a good man
could, with more propriety, be exerted, than
in the effort to assuage its violence.
Varieties. 1. Are our ideas innate, or ac-
quired ? 2. The mind that is conscious of
its own rectitude, disregards the lies of com-
mon report. 3. Some — are very liber alt
even to profuseness, when they can be so at
the expense of others. 4. There are pure
loves, else, there were no white lilies. 5. The
glory of wealth and external beauty — is
transitory ; but virtue — is everlasting. 6.
We soon acquire the habits and practices, of
those we live with ; hence the importance of
associating with the best company, and of
carefully avoiding such as may corrupt and
debase us. 1- The present state is totally
different from what men suppose, and make,
of it; the reason of our existence — is our
growth in the life of heaven ,- and all things
are moved and conspire unto it ; and great
might be the produce, if we were faithful to
the ordinances of heaven.
In eastern lands, they talk injlower's.
And they tell, in a garland, their love and cares ;
Each blossom,th't blooms in their garden bow-
ers.
On its leaves, a mystic language bears ;
Then gather a wreath from the garden bowers.
And tell the wish of thy heart— in flowers.
Praise, from a friend, or censure, from a POB,
Is lost— on hearers th't our merits know.
As full as an egg is of meat.
36
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
69. These arts, like all others, are made
up of many little things; if I look well to
them, all difficulties will vanish, or be easily
overcome. Every youth ought to blush at
fhe thought, of remainin& ignorant, of the
first principles of his native language. I
can do almost any thing, if I only think so,
and try ; therefore, let me not say 1 can't ;
but I WILL.
70. C lias four regular sounds : nrst,
name sound, or that of s, be- ^""y^A
fore e, i, andy ; cede, ci-on, cy- ///Q^\\
press; rec-i-pe for ceZ-i-ba-cy (ryS^ySM
in the cit-y of Cin-cin-na-ti is \\ „, /'
a/as-ci-nat-ing soZ-ace for civ-i\ [C in cede.]
flo-ct-e-ty; Cjc-e-ro and Ce-ciZ-i-as, with
tac-'\i re-ci-proc-i-ty di-Zac-er-ate the a-cid
p«m-ice with the jTa-cile ^m-cers of the
vice-ffe-rency ; the a-ces-cen-cy of the cit-
rons in the pZa-cid ceZ-lar, and the im-6ec-ile
Z/c-o-rice on the cor-nice of the prec-i-pice
ex-cj'Ze the tZis-ci-pline of the doc-\\e di-oc-
e-san.
71. Lisping — is caused by permitting the
tongue to come against, or between the front
teeth, when it should not ; thus, substituting
/he breath sound of th for that of s or sh.
This bad habii may be avoided or overcome
by practicing the above and similar com-
binations, with the teeth closely and firmly
set not allowing the tongue to press against
the teeth, nor making the effort too near the
front part of the mouth. The object to be
attained is worthy of great efforts : many
can be taught to do a thing, in a proper
manner, which they would never find out
of themselves.
72. Irregulars. 5 often has this sound ;
rise and pro-gress. The pre-me Sal-lust,
starts on stilts, and assists the earths in the
u-ni- verse for con-science' sake : he spits
base brass and subsists on stripes ; the
ma-g-ts-trates sought ; So-lus boasts he
twists the texts and suits the several
sects ; the strong masts stood still in the fi-
nest streets of Syr-a-cwse ; Se-sos-tris, still
strutting, persists the Swiss ship is sunk,
while sweetness sits smiling on tke lips.
Suia?i swam over the sea ; well swum
swan ; swan swam back again ; well swum
swan, Sam Slick sawed six sleek slim
slippery saplings. Amidst the mists he
tnrusts his fists against the posts, and in-
sists he sees the ghosts in Sixth street.
9foteS. 1. S has the above sound, at the beginning of
w H-Js, and other situations, when preceded or followed by an
diirujit, or a breath consonant. 2. To niake this aspirate, place
the orguu as in the engravni;;, and begin to whisper the word stc;
cut five none of the sound of e. Never permit sounds to coalesce,
that ouf^ht to be heard distinctly ; hosti, costs, &c. 4. Don't let
Kw teeth remain together an instant, after the sound is niade ;
rattier not bring them quite together. 5. C is silent in the follow-
ing: Czar, arbuscles, victuals, Czarina, ( t long c,) muscle, iudicta-
•le, and second c in Connecticut.
Hear, then, my argument ; confess we mast,
A Ood there is — siipremehj just ;
M io, however tnmgs affect our sight,
( As sings the bard, ) " whatever is— is right.'^
As the wind blows, you must sot your sail.
Oood measure, pressed do«*and running ocer.
Proverbs. 1. Building' Ab a. sveet impo
erishing. 2. Unmanliness — is not so impolite, as
over- politeness. 3. Death — is deaf, and hears
no denial. 4. Every good scholar is not a good
schoolmaster. 5. Fair words break no bunes ;
but foul words many a one. 6. He, who has
not bread to spare, should not keep a dog. 7. If
you had fewer pretended friends, and more ene-
mies, you would have been a better mart. S.
Lean liberty — is better than fat slavery. 9.
Much coin — much care; much Tftca^— much wa^
ady. 10. The submitting to one wrong— often
brings another. 11. Consult your purse, before
you do fancrj. 12. Do what you ought, come
what will
Anecdote. The Psalter. The Rev. Mr.
]V/— , paid his devoirs to a lady, who was pre-
possessed in favor of a Mr. Psalter : her par-
tiality being very evident, the former took
occasion to ask, (in a room full of company,)
" Pray Miss, how far have you got in your
Psalter ? " The lady archly replied, — As far
as " Blessed is the ma?!.'"
Book Keeping — is the art of keeping
accounts by the way of debt and credit. It
teaches us all business transactions, in an
exact manner, so that, at any time, the true
state of our dealings may be easily known.
Its principles are simple, its conclusions nat-
ural and certain, and the proportion of its
parts complete. The person, who buys or
receives, is Br. {Debtor,) the one who sells, or
parts with any thing, is Cr. {Credit m- :) that
is, Br. means your charges against the per
son ; and Cr. his against you : therefore, when
you sell an article, in charging it, say, " To
so and so," ( mentioning the article, weight,
quantity, number, amount, &c. ) " so much :"
but when you buy, ox receive any thing, in
giving credit for it, say, By so and so ; men
tioning particulars as before. A knowledge
of Book-keeping is important to every one
who is engaged in any kind of business ;
and it must be evident, that for the want of
it — many losses have been sustained, great
injustice done, and many law-suits entailed.
Varieties. 1. Ought Zo//m«s to be abol-
ished] 2. Carking cares, and anxious ajy
prehensix)ns are injurious to body and mind,
3. A good education — is a young man's best
capital. 4. He, that is slow to ivroth, is better
than the mighty. 5. Three difficult things
are — to keep a secret, to forget an injury,
and make good use of leisure hours. 6. If
one speaks from an evil affection, he may
influence, but not enlighten ,- he may cause
blind acquiescence, but not acthm from a
conscious sense of right. 7. Men have just
so much of life in them, as they have of pure
truth and its good — implanted and growing
in them.
Would you live an avgeVs days ?
Be honest, just, and wise, always.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
37
[C in CAR.]
croak-ing
73. A perfect knowledge of these ele-
mentary and combined sounds, is essential to
my becoming a good elocutionist, and is an
excellent preparation for studying any of
the modern languages : I must master
them, or I cannot succeed in acquiring a
distinct, appropriate, graceful and effective
enunciation ; but resolution, self-exertion
and perseverance are almost omnipotent : I
will try them and see.
T*. The second sotutd of C, is liard,
or hke k, before a, o, u, k, I, r,
t ; and generally at the end of
words and syllables. Came, car,
call, cap ; cove, coon, cot ; cute
cut, crude; coil, cloud; Clark
comes to catch clams, crabs and
cm?/j-fish to cram his cow ; the
scep-tic, in rac-coo7i moc-a-sins, snc-cumbs
to the a?-c-tic spec-iSL-cle, and ac-cowi-mo-
dates his ac-counts to the oc-cult stuc-co of
the e-clip-iic ; the crowd claims the clocks,
and climbs the cliffs to clutch the crows that
craunched the bu-coZ-ics of the mi-cro-cosm.
T5. The chest should be comparatively
(quiescent, in breathing, speaking and sing-
ing ; and the dorsal and abdomi?tal muscles
be principally used for these purposes. All
children are naturally right, in this particu-
lar ; but they become perverted, during
their primary education : hence., the author
introduces an entirely 7iew mode of learning
the letters, of spelling, and of teaching to
read without a book, and then with a book ;
the same as we learn to talk. The effort —
to produce soujids, and to breathe, must be
made from the lower muscles, above alluded
to : thus by the practice of expelling, ( not
exjiloding ) the vowel sounds, we return to
truth and nature.
7G. Irregiudars. Ch often have this
sound ; (the h is silent ; ) also q and k — always
when not silent; the queer co -quette kicks
the chi-?ner-i-cal ar-chi-tect, for cat-e-chi-
sing the cnY-i-cal choir about the cliar-
ac-ter of the chro-ma^ic cho-rns ; Tich-i-
cus Schenck, the quid-nunc me-c?ia7i-'ic of
Mu-nich, qui-ei-ly quits the ar-chieves
of the Tus-can mosque, on ac-count of the
ca-chex-y of mc-o-tech-ny ; the piq-uant
crit-\c quaked at the quilt-'mg, and asked
^Mes-tions of the quorum of quil-ters.
77. The expression of affection is the
legitimate function of sound, which is an el-
ement prior to, and within language. The
affections produce the varieties of sound,
whether of joy or of grief ; and sound, in
speech, manifests both the quality and quan-
tity of the afTection : hence, all the music is
in the vowel sounds : because, all music is
from the affectuous part of the mind, and
vowels are its only mediums of manifesta-
tion. As music proceeds from affection and
is aidressed to the affection, a person does
not truly sing, unless he sings from affec-
tiori ; nor does a person truly listen, and
derive the greatest enjoyment from the mu-
sic, unless he yields hirnself/wZZy to the af-
fectioTL, which the music inspires.
Notes- 1. Tff produce thit guKerai aspirate, '.vhisi*! the
imaginary word hut,(u short ; ) or the word book, in a whisper-
ing voice, and the Uut sound is the one required : the postenor, or
root of the tongue being pressed against the uvula, or veil of the
palate. 2. Observe the difference between the names of .etters
and their peculiar sounds. In giving the names of conM>uant),
we use one, or more vowels, which make no part of the consoiant
sound ; thus, we call the letter C by the name see ; but the ee
make no part of its sound, which is simply a hiss, made by forc-
ing the air from the lungs, through the teeth, when they zxe shut,
as indicated by the engraving ; similar facts attend the other conso-
nants. 3. H, is silent before n ; — as the fcnavieh toight toudlleJ
and taeeled to the biit toobs of the ftnees' toick-JUiacks, &c. ;
Gh have this sound in lough, ( lock, a lake j Irish ; ) bough, ( fixK
joint of a hind leg of a bea&t. )
Proverbs. 1. Every do o- has his day, and
every man his hour. 2. Forbid a fool a thing,
and he'll do it. 3. He must rise betimes, that
would please euery body. 4. It is a long^ lane
that has no turning'. 5. Judge not of a ship,
as she lies on the stocks. 6. Let them laugh
that win. 7. No great loss but there is some
small gain. 8. Never too old to learn. 9. No
condition so low, but may have hopes ; and none
so high, but may have fears. 10. The wise mar
thinks he knows hut little; the /ooi!— thinks he
knows all. H. Idleness— is the mother of vice.
12. When liquor is in, sense — is out.
Anecdote. William Penn — and Thomas
Story, on the approach of a shower, took
shelter in a tobacco -house ; the owner of
which — happened to be within : he said to
the traveler, — "You enter without leave,- —
do you know ivho I am ? I am a Justice of
the Peace." To which Mr. Story replied —
"My friend here — makes such things as
thee ; — he is Governor of Pennsylvania.''^
Elternal Progress. It is not only com-
forting, but encouraging, to think that
mind — is awaking ; that there is universal
progress. Men are borne o?tu;arfZ,— wheth-
er they will or not. It does not matter,
whether they believe that it is an impulse
from within, or above, that impels them for-
ward ; or, whether i hey acknowledge that
it is the onward tendency of things, con-
trolled by Divine Providence : onward they
mustg-o ; and, in time, they will be blessed
with a clearness of visio?/,, that will leave
them at no loss for the whys and the where
fores.
"Varieties. 1. To pay great attention to
trifles, is a sure sign of a little mind. 2.
Which is worse, a bad education, or 7io edu-
cation 1 3. The mind must be occasionally
indulged with relaxaticm, that it may reiarn
to study and reflection with increased vigor.
4. Love, and love only, is tl^e Zoan for love.
5. To reform measures, there must be a
change of men. 6. Sudden and violent
changes — are not often productive of advan'
tage—io either church, state or individual
7. True and sound reason — must ever ac-
cord with scripture : he who appeals to one,
must appeal to the other; for the word
within us, and the word without us— are
07ie, and bear testimony to each other.
38
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
78. Thtse pimciples must be faithfully
studied and practiced, with a particular refer-
ence to the expulsion of the short vowel
sounds, and the prolongation of the long
ones ; which exhibit quantity in its elementa-
ry state. I must exercise my voice and mind,
m every useful way, and labor to attain an
intimate kjiowledge of my vocal and mental
opacity ; then I shall be able to see any de-
fects, and govern myself accordingly.
70. Tile tlilrd sound of C, is like tbat
of Z : suffice; the discemer at v*l^/
sice, dis-ccm-i-bly dis-cerns dis- /. ^S~^ \
cerw-i-ble things with dis-cern-ing [ ('*^^^, )
dis-cer?z-ment, and dis-cem-i-ble- *^ - /'
ness; the aac-ri-fi-cer, in sac-ri-fi- LC in sice.]
cing, 5ac-ri-fi-ces the soc-ri-fice on the altar
of soc-ri-fice, and suf-fi-ceth the law of sac-
ri-fice. These are nearly all the words in
our language, in which c, sounds like z.
80. Vowels — are the mediums of convey-
mg the affections, which impart life and
warmth to speech ; and consonants, of the
thoughts, which give light and form to it ;
hence, all letters that are not silent, should
be gi\en fully and distinctly. The reason —
why the brute creation cannot speak, is, be-
cause they have no understanding, as men
have; consequently, no thoughts, and of
course, no articulating organs: therefore,
they merely sound their affections, instead
of speaking them ; being guided and influ-
enced by instinct, which is a power given
them for their preservation and continuance.
81. Irregulars. S, Z, andZ, sometimes
are thus pronounced ; as, the pres-i-dent re-
sisiis his w-o-la-ted houses, and absolves the
greasy hus-sars of I* -lam-ism ; the puz-zler
piiz-z\es his brains with wa-sal pains, buz-zes
about the trees as much as he pleases, and
resumes the zig--zag giz-zavds of Xerx-es
with dis-soZ-ving huz-zas ; Xan-thxis and
ATew-o-phon dis-band the jois-mires, which
dis-da.m to dis-guise their dis-mal phiz-es
with their gv-is-ly beards ; Zion'szeal breathes
zeph-yrs upon the paths of truths, where re-
sides the soul, which loves the tones of mu-
6jp coming up from Nat-me's res-o-nant
tein-itles.
Notes. 1. This vocal diphthongal sound is made by clos-
ing the teeth, as in making the name sound of C, and producing
the Zd sound of a in the larynx, ending with a hissing sound ; or it
may be made by drawing out the sound of 2 in z- - -est. 2. S,
lollowiag a vocal consonant, generally sounds like Z: tubs, adds ;
efga ; needs ; pens; cars,*&c ; but following an aspirate, or breath
xn»nant, it sounds like c hx cent, facts, tips, mutTs, crafks, &c
Would you taste ihe tranquil scene ?
Be sure— your bosom be serene :
Devoid of hate, devoid of strife.
Devoid of all, th't poisons life.
And much it 'vails you — in their place,
To graft the love of hurr.an race.
Be al ways as merry as ever you can,
For Kc oat ielights in a smrowftd m.•^n.
8a. The perfection of music, as well aa
of speech, depends upon giving tlie full and
free expression of our thoughts and aflec
tions, so as to produce corresponding ones in
the minds of others. This is not the work of
a day, a month, or a year ,• but of a life ; for
it implies the full development of mind and
body. The present age presents only a fain
idea, of what music and oratory are capable
of becoming ; for we are surrounded, and
loaded, with almost as many bad habits
(which prevent the perfect cultivation of hu-
manity,) as an Egyptian mummy is of folds
of linen. Let the axe of truth, of principle,
be laid at the root of every tree that does not
bring forth good fruit. Which do we like
better — error, or truth ?
Proverbs. 1. A man maybe strong, and
not mow well. 2. It is easier to keep out a bad
associate, than to get rid of him, after he has
been admitted. 3. Consider well what you do,
whence you cowe, and whither yon go. 4. Ev-
ery fool can find faults, that a great many wise
men cannot mend. 5. He who follows his own
advice, must take the consequences. 6. In giv-
ing, and taking, it is easy mistaking. 7. Letters
do not blush. 8. Murdei — will out. 9. Nothing
that is violent — is permanent. 10. Old foxes want
no tutors. 11. The first chapter of fools is, to
esteem themselves wise. 12. Ood — tempers th«
wind — to the shorn lamb.
Anecdote. Doctor-*em. A physician,
having been out gaming, but without swcccsa-,
his servant said, he would go into the next
field, and if the birds were there, he would
' doctor-'' em. ^ " Doctor- 'em, — what do you
mean by thatl" inquired his master:
" Why, kill 'em, to be-sure," — replied the
servant.
Varieties. 1. Which has caused most
evil, intemperance, war, or famine ? 2.
Power, acquired by guilty means, never
was, and never will be exercised — to pro
mote g-ood ends. 3. By applying ourselves
diligently to any art, science, trade, or pro-
fession, we become expert in it. 4. To be
fond of a great variety of dishes — is a sure
proof of a perverted stomach. 5. Prosperity
— often leads persons to give way to their
passions, and causes them to forget whence
.they cm.ie, what they are, and whither they
are goi7ig. 6. Evil persons — asperse the
characters of the good, by malicious talca
7. Every man and woman have a good-^
proper to them, which they are to perfeeS
and fill up. To do this— is all that is re
quired of them ; they need not seek to be
in the state of another.
In pleasure's dream, or sorrow's hour,
In crowded hall, or lonely bow'r.
The bus'ness of my soul—shzW be—
Forever — to remember thee.
VvTio more than he is worth doth rptni,
Ev'n makes a rope—bXt life to etui.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION
39
83. Elocution or vocal delivery, relates
to the propriety of utterance, and is exhib-
ited by a proper enunciation, inflection and
emphasis; and signifies — the manner of de-
livery. It is divided into two parts ; the cor-
rect, Vi^hich respects the meaning of what is
read or spoken ; that is, such a clear and ac-
curate pronunciation of the words, as will
render them perfectly intelligible ; and the
rhetorical, which supposes feeling ; whose
object is fully to convey, and enforce, the
entire sense, with all the variety, strength,
and beauty, that taste and emotion demand.
84. Tlie foiirtli soTuad of C is SH j
after the accent, followed by ea, \AAj
ia.ie eo,eou,^ndiou ; 0-CEAN; / VlL^
ju-itVious Fho-ci-on, te-raa-cious / r^^^^M
of his lu»-cions spe-cies, ap-pre-\S^ — ^ )/
ci-ates his con-sci-e«-tious as-so- [CkciA.]
ci-ate, who e-7iu7i-ci-ates his sap-o-wa-cious
p/-e-science : a Gre-cian pro-^-cient, with
ca-pa-cious sw-per-fi-cies and 7iaZ-cy-on pro-
nun-ci-a-tion, de-pre-ci-ates the fe-ro-cious
g-Za-ciers, and ra-pa-cious pro-vm-cial-isms
of Cap-a-(Zo-cia.
85. The business of training: youth in
Elocution, should begin in childhood, before
the contraction of bad habits, and while the
character is in the rapid process o{ formation.
The first school is the nursery : here, at
'east, may be formed a clear and distinct ar-
iculation ; which is the jirst requisite for
^ood reading f »peaking and singing: nor can
ease and gra,ce, in eloquence and music, be
separated from ease and grace in private life,
and in the social circle.
86. Irregulars. iS*, t, and ch, in many
words, are thus pronounced : the lus-cious
tto-tion of Cham-pagne and prec-ious su-
gar, in re-uer-sion for pa-tients, is suf-^-
2ient for the ex-pwZ-sion of tTan-sient ir-ra-
cion-aZ-i-ty from the ju-rft-cial chev-a-Ziers
of iV/icft- i-gan, in Chi-ca-go; (She-cau)-go,)
the 7«aM-se-a-ting ra-ci-oc-i-wa-tions of sen-
su-al cZtar-la-tans to pro-p?-ti-ate the pas-
sion-ate Trmr-chion-ess of Che-mung, are
mi-nw-ti-a for ra-tion-al fis-nres to make
E-gyp-iian op-a"-cians of.
IVoteS. 1. This aspirate dijihthongal sound may be made,
by prolonging the letters sh, in a whisper, sh—ow. See engraving.
2. Beware of prolonging this sound too much. 3. Exercise all the
muscular, or fleshy parts of the body, and let your efforts be made
from the dorsal region; i.e. the small of the back; thus girdingup the
loins of the mind 4. If you do not feel refreshed and invigorated
by these exercises, after an hour's praciice, rest assured you are not
in natiire's path: if you meet with difficulty, be particular to in-
form your teacher, who will point out the cause and the remedy,
6. C il silent in Czar, indict, Cne-us, Ctes-i-phon, science, muscle,
Bene, sceptre, &c.: Sf do. in isle, vis-count, island, &c.: Ch, in
ehism, yacM, (yot,) drac/im.
True love's the gift, which Ood has given
To man alone, beneath the heaven.
It is the secret sympathy.
The silver chord, the silken tie.
Which, heart — to heart, and mind — to mind^
In body, and in soul— c&n bind.
Pleasant the sun,
When first on this delightful land he spreads
His orient bean j.
Proverbs. 1. He who sows brambles,' nmaK
not go barefoot. 2. It is better to do well, than
to say well. 3. Look before yo^i leap. 4. JVot*»-
ing is so bad as not to be gc^ for Kome-thing. 5.
One fool in a house is enough. 6. Put off your
armor, and then show your courage. 7. A right
choice is half the battle. 8. The fox— is very
cunning; but he is more cunning, that catchea
him. 9. When a person is in /ear, he is in no
state for enjoyment. 10. When rogues fall out
honestmen get their dwe. 11. Reward — is certai*
to the faithful. 12. Z>ecei«— shows a little »rf»i. -
Anecdote. A gentleman, who had lis
tened attentively to a long, diffuse and htgh'
ly ornamented prayer, was asked, by one
of the members, " if he did not think their
minister was very gifted in prayer.'
" Yes ;" he replied, " I 'think il as good e
prayer as was ever offered to a cjngrega
tioii.''''
Our Persons. If our knowledge of the
outlines, proportions, and symmetry of the
human form, and of natural attitudes and
appropriate gestures were as general as it
ought to be, our exercises would be deter
mined by considerations of health, grace
and vurity of miiid ; the subject of clothing
would be studied in reference to its true
purposes — protection against what is with-
out, and a tasteful adornment of the person ;
decency would no longer be determined by
fashion, nor the approved costumes of the
day be at variance with personal comfort
and ease of carriage ; and in the place of
fantastic figures, caWed fashtonahly dres&ed
persons, moving in a constrained and artifi-
cial manner, we would be arrayed in vest-
ments adapted to our size, shape, and undu-
lating outline oi form, and with drapery
flowing in graceful folds, adding to the
elasticity of our steps, and to the varied
movements of the whole body.
Varieties. 1. The true statesman will
never^affer the people ; he will leave that
for those, who mean to betray them. 2.
Will dying for principles — prove any thing
more than the sincerity of the martyr? 3.
Which is ihe stronger passion, love, or a7^.
ger ? 4. Public speakers — ought to live
longer, and enjoy better health, than others ;
and they will, if ihey speak right. 5.
Mere imitation — is always fruitless ; what
we get from others, must be inborn in us,
to produce the designed effects. 6. Times
of general calamity, and revolution, have
ever been productive of the greatest minds.
7. All mere external worship, in which the
senses hear, and the mouth speaks, but in
which the life — is unconcerned, is perfectly
dead, and profiteth nothing.
Habitual evils— change not on a sudden ;
But many days, and many sorrows.
Conscious remor&e, and anguish— must be felt^
To curb desire, to break the stubborn with
And work a second nature in the soui,
Ere virtue— can resume the place she lott:
Let the ' «nor of my life— speak for me.
40
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTIOIS
ST. Good reading and speaking is mu-
tic ; and he who can sit unmoved by their
cnarms, is a stranger to correct taste, oxid
lost in insensibility. A single exhibition
of natural eloquence, may kindle a love of
the art, in the bosom of an aspiring youth,
which, in after life, will impel and ani-
mate him — through a long career of useful-
ness. Self-made men are the glory of the
vuorld.
88. D lias two soxundsi first, its name
icund ; DAME ; dart, dawn,
dab ; deed, dead; die, did ; dole,
do, dog ; duke, duck, druid ;
doit, doubt ; a dan-dy de-fraud-
ed his dad-dy of his sec-ond-
hand-ed sad-die, and dubbed the f ^ '" °o- ^
had-dok a Za-dy-bird ; the doub-\e kead-ed
■pad-dy, »o<f-ding at noo?i-day, de-«er-mined
to rid-dle ted-ded hay in the fields till dooms-
day ; the dog-ged dry-ads ad-dict-ed to dep-
re-da-tions, robbed the day-dawn, of its
dread-ed di-a-dem, and erred, and strayed a
good deal the down-ward road to ad-en-
dum.
89. 1 must give all the sounds, particularly
the final ones, with great care, and never
run the words together, making one, out of
three. And — is pronounced six different
ways ; only one of which is right. Some
call it an, or en ; others, un, ''nd. or « ;
and a few — and; thus good-an-bad caus-
en effect ; loaves-en-fishes, hills-un groves;
pen un-ink, you-nd I, or youn-I ; an-de-
said ; hooks-en-eyes, wor-sen-worse, pleas-
ure-un-pain ; cakes-n-beer, to-un-the ; roun-
d'n-round, ol-d'n-young, voice-n-ear ; bread-
en-butter ; vir-tu-n-vice ; Jame-zen-John :
solem-un-sub-Hme, up-'n-down, pies' -n-
cakes. I will avoid such glaring faults, and
give to each letter its appropriate sound.
Notes. 1. Here tlie delicate ear may perceive the aspirate
ifter the vocal part of d, as after b, and some other letters. The
vocal is made, (see engraving, ) by pressing the tongue against the
gamso^ fne upper fore-teeth, (the incisors,) and the roof of the
mouth, beginning to say d, without the e sound ; and the aspirated
part, by removing the tongue, and the organs taking their natural
positions ; but avoid giving the aspirate of the vocal consonants,
any vocality. Z By whispering the vocal consonants, the asi)i-
rafe only is heard 3. X) is silent in /laiid-sel, tond-saw, hand-
some, /land-ker-chiiif, and the first d in Wednes-day, stadt-holder,
and in Dnie-per, ( Aee-per, ) and Dnies-ter, ( Nees-ter ). 4. Uo not
give the sound of j to d in any word; as— grand -eur, soldAer,
verd-ore, ed-u-caK-, ob-dn-rate, cred-u-lous, mod-u-late, &c. ; but
speak them as thpugh written grand-yur, sold-yur, &c. ; the same
analogy prevails in na-ture, fort-une, &c. 5. The following parti-
cipials and adjectives, should be pronounced without abridgment j
a l.less.ed man gives unfeign-ed thanks to his leam-ed friend, and
o*lo#-ed lady ; some wing-ed animals are curs-ed things ; you say
he curs'd and bless'd him, for he feign'd that he had 'learn'd his
leswon. 6. Pronounce words in the Bible, the nme as in other
Dooki.
Anecdote. Blushing. A certain fash-
ionable and dissipated youth, more famed
for his red nose, than for his wit, on ap-
proaching a female, who was highly rouged,
said; "Miss; you blush from modesty.''''
" Pardon me Sir,' — she replied, " I blush
from reflection.^''
Kindness^in wonnTJ, not their beauteous looks
SbaU will my love.
•«0O. As practiv'ir.g on the gutterals very
much improves the voicji, by giving it depth
of tone, and imparting to it smoothness and
strength, I will repeat the following, with
force and energy, and at the same time con-
vert all the breath into sound : the dis-car-
ded hands dread-ed the sounds of the muf-
fled drums, that broke on the sad-den'd
rfream-er's ears, marf-dened by des-pair ;
the blood ebb'd and flowed from their d-oub-
le dy'd shields, and worlds on worlds, and
friends on friends by thousands roU'd.
Proverbs. 1. An irritable and passionate
man— is a downright drunkard. 2. Better go to
keaven in rags, than to hell, in embroidery. 3.
Common sense— is the growth of all countries,
but very rare. 4v Death has nothing terrible in
it, but what life has made so. 5, Every vice
fights against nature. 6. Folly — is never long
pleased with itself. 7. Ouilt— is always jesiloas .
8. He that shows his passion, tells his enemy
where to hit him. 9. It is pride, not nature, that
craves much. 10. Keep out of broils, and you
will neither be a principal nor a witness. 11.
One dog barking, another soon joins him. 12.
Money— is a good servant, but a bad master.
Changes. We see that all material ob-
jects around us are changing ; their colors
change just as the particles are disturbed in
their relations. This result is not owing to
any natural cause, but to the Divine Power.
And are there not higher influences more po-
tent, tho' invisible, acting on man's moral
nature, pervading the deepest abysses of his
affection, and the darkest recesses of his
thoughts ; to purify the one, and enlighten
the other, and from the chaos of both — to
educe order, beauty and happiness ? And
why is it not changed ? Shall we deny to
his moral nature, the powers and capacities
which we assign to stocks and sto?ies ? Or,
is the Almighty less inclined to bring the
most highly endowed of his creatures into
the harmony and blessedness of his own Di-
vine Order? To affirm either would be
the grossest reflection on the character of
God, and the nature of his works. If ma7t,
then, be ?iot changed, so as to reflect the
likeness and imnge of his Creator and Re-
deemer, it must be in consequence of hia
own depraved will, and blinded understaiid
ing.
Varieties. 1. Why is the letter D like
a sailor 1 because it follows, the C. 2.
Books, ( says Lord Bacon, ) should have no
natrons, but truth and reason. 3. Who fol-
lows not virtue in youth, cannot fly vice in
old age. 4. Never buy — what you do not
want, because it is cheap ; it will be a dear
article to you in the e?id. 5. Those— bear
disappointments the best, who have bee'*
most Mse(Z to them. 6. Confidence— produces
more conversation than either wit or talerJ,
7. Attend well to all that is said ; for noih-
ing — exists in vain, either xn outward Gie-
ation, in the mind, in the speech, or in the
actions.
Authors, before they write, should read.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
4J
91. Do not hurry your enunciation of
words, precipitating syllable over syllable,
and wordovexword ; nor melt them together
into a mass of confusion, in pronouncing
them ; do not abridge or prolo?ig them too
much, nor swallow nor force them ; but de-
hver them from your vocal and articulating
organs, as golden coins from the mint, ac-
curately impressed, \)eri'ect\y finished, neatly
and elegantly struck, disliuct, in due suc-
cession, and of full weight.
92. Tlie second sound of D, is tliat
of Tj when at the end of words,
after c, f, ss, p, q, a, x, ch, and /
sh, with silent e, under the ac-A
cent; FAC'D : he curs'd his
stufF'd shoe, and dipp'd it in [d. in facd.]
poach'd eggs, that escap'd from the vex'd
cook, who watch 'd the spic'd food with
arch'd brow, tripp'd his crisp'd feet, and
dash'd them on the mash'd hearth ; she pip'd
and wisp'd a tune for the watch'd thief who
jump'd into the sack'd pan, and scratched
his blanch'd face, which eclipsed the chaf 'd
horse, that was attach'd and wrapp'd for a
t£ix'd scape-grace.
93. To read and speak with ease, accu-
racy, and effect, are great accomplishments ;
as elegant and dignified as they are useful,
and important. Islany covet the art, but
few are willing to make the necessary ap-
plication: and this ravL^es good readers and
speakers, so very rare. Success depends,
principally, on the student's own exertions,
uniting correct theory with faithful practice.
94. Irregulars. T— generally has this
sound ; the lit-tle tot-lex tit-Xexedi at the
taste-{\x\ <ea-pot, and caught a tempt-mg
far- tar by his sa-«i-e-ty ; the stout Ti-Xtm
took a /e?Z-tale <er-ma-gant and thrust her
against the fof-ter-ing tow-ers, for twist-\ng
the frit-texs ; Ti-tus takes the pet-n-lent
out-casts, and tos-ses them into na-ture's
pas-tnxes with the tiir-tles ; the guests of
the hosts at-tract a great deal of at-<era-tion,
and swft-sti-tute their pre-texts for tem-
pests ; the cow-et-ous part-nex, rfes-ti-tute of
fort-une, states that when the steed is stol-
en, he shuts the sta-ble door, lest the grav-
i-ty of his xo-tuU'di-ty tip his tac-tica into
non-e7t-ti-ty.
When a twister, a twisting, will twist him a twist,
For twisting his twist, he three twines doth intwist ;
But if one of the twines of the twist do untwist,
l~he twine that untwisteth untwisteth the twist.
iVotes. 1. This dento-Iingual sound may be made by
y ^i(ipering the imaginarj' word tuh, (short u) the tongue being
I'ossed against the upper front teeth, and then suddenly removed,
ss indicated by the engraving. 2. T is silent when preceded by
6, and followed by the abbreviated terminations en, le. Aposile,
?)isten, fasten, epistle, often, castle, pestle, soften, whio/le, chasten,
Ojstle, christen; in eclat, bil-let-doux, debut, haut-boy, currants,
le-pot, hostler, mortga{,e, Christmas, rmolus, and the first t, in
ohesJ-nut and mi»-tle-toe. 3. The adjectives, blessed, cursed, &c.
are exceptions to the rule for pronouncing d. 4. Consonants are
sometimes double in their pronunciation, although not found in
Iho name spelling; pit-ied, (pit-led,) river, (riv-var,) mon.«y
(mou-ney,) etc. Beware of chewing your words, as vir-chii,
na-chur«, etc.
Se'f—a\one, in nature rooted fast,
AUendB ns—Jlrst, and leaves us— last
Proverbs. 1. A'one of yo.i know where thp
shoe pinches. 2. One may live and learn. 3.
Remember the reckoning. 4. Such as the tree i»,
such is ihe fruit. 5. The biggest horses axe not
the best travelers. 6. What cannot be cured,
must be endured. 7. You cannot catch old !:ird3
with chaff. 8. Argument — seldom convincee any
one, contrary to his inclinations. 0. A horee — is
neither better, nor worse, for his trappings. 10.
Content— is the philosopher's stone, thatturnii a'l
it touches into gold. IL Never sport, with the
opinions of others. 12. Be prompt in every tbtng.
Anecdote. President Harrison, in hia
last out-door exercise, was assisting thegaid*
ner in adjusting some grape-vines. The gard-
ner remarked, that there would be but little
use in trailing the vines, so far as any fruit
was concerned ; for the boys would come on
Sunday, while the family was at church, and
steal all the grapes; and suggested to tlie
general, as a guard against such a loss, thait
he should purchase an active watch-dog.
Said the general, " Better employ an active
Sa&&G^^-school teacher ; a dog may take care
of the grapes, but a good Sa&bath-school
teacher will take care of the grapes and the
boys too."
Home. Wherever we roam, in whatever
climate or land we are cast, by the accidents
of human life, beyond the mountaiyis or be-
yond the ocean, in the legislative halls of the
Capitol, or in the retreats and shades of pri-
vate life, our hearts turn, with an irresistible
instinct, to the cherished spot, which ushered
us into existeftce. And we dwell, with de-
lightful associations, on the recollection of
the streams, in which, during our boyish
days, we bathed, the fountains at which we
drank, the pineyjfieZtfe, the hills and the val-
leys where we sported, and the friends, who
shared these enjoyments with us.
Varieties. 1. If we do well, shall we n.jt
be accepted ? 2. A guilty conscience — ^para-
lyzes the energies of the boldest mind, and
enfeebles the stoutest heart. 3. Persons in
love, generally resolve— first, and reason af-
terward. 4. All contingencies have a Prov-
idence in them. 5. If these principles of El-
ocution be correct, practicing them as here
taught, will not make one formal and ar-
tificial, but natural and effectuous. 6. Be
above the opinion of the world, and act from
your own sense of right and wrong. 7. All
christians believe the soul of man to be im-
mortal : if, then, the souls of all, who have
departed out of the body from this world, are
in the spiritual world, what millions of in-
habitants must exist therein !
The man, who consecrates his powers,
By vigorous effort, and an honest aim.
At once, he draws the sting of life, and death ;
He walks with J\rature ; and her paths — aro
peace.
D2
42
PRL>CIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
93. Let the position be erect, and the body-
balanced on the foot upon which you stand:
banish all care and anxiety from the mind ;
let the forehead be perfectly smooth, the
lungs entirely quiescent, and make every ef-
fort from the abdominal region. To expand
the thorax and become straight, strike the
PALMS of tlie hands together before, and the
backs of thein behind, turning the thumbs
upward : do all with a united action of the
bo6y and mind, the center of exertion being
in the small of tlie back ; be in earnest, but
Iiusband your breath and strength; breathe
often, and be perfectly ^iree, ea»y, indepen-
dent, and natural.
96. F has two sounds: first, name
sound: VIYE.; off with the scarf ^ ,
from the calf's head ; the a/-fa- yTi^^
ble b\ii-faon,faiih-fxi\ to its gaf- L^^^^^^y^
fer, Ufts his wife's /a-ther from --
the co/-fin, and puts in the fret- t f in fife- 1
ful CM/-fy ; /ear-ftil of the ef-fects, the fright-
ful f el-low prof -fers his hand^ker-chief to flre
oft the ^Z«?i-druff from the^Z-ful fool's of/en-
si ve fowl-'mg-ii iece.
97. If you read and speak sloiv, and ar-
ticulate well, you will always be heard with
attention ,- although your delivery, in other
respects, may be very faulty : and remem-
ber, that it is not necessary to speak very
loud, in order to be understood, but very dis-
tinctly, and, of course, deliberately. The
sweeter, and more musical your voice is, the
better, and the farther you ftiay be heard,
the more accurate will be your pronuncia-
tion, and with the more pleasure and profit
will you be listened to.
98. Irregulars, GA and P^ frequently
have this sound; P^iZ-ip Brough, laugh'd
enough at the phantoms of the bei-maph-ro-
dite phi-Zo5-o-phy, to make the nymph Saph-
i-ra have a phthis-i-cdl Aic-cough ; the ser-
aph's draiaght of the proph-e-cy was lith-o-
graph'd for an eph-Si of phos-pho-res-ent
naph-tha., and a sp^r-i-cal trough of tough
phyt ic.
Notes- 1. To make this dento-labial aspirate, press the
snierap a§»itist the upper foreteeth, as seen in the engraving,
lod Uow out tlie first sound of the word / ire ! 2. Gh, are
pi«-t in dmugM, burroagh, mgfi, high, brought, dcig/i, Right,
etc.; anJ Ph and h in pAtAis-i-cal. 3. The difliculty of applying
■vUn, to tlie pronunciation of our language, may be illustrated by
(tri two following lines, where ough is pronounced in ditferent
wa.?» ; aj o, uff, off, ow, oo, and ock. Though the tough cough
md hiccough plough me through, O'er life's dark lough my course
I will pursue.
Anecdote. Natural Death. An old man,
who had been a close observer all his life,
when dangerously sick, was urg-ed by his
friends, to take advice of a quack; but objec-
ted, saying, — "I wish to die a natural
dcatli."
The pathnt mind, by yielding — overcomes.
Proverbs. 1. Hope— is u good breakfast, liiti
a bad supper. 2. It is right to put every thing to
its proper use. 3. Open confession— is ffood for
the soul. 4. Pride — must have a fall. 5. The
lower mill-stone— grinds as well as the upper
one. 6. Venture not all in one vessel. 7. What
one ardently desires, he easily believes. 8. Yield-
ing—is sometimes the best way of succeeding.
9. A man that breaks his word, bids othero bo
false to him. 10. Amendment — is repentance. 11.
There is nothing useless to a person of sense
12. The hand of the diligent— ma.keth rich.
Patience and Perseverance. Let any
one coHsider, with attention, the structure
of a common engine to raise water. Let
him observe the intricacy o{ \\\e machinery,
and behold in what vast quantities one of
the heaviest elements is forced out of its
course ; and then let him reflect how many
experiments must have been tried in vain,
how many obstacles overcome, before a frame
of such wonderful variety in its parts, couia
have been successfully put together : aftc
which consideration let him pursue his en-
terprise with hope of success, supporting
the spirit of industry, by thinking how much
may be done by patience and perseverance.
Varieties. Was the last war with Eng-
laml—^'ustifiable? 2. In every tiling you
undertake, have some definite object in mind.
3. Persons of either sex — may captivate, by
assuming a feigned character,- but when the
deception is found out, disgrace and unhap-
piness will be the consequences of the fraud.
4. All truths — are the forms of heavenly
loves,- and all falsities — are the forms of m-
fernal loves. 5. While we co-operate with
Nature, we cannot labor too much — for the
development and perfection of body and
mind ,- but when we force or contradict her,
so far from mending and improving "the
human form divine," we actually degrade
it below the brute. 6. How ridiculous some
people make themselves appear, by giving
their opinions for or against a thing, with
which they are unacquainted ! 7. The law
of God is divine and eternal, and no person
has a right to alter, add, or diminish, one
word : it must speak for itself, and stand by
itself.
Who ne«ds a teacher — to admonish him, [mist 1
That flesh— is grass? That eartAZi/ things— are
What are our joys— but dreams ? and what our
But goodly shadows in the summer cloud 1 [hopes.
There's not a wind that blows, but bears with it
Some rainbow promise. Not a moment flies.
But puts its sickle— in the fields of life, [cares.
And mows its thousands, with their joys and
Our early days ! — How often — back
We turn— on Life's bewildering track,
To where, o'er hill, and valley, plays
The sunlight of our early days .'
A monkey, to reform the times.
Resolved to visit foreign elimes
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
43
99. He who attempts to make an inroad
on the existing state of things, though evi-
dently ibr the better, will find a few to en-
courage and assist him, in effecting a use-
ful reform ; and many who will treat his
honest exertions with resentment an i con-
tempt, and cling to their old errors with a
fonder pertinacity, the more vigorous is the
eflbrt to tear them from their arms. There
18 more hope of a fool, than of one wise in
his own conceit.
100. Tlic second sound of F, is that
of V: OF; (?tej;er off, noxuv;)
there-of here-of, v)here-o{; the
only words in our language, in
which JP, has this sound: r.
piece of cake, not a piece-u
cake, nor a piece-ur-cake.
w_ji»^,
[ F in OF. ]
101. Muscle Breakers. Thou waft'd'st
the rickety skiff over the mountain height
cliffs, and clearly saw'st the full orb'd moon,
in whose silvery and effulgent light, thou
reef'd'st the haggled sails of the ship- wreck-
ed vessel, on the rock-bound coast of Kam-
scat-kB.. He was an unamiable, disrespect-
ful, incomm?<nicative, dising-e?iU0us, formi-
dable, unwia7tageable, intolerable and pusi-
Zanimous old bachelor. Get the ktest
amended edition of Charles Smith's Thu-
cyd-i-des, and study the colonist's best in-
terests.
103. Irregulars. V has this vocal aspi-
rate ; also Ph in a few words ; my vain neph-
ew, Ste-phen Fa?i-de-ver, he-lieves Fe-nus
a t;es-tal vir-g\n, who mv-i-fies his shiv-er-
ed liv-er, and im-proves his vel-yet voice,
so as to speak with viv-id viv-ac-i-ty ; the
brave chev-a-Zier he-haves like a voZ-a-tile
con-ser-va-tive, and says, he loves white
wine vi7i-e-gar with veal ric^-uals every
warm day in the ro-cal vales of Vu-co-var.
103. Faults in articulation, early con-
tracted, are suffered to gain strength by hab-
it, and grow so inveterate by time, as to be
almost incurable. Hence, parents should
assist their children to pronounce correctly,
in their first attempts to speak, instead of
permitting them to pronounce in a faulty
manner : but some, so far from endeavoring
to correct them, encourage them to go on in
their baby talk ; thus cultivating a vicious
mode of articulation. Has wisdom fled from
men ; or was she driven away ?
Notes. 1. This rftpW/KWig-aZ sound, is made like that of /,
ititii the addition of a voice sound m the larynx : see engraving. 2.
A modification oHhis sound, with the upper lip over-lapping the un-
Jer ooe, and blowing down on the chin, gives a very good imita-
lioB of the huniljle-bee. 3. Avoid saying gim me some, for give
me some ; I Jiaint got any, for I have not got any ; I don't luff to
^; for, I don't love, (like rather,) to go; you'll fta^to do it; for
you will /utve to do it.
What is a man,
f his chief good and market of his tivie.
Be but to sleep and feed ? A beast, no more. Sure,
He, th't -larfe us, with such large discourse,
Looliing before, and after, gave us not
That ca,pability—anA ^o-od-like reason.
To rust in us — unused.
Proverbs. 1. A g-o)d caise makes a sicut
heart, and a strong arvi. 2. Better teji guilty
persons' escape, than one innocentlij suffer. 3
Criminals— are punished, that crime may be pre-
vented. 4. Drunkenness— inxns a man out of
himself, and leaves a beatt '.n his room. 5. He
that goes to church, with an evil intention, g(»ea
on the dcrir* errand. 6. Most things have han-
dles ; and a wise man talces hold of the be»t. 7.
Our flatterers— are our most dangerous enetiiea ,
yet they are often in our own bosom. 8. Pcver.
fy— makes a man acquainted with strange bed^
fellows. 9. Make yourself all honey, and tr*C
flies will be sure to devour you. 10. Many talk
hke philosophers, and live like fools. ll.Astitcb
in (me— saves nine. 12. The idle man's head, id
the devil's workshop.
Anecdote. School master and piipiL A
school master — asked a boy, one very cold
winter morning, what was the Latin — for
the word cold: at which the boy hesitated,
— saying, I have it at my finger'' s ends.
Oiirselves and Otliers. That man —
deserves the thanks of his country, who con-
nects with his own — the good of others.
The philosopher— enYxghiens the wouLn ;
the manufacturer — employs the needy ; and
the merchant — gratifies the rich, by procu-
ring the varieties of every clime. The mi-
ser, altho' he may be no burden on society,
yet, thinking only of himself, affords no one
else — either profit, or pleasure. As it is not
of any one — to have a very large share of
happiness, that man will, of course, have the
largest portion, who makes himself — a part-
ner in the happiness of others. The benev-
olent— are sharers in every one^s Joys,
Varieties. 1. Ought not the study of car
language be made part of our education ?
2. He who is slowest in making a promise, is
generally the most faithful in performing it.
3. They who are governed by reason, need
no other motive than the goodness of a thing,
to induce them to practice it. 4. A reading
people — will become a thinking people ; and
then they are capable of becoming a ration-
al and a great people. 5. The happiness of
every one — depends more on the state of his
own mind, than on any external circum
stance; nay, more than all external things
put together. 6, There is no one so despica-
ble, but may be able, in some way, and at
some time, to revenge our impositio7is. 7
Desire — seeks an end : the nature of the de
sire, love and life, may be known by its end
When lowly Merit- /eels misfortune's blow.
And seeks relief from penury and wo,
Hope fills with rapture— every generous heart,
To share its treasures, and its liopes impart ;
As, rising o'er the sordid lust oi gold.
It shows the impress— of a heavenly mould !
Whose nature is— bo far from doing harni^
That he suspects none
-RINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
44
104. In all schools, one leading object
should be, to teach the sci£7ice and art of
reading and speaking with (ffed: they ought,
indeed, to occury seven-fold more tune than
at present. Teachers should strive to improve
themselves, as well as their pupils, and feel,
that to them are committed the future orators
of our country. A first-rate reader is much
more useful than a first-rate performer on a
jnanu, oi any other artificial instrument.
Nor is tlie voice of song sweeter than the
voice of eloquence: there may be eloquent
readers, as well as eloquent speakers.
105. G lias tlivec sowixUsi first, name
sound, or that of J, before e, i,
and y, generally : GP:M ; Gen-er-
ol Ghent, of g-i-ant g-e-nius, sug-
gests that the o-ng--i-nal mag-ic
of the /mg--ile gip-sey has gen- ^^.^^^^
er-a-ted the gen-e-oi-o-g-y of Gear-
gi-um Si-dus ; the g-eor-gics of George Ger-
man are ex-ag-er-a-ted by the pan-e-g-i/r-ics
of the Zog--i-cal ser-geant ; %-dro-gen, og--y-
gen and g-mg--seng, g-er-min-ate gen-teel gin-
ger-bread for tlie o-rig-i-nal ab-o-rig--i-n6s of
Ge-ne-va.
1 06. It is of the first importance, that the
reader, speaker and siiiger he free and um^e-
straintd in his manner ; so as to avoid using
the chest as much as possible, and also of
being monotonous in the flow of his words :
thus, there will be perfect correspondence —
of the feelings, thoughts and actions. Look
out upon Nature; all is free, varied, and ex-
pressive : such should be our delivery. Na-
ture— abhors monotony, as much as she does
a vacuum.
107. Irregulars. J generally has this
sound. The ]e-june judge Just-ly Jeal-ous
of /u-lia's joy, joined her toyu-ba James in
June or July; thej'u-Tyjus-ti-fy the joke, in
jerk-'ms the yat;e-lin of Ja-pi-ter from the
j'ol-ly Jes-u-it, and yam-ming it into the Jov-
i-al Jew, to the Jeop-ar-dy of the Jeer-'mg
jock-ey.
Ilfotes. 1. This triphthongal sound, as are mort of the other
vocal consonants, is composed of a vocal and aspirate. To make
it, compress the teeth, and begin to pronounce the word judge,
very loud ; and when you have made a sound, e. i. got to the m,
itoi insttntly, and you will perceive the proper sound ; or be-
pin TO pronounce the letter g, but put no e to it : see engraving.
2. The three sounds, of which this is composed, are that of the
coxae sound of d, and those of e, and h, combined. 3. Breath as
well as coice sounds, may be arrested, or allowed to escape, ac-
cording to the nature of the sound to be produced.
Aji«cdote. A pedlar — overtook another
of his tribe on the road, and thus accosted
him: ^^ Hallo, friend, what do you carry?"
" Rum and Whisky," — was the prompt re-
ply. " Good," said the other ; " you may go
ahead, - I carry gravestones."
The quiet sea,
Th't, like a giant, resting from his toil,
Steeps rn the morning sun.
Provertos. 1. He that seeks trouble, it were
a pity he should miss it. 2. Honor and case— are
seldom &e(Z-fello\vs. 3. It is a miserable sight to
see a poor man proud, and a rich man avaricicus.
4. One cannot^??/ without wings. 5. The fairest
rose at last is withered. 6. The best evidence of
a clegynian's nseju^ness, is the holy lives of his
parishoners. 7. We ate rarely so unfortunate,
or so happy, as we think we are. 8. A friend iv.
need, is a friend indeed. 9. Bought wit ie the
best, if not bought too dear. 10. Disputations —
leave truth in the middle, and the pariter at both
ends. 11. We must do and live. 12. A diligeat
pen supplies many thoughts.
Autliority and Truth. Who has not
observed how much more ready mankind arc
to bow to the authority of a name, than
yield to the evidence of truth? However
strong and incontestible — the force of rea-
soning, and the array of facts of an individ-
ual, who is unknown to/ame, a slavish world
— will weigh and measure him by the obscu-
rity of his name. Integrity, research, sci-
ence, philosophy, fact, truth, and goodness —
are no shield against ridicule, and misrepre-
sentation. Now this is exceedingly humilior
ting to \\\e freed mind, and shows the great
necessity of looldng at the truth itself for the
evidence of truth. Hence, we are not to be-
lieve what one says, because he says it, but
because we see that it is fnie : this course is
well calculated to make us independent rea-
soners, speakers, and writers, and constitute
us, as we w^ere designed to be — freemen, in
feeling, thought and act.
Varieties. 1 . How long was it, from the
discovery of ^meru-cr, in 1492, by Columbtis,
to the commencement of the Revolutionary
War, in 1775'! 2. Most of our laws would
never have had an existence, if evil actions
had not made them necessary. 3. The grand
secret — of never failing — in propriety of
deportment, is to have an intention — of al-
ways doing what is right. 4. Only that,
which is sown here, will be reap'd hereafter.
5. Is there more than one God? 6. The hu-
man race is so connected, that the well inten-
tioned efforts of each individual — are never
lost; but are propagated to the mass; so
that what one — may ardently desire, another
— may resolutely endeavor, and a third, oi
tenth, may actually accomplish. 7. All
^Aottg- A/ is dependent on the will, or volun-'
iary principle, and takes its quality there-
from : as is the will, such is the tJiought ; for
the thought — is the will, in form ; and the
state of the will — may be known by that
form.
Go abroad, upon the paths of J^aturc. and when
Its voices whisper, and its silent things [all
Are breathing the deep beauty of the world.
Kneel at its simple altar, and the Gcd,
Who hath the living waters- -shal be there.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
45
• 108. ElocuiiOTh- As not, as some errone-
ously suppose, an art of something artificial
in to7ies, links and gestures, that may be
learned by imitation. The principles teach
us — to exhibit truth and nature dressed to
advantage : its objects are, to enable the rea-
(ler, and speaker, to manifest his thoughts,
and feelings, in the most pleasing, perspic-
uous, and forcible manner, so as to charm the
ejections, enlighten the understanding, and
leave the deepest, and most permanent im-
pression, on the mind of the attentive hearer.
109. Tlie second sound of G, is hard,
or gutteral, before a, o, u, I, r,
and often before e, and i,- also,
at the end of monosyllables, and
sometimes at the end of dissyl-
lables, and their preceding sylla-
bles. GAME; a giddy goose LG in game.]
got a ci-gar, and gave it to a gan-grene beg-
gar.- Scrog-gins, of Bro&-dig-nag, growls
over his green-glass g-og--gles, which the big
ne-gro gath-er-ed from the bog-gy quag-mire ;
a gid-dy gig-gling girl glides into the grog-
ge-ry, and gloats over the gru-el in the great
vig-<£'m of the rag-ged grand-mother, ex-
claim-ing, dig or beg, the game is gone.
110. Foreigners and natives may derive
essential aid from this system of mental and
vocal philosophy ; enabling them to read and
speQ.k the language correctly,- which they
most certainly ought to do, before they are
employed in our schools : for whatever chil-
dren learn, they should learn correctly. Good
teachers are quite as necessary in the pi'i-
mary school, as in the Academy or College .• at
least, so thought Philip, king of Macedon,
when he sent his son Alexander to Aristotle,
the great philosopher, to learn his letters:
and Alexander says, he owed more to his
teacher, than to his father.
111. Irregulars. Gh, in a few words,
has this sound : tho', strictly speaking, the h
is silent. The ghast-ly bur-gher stood a-
ghast to see the ghost of the ghyll, eat the
^^r/5-tly gher-kins in the ghos-t\y burgh.
They are silent in — the neig-A-bors taug-At
their daug-A-ters to ploug-A with de-light,
ihongh the}'^ caught a fur-loug-A / &c.
Notes. 1. This vocal sound is made, by pressing the roots
of the ton^e againsf. tlie uvula, so as to close the throat, and beginning
to tay go, without the o ; the sound is intercepted lower down than
that of first d, and the jaw dropped more ; obsen'e also the vocal
and aspirate ; the sound is finished, however, in this, as in all oth-
er instances of making the vocal consonants, by the organs re-
suming their natural position, either for another effort, or for
silence. 3. If practice enables persons with half the usual num-
ber of finjrers to accomplish whatever manual labor they under-
fake ; think, how much may be done in this art, by those who pos-
sess their vocal organs complete, provided they pursue the course
here indicated, — there is nothing like these vocal gymnastics.
'Tis autumn. Many, an d many a fleeting age
Rath faded, sint* the primal morn of Time ;
And silently the slowly journeying years.
All redolent of countless seasons, pass.
112. Freedonk of Tliongiit. Beware
of pinning your faiih to another's sietv— -of
forming your owji opinion entirely on that
of another. Strive to attain to a modestmde-
pendence of mind, and keep clear of leading
strings: follow no one, where you cannot
see tlie road, in which you are desired to
walk : otherwise, you will have no confidence.
in your own judgment, and will become a
changeling all your days. Remember tl:*
old adage — " let every tub stand on its owa
bottom !■' And, " never be the mere shadow
of another.''''
Proverbs. 1. He dies like a heast, who has
done no good while he lived. 2. 'Tis a base
thing to betray a man, because he trusted you. 3
Knaves— imagine that nothing can be done with-
out knavery. 4. He is not a wise man, who paya
more for a thing than it is worth. 5. Learning —
is a sceptre to some, and a bauble — to others. 6.
JVo tyrant can take from you your knowledge. 7.
Only that which is honestly got— is true gain.
8. Pride— is as loud a beggar as want ; and a
great deal more saucy. 9. That is a bad child,
that goes like a top , no longer than it is whip-
ped. 10. It is hard for an empty bag to stand up-
right. 11. Learn to bear disappointment cheer-
fully, 12. Eradicate your prejudices.
Anecdote. A sharp Eye. A witness,
during the assizes, at York, in Engla?id,
after several ineffectual attempts to go on
with his story, declared, "he could not
proceed in his testimony, if Mr. Brougham
did not take his eyes off from him."
Varieties. 1. Which does society the
most injury, the robber, the slanderer, or the
murderer ? 2. In every period of life, our tal-
ents may be improved, and our mind ex-pan^
ded by education. 3. The mind is powerful,
in proportion as it possesses powerhil truths,
reduced to practice. 4. Give not the meats
and dri7iks of a man, to a child ; for how
should they do it good ? 5. A proverb, well
applied at the end of a phrase, often makes
a very happy co7iclusion : but beware of
using such sentences too ofte7i. 6. Extrav-
agant— and misplaced eulogiums — neither
honor the one, who bestov)s them, nor ths
person, who receives them. 7. Apparetil
truth — has its use, but genuine truth a
greater use : and hence, it is the part ot
wisdom — to seek it.
Tis midnighVs holy hour— and silence now
Is brooding, like a gentle Spirit, o'er
The still and pulseless vborUi. Hark ! on the swrn
The ifcV'j deep tones are swelling, — 'tis the kueU
Of the departed year. No funeral ti ain
Is sweeping past,— yet, on the stream, s.nd wood,
with meUncholy light, the moonbeams rest,
Like a pale, spotless shroud,— ihe air is stirred,
As by a mourner's sigh — and on yon cloud,
1'hat floats on still and placidly through heaven.
The Spirits — of the Seasons — seem to stand ;
Young Spring, bright Summer, .Autumn^s solenui Ctre
And Winter, with his aged locks, and breathe
In mournful cadences, that come abroad
Like tlie far tinnrf-har])'s wild and touching nl^
A melancholy dirge— o'er the dead y su- —
Gone, from the Earth, forever.
46
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
113. These principles of oratory— are
well calculated to accustom the mind to the
closest investigation and reasoning ; thus,
aflording a better discipline for the scientific,
rational, and a/<c<M0MS faculties of the mind,
than even the study of the mathematics: for
the whole man is here addressed, and all his
mental powers, and all his acquirements, are
called mto requisition. This system is a
Jieri/ jrdeal ; and those who pass through it,
underftandinglu, and practically, will come
oat perilled as hy fire: it solves difficulties,
und 'sads the mind to correct conclusions,
respecting what one is to do, and what one
\B not to do.
114. Tlie tlilrd souiid of G Is that of
Zli which, tho' common to s
and a, is derived to this letter ^^>^
from the French; or, perhaps //^^~^\
we should say, the words m (y^^^^>)
which G has this sound, are Vv — >/
French words not Anglicised ^q j^ rquge.]
— or made into English. The
pro-te-g-e (pro-ta-zAa, a person protected, or
patronized,) during his bad-e-nafife, (bad-e-
nazh, light or playful discourse,) m the me-
no^-e-ry, (a place for the collection of wild
animals, or their collection,) on the vai-rage,
(me-razA, an optical illusion, presenting an
image of water in sandy deserts,) put rouge,
(roozh, red paint for the face,) on the char-
f6-d'af-fair, (shar-zAa-dif-fare, an ambassa-
or, or minister of secondary rank.)
115. This work informs the pupil, as the
master workman does the apprentice : it
teaches the principles, or rules, and the way
to apphj them ; and when they are thus ap-
plied to practice, he has no more use for
them : indeed, its rules and directions serve
him the same purpose as the guide-posi
does the traveler) who, after visiting the
place, towards which it directs, has no fur-
ther weed of it.
116. Irreg^nlars. Soften has this sound,
and Z, generally. The az-ure ad-Ae-sion to
the am-6ro-sial en-cZo-sures is a ro-se-ate
f reas-ure of wts-ions of pleas-nres ; the sei-
zure of the ti2-ier's en-<AM-si-asm is an in-
va-sion of the ^Za-zier's di-t>j-sions of the
scjs-sors ; the Zto-sier takes the Z»ra-zier's
tro-sier with a-6ra-sions and cor-ro-sions by
cx-po-sure, and <reas-ures it up without e-
Zis-ions.
Notes. I. This \*ocal triphthongal consonant sound may be
niEde, by placing the orsani, as ii to pronounce sh iathow, and ad-
d ng a voict sound, from the larynx ; or, by drawing out the sound
of tha imaginary word 2/iur«, th ure. 2. Analyze these sounds
thus ; give the^r>( sound of c, keep the teeth still compressed, add
the ciipit ate of A, and then prefix the vocality ; or reverse the pro-
coes. O is siieat m — the ma-lign phlegm of the poig-nant gnat, im-
pregns tne en«gn's (it4-phragm, and gnaws into Chai^Ie-magne's
sc-ragl-io.
Anecdote. A considerate Minister. A
vory dull clergyman, vhose delivery was
monotonous and uninteresting to his hearers,
putting many of the old folks asleep — said to
tlx boys, who were playing in the gallery ;
"Don't make so much noise there; you
uiU awake your parents below."
For me, my W— was what 1 mught ; to be,
l« l\ff, or death, the 'eiriesj,— and be/rn
Proverbs. 1 . Impudenae, and toiL, are Taitl;
different. I. Keep thy shop, and thy shop will
keep thee. 3. Listeners — hear no good of them-
selves. 4. Make hay while the sun shines. 5. Ac
ounce of discretion is worth a pound of wit. 6.
Purposing, without performing, is mere fooling
7. Quiet persons— are welcome every where.
8. Some have been thought brave, because they
were afraid to run awaij. 9. A liar— is a brave
towards Ood, and a coward towards men. 10
Without n. friend, the world is a wilderness 11.
A young man idle, — an old man — needy. 12 Re-
solution, without action, is a slothful /oWy,
Reading^ Rooms. Incalculable good
might be done to the present and the rising
generation, by the establishment, in every
town and village in our country, of Public
Reading Rooms, to be supported by volun-
tary subscription: indeed, it would be wise
in tow7i authorities to sustain such institu-
tions of knowledge by direct taxation. Oh!
when shall we wake up to a consideration
of things above the mere love of money-ma-
king.
Varieties. L Did Napoleo7i — do more
evil than good — to mankind? 2. A neces-
sary part of good manners — is a punctual
observation of time; whether on matters of
civility, business, or pleasure. 3. It is ab-
surd— to expect that your friends will re-
member you, afteir you have thought proper
to forget them. 4. How much pain has bor-
rowed trouble cost us. 5. Adversity — haa
the effect of eliciting talents, which, in pros-
perous circumstances, would have lain dor-
mant. 6, When the infidel would persuade
you to abandon the J5tZ/Ze, tell him you will,
when he will bring you a better book. 7.
When the mind becomes persuaded of the
truth of a thing, it receives that thing, arnl it
becomes a part of the person's life : what
men seek, they fi.nd.
The Bp&cious firmament— on high,
With all the blue etherial sky.
And span«:led heavens, a shining frame.
Their great original proclaim.
Th' unwearied skw— from day to day.
Does his Creator's power display ;
And publishes— to eo'rj/ land.
The work— of an Almighty hand.
Soon as the evening shades prevail,
The moon takes up the wond'rous tale
And, nightly, to the list'ning earth.
Repeats the story of her birth ;
Whilst all the stars, that round her burn,
And all the planets in their turn.
Confirm the tidings as they roll,
And spread the truth, from pole to polo.
What, though, in solemn silence, all
Move round the dark terrestrial ball ?
What, though no real voice nor sound
Amid these radiant orbs be found ?
In reason^s ear they all rejoice.
And utter forth a glorious voice,
Forever singing, as they shine,
"The hand that made us— is divine "
I
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
47
1 17. Be very particular in pronouncing
the jaw, or ujotce-breukers, and cease not,
till you can give every sound fully, correctly
and distinctly . If your vocal powers are
well exercised, by faithful -nractice on the
more difficult combinatio7is, iney will acquire
a facility oi' movement, a precision o{ action,
n flexibility, grace, and force truly surprising.
118. H hag but one sound) which is
an aspirate, or forcible breathing,
made in the glottis : HALE : ,
his high-ness holds high his/
hangk-iy head, and ex-At6-itsi ^
his shrunk shanks to ftie ho-ly
horde in the hu-m'id hall; the [»'» hale.]
Aani-heart-cd hedge-hog, heed-leaf of his
hav-oc of the house-wm's ham, hies hini-
self home, hap-py to have his head, his
hands, and his heart whole; the /tarm-ful
hum-hlc-hee Awr-tles through the Ao«- house,
and ex-horts his ex-haust-ed hive-lings to
hold their AoMse-hold-stuff for a Ao6-by-horse
till /tar-vest-home.
119. It is said, that no description can
adequately represent Zjord Chatham : to
comprehend the force of his eloquence, it
was necessary to see and to hear nim : his
whole delivery was such, as to make the
orator a part of his own eloquence: his mi?id
was view'd in his countenance, and so em-
bodied was it in his every look, and gesture,
that his words were rather /eZf than /oZZow-
€rf ; they invested his hearers ; the weapons
of his opponents fell from their hands ; he
spoke with the air and vehemence of inspi-
ration, and the very atmosphere flamed
around him.
1^0. H i» silent at tlie beginning and
end of many -words. The Zion-est shep-
/icrd's ca-tarr/t, /mm-bles the Aeir-ess in her
disA-a-billes, and /m-mors the t/ty-mv r/tet-
o-ric of his rAymes to r/tap-so-dy ; the h\x-
mor-some T/tom-as ex-plained dipA-thongs
and trin/t-thongs to A-6t-ja7t, Be-ri-aA — Ca-
bJi, Di-na/t, E-li-']vJi, Ge-raA, Hul-daA, I-
sa-iaA, Jo-nnh, Han-nah, Nin-e-vah, 0-ba-
di-ah, Fis-gah, Ru-maJi, Sa-rah, Te-raA,
Uri-a/t, Va-ni-aJi, and Ze-lah.
Notes. 1. This sounl is the material of which all sounds
»re irj'le, whfither vowel or consonant, either by condensation,
or inodification. To demonstrate this jxisition, commence any
sound in\ whiter, and proceed to a. vocalily ; shaping the orsTi.'s
to form the one required, if a vowel or voca. consonant, and in ■
pDpef way to produce any of the aspirates, i Those who are
Q tht labit of omitting the h, wlien it ought to be pronounced, can
practice on the preceding and similar examples: and aNo correct
ouch sentences ai this ; Hi took my 'orse hand went hout to 'unt
iiiy 'ogs, hand got hofi my 'onie, hand 'iched im to a hoak tree,
hand gave 'im lome boats. 3. It requires more breath to make
this sound, than any other in our language; as in producing it,
even mildly, tr.e lungs are nearly exhausted of air. It maybe
made by whispering the word huh: the higher up, tlie more scat-
tering, the lower in 'he throat, the more condensed, till it becomes
vocaL
I am well aware, that wfiat is base,
JVb polish— can make ««er/tn^— and that vice.
Though well perfumed, and elegantly dressed,
Lik« an unhuried carcass, — trick'd with flowers.
Is but a garnished nuisance, — litter far
For c.canly riddance.— than for fair attire.
Proverbs. 1. When the cat is away, the
mice will play. 2 One may be a wise man, aivd
yet not know how to make a watch. 3. A wi'.ked
companion invites us to hell. 4. All happiness
and misery— \% in the mind. 5. A good conscience
is excellent divinity. 6, Bear and forbear— a
good philosophy. 7. Drunkenness— in a voluntary
madness. 8. Envy shoots at others, and vvoundB
herself. 9. Fools lade out the water, and wise
men catch the fish. iO. Good preachers give
fruits, rather titan flowers. 11. .Actions are ti»e
raiment of the man. 12. Faith is the eye o(lor>s.
Anecdote. Frederick the Great, of Prus-
sia, an ardent lover of literature and the fine.
arts, as well as of his people, used to rise at
three or four o'cloclc in the morning to get
more time for his studies ; and when one of hia
intimate friends noticed how hard he work-
ed, he replied, — " It is true, I do work hard,-
but it is in order to live ,- for nothing haa
more resemblance to death, than idleness : of
what use is it, to live, if one only vegetates .« "
"Wrong Cboio*. How miserable some
people make themselves, by a wrong choice,
when they have all the good things of earth
before them, out of which to choose! If good
judgment be wanting, neither the greatest
monarch, nor the repeated smiles o{ fortune,
can render such persons happy ; hence, a
prince — may become a poor wretch, and the
peasant — completely blessed. To know
one's self— IS the first degree o{ sound judg-
ment; for, by failing rightly to estimate our
own capacity, we may undertake — not only
what will make us unhappy, but ridiculoun.
This may be illustrated by an unequal mar-
riage with a person, whose genius, life and
temper — will blast the peace oi o7ie, or loth,
forever. The understanding, and not the
will — should be our guide.
Varieties. 1. What can the virtues of
our ancestors profit us, unless we imitate
them "i 2. Why is it, that we are so unwilling
to practice a little self-denial for the sake of a
ftiture good ? 3. The toilet of woman — is too
often an altar, erected by self-love — to vamiy
4. Half the labor, required to make a first-rate
mttsicJ/in. would make an accomplished rea-
der and speaker. 6. Learn to M7?,Iearn what
you have learned amiss. 6. A conceit of
knowledge — is a great enemy to knowledge,
and a great argument for ignorance. 7. Of
pure love, and pure conception of truth, we
are only receiver.^ : God only is the giver;
and they are all His fromfirst to last.
It is a beautiful belief, that wtr— round our head,
Are hovering, on noiiless wing, the rpiriii of the dead.
It is a beautiful belief, wh«n ended our career.
That it will be our ministry to watch o'er nt/iert here ;
To lend a morai to the flower; breathe vudvm on the \oitul;
To hold commune, at night't pure noon, with the impri»f n'd mb-J
To bid the mourner— cease to moum, the tremhtxng vc fornSom
To bear away, from ills of clay, the infant-to its heaven.
Ah ! when delight— vna found in life, and joy— in every brwUh,
I cannot tell how lernUe— the mystery of death.
But now, the past Is bright to me, aud all the future.-eUan
For 'tit my faith, that after death, I Hill il>al! linger hcwx
48
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
131. Important EemarJcs. Every pupil
should be required to notice, distinctly, not
o-ily all the specific sounds of our language,
eirnple and compound, but also the different
and exact positions of the vocal organs, ne-
cessary to 'produce them. The teacher
should, unyieldingly, insist upon having
Ihese two things faithfully attended to : for
fuccess in elocution, and music, absolutely
demands it: no one, therefore, should wish
to be excused from a full and hearty com-
pliance. Master these elementary princi-
ples, and you will have command of all the
ricJIarns for communicating your thoughts
and feelings.
122. L. lias only one sound which is
its name -sound. LAY; tho ,<^^
laird's little fool loudly lauds the / li A
lil-y white lamb the /n'elong f"^^^^^^^
<Iay ; Lem uel Ly ell loves the v '^fS^
/c/ss-lorn /?//-ial)y of the land-
lord's loceAy la Ay, and. with
blissful t/«/ liance, f;cixtecl\y lis-teua to
the lowly /o/- lards live ly song; the law-
yer /f-gal-ly, and plain ly tells his luck-less
cii-ent, that he lii-er-al-ly repels the il log-
i-cal re ply of the 7iiol-ly-i'y ing leg-is Za-
tor. who, in list-less languor, lies, and re-
gales kim-selt' over the el-der blow tea: (not
1-oo-t loot.)
123. Pronounce wy, you, yoiir, and that,
when emphatic, with the vowels full and
open. My harp is as good as yours. He
told you, but would not tell me. 1 said he
was viy ihend, not yours. That man re-
lated that story. When these words are not
emphatic, the sounds of y and u are short-
ened, the o silent, and u having its second
sound, while the a is entirely suppressed.
My pen is as bad as my paper. How do
you do ? Very well ; and how do you do ?
Have you got your 600A: ? This is not your
book ; it is my book. I said that you said,
that you told him so.
Notes. 1. This vocal lingual dufal sound (from the
larynx, toneue and teeth,) is made by pi^ssin; the tongue against the
upper gums and the roof of tlie nioutk : pronounce the word lo,
by prolonging the sound of I; I o. 2. T)o not let the eye mis-
Itid the ear in the comparison c1 sounds ; gay and ghay are
alike to the car, tho' unlike to *M eye: scare ph in philosophy
arid / in folly: the same may be observed of th jn thine and thou
■J. Never foriet the difference between the names of letters, and
tlieir resi)ective sounds ; weigh their natures, powers and qualities.
4. Notice the dissimilanty between the letters o-n-e, and the word
OTie (loun ;) also e-i.g.h-t, and eighi (ate ;) e-n-o-u-g-h, and enuff.
Is there not a better way ? and is not this that way ? 5. i is silent
ia lK.;m, taive, couU, psata, wouM, chaZk, shouM, ta/k, haZ-ser
;f.4iv-8er,) fa/-con (/aio-k'n,) sa/m-on, foZks, maJm-sey (2da) aZ-
r.>-vls, &c.
Anecdote. One Tongue. Milton, the au-
thor of Paradise Lost and Regained, was one
jay asked, by a friend of female education,
if lie did not intend to instruct his daughter
m \\\e (WffexenX. languages : " No Sir ,-'' re-
plied ISIilton," one tongue is sufficient for a
woman.
Vc dttpoti, too long — did your tyranny hold us
Id a voitalage vile — ere its voeakiiess we knew ;
But we Jeani'd, that the lirihs of the chain, that enthraVd ug,
W'< re fors'd by the feart of the captive alonr.
Proverbs. 1. Almost, and very nigh, save
many a lie. 2. A man may buy even gold too
dear. 3. He, that waits for dead men's shoes,
may long go barefoot. 4. It is an ill cause, that
none dare speak in. 3. If pride were an art,
there would be many teachers. 6. Out of sight,
out of mind. 7. The whole ocean is made of
single drops. 8. There would be no ffreat ones,
if there were no little ones. 9. Things unreason-
able—are never durable. 10. Time and tide wait
for no man. 11. An author's writings are a mlf-
ror of his mind. 12. Every one is architect of
his own character.
Ill tlie Truth. How may a person be
said to be in the truth ? This may be un-
derstood, rationally, by a comparison : we
say — such a man is in the mercantile busi
ness; by which we mean, that his life — ia
that of merchandizing, and is regulated by
the laws of his peculiar calliiig. In like
manner, we say of a christian, that he is in
the truth, and in the Lord, when he is in the
true order of his creation; which is — to love
the Lord, with all his heart, and his neighbor
as himself ; and to do unto others — as he
would they should do unto him : such a one
is, emphatically, in the truth, and the truth
makes him free; and this is the only freedom
on earth, or in heave?i; and any other state is
abject slavery.
Varieties. 1. Why is the L, in the word
military, like a man's nose 1 Because, it is
between two ii. 2. No one is wise at atl
times ; because every one is finite, and of
course, imperfect. 3. Money — is the servant
of those, who itnow how to use it ; but the
master of those, who do 7iot. 4. Rome —
was built, 7.o3 years before the christian era ,-
and the Roman empire — terminated 476
years after it ; what was its duration ? 5-
The tales of other times — are like the calm
dew of the moTning, when the sun is faint
on its side, and the lake is settled and blue
in the vale. 6. As is the state of mind, such
is the reception, operation, production, and
manifestation — of all that is received. 7.
Ends of actions show the quality of life ;
natui'ttl men ever regard natural ends ; but
spiritual men — spiritual ones.
Changing, forever changing \—So depart
The glories— of the old majestic ruoorf;
So — pass the pride, and garniture of fields;
The growth of agei, and the bloom of days,
Into the dust of centuries ; and so —
Are both — renewed. The scattered tribes of men,
The generations of the populous earth,
All have iivew seasons too. And jocund Youth
Is tha green spring-Wmc— Manhood's luity strengtt
Is the maturing sunnna- hoary Age
Types well the autumn of the year— and Death
Is the real winter, which forecloses aU.
And shall the /ortsfs— have another spring,
And shall \he fields— another ^3s\mA wear,
And shall the u'orm— come forth, renew'd in life,
And clothed with highest beauty, ana not MAN ?
No!— in the Book before me now, I read
Another laugiiage ; and my faith is sure,
Tliat though the chains of death may hold it umg.
This morfoi— will o'ertnaster them, and brook
Acoy, and put on innnorfalili/.
PRINCIPLES OF ELa-.UTION.
49
134. Read, and speak, \x. such a. Just and
impressive manner, as will instruct, interest
and affect your hearers, and repvjduce in
them all those ideas and emniions, which you
wisli to convey. Remember, that theory —
is one thing, and practice — another; and that
there is a great difference, between knowing
^ow a sentence should be read or spoken,
and the ability to read or speak it : theory —
is the result of thought ; practice — of actual
ej.pe7'imce.
1«5 i M lias only one sound 5 MAIM :
meek men made 7rm/«-mies oxit
of garn-mon, and moon-he,a.mi 'v-s-^>'.
ofgum-my am-mo-ni-a, for a.prC' /c^5?^^
mi-um on dum-my som-jiam- Iv^— ---^/
!)u-lism: mind, man-ners and [Mm maim.]
mag-na-?iim-i-ty, malce a migh-ty man, to
n-maZ-ga-mate e;?i-blems and luam-pum for
an om-ni-um gath-er-um : the malt-man cir-
cum-flw-bu-lates thecim-me-ri-an ham-mock,
and titm-hles the mwr-mur-ing mif^-ship-
man into a rnin-i-mum and maa;-i-mum of a
m«m- mi-form di-lem-ma.
1JJ6. Cicero and Demosthenes, by their
ivords, lives, maxims, and practice, show the
high estimation, in which they held the sub-
ject ot oratory ; for they devoted ijears to the
study and practice of its theory and art, un-
der the most celebrated masters of antiquity.
Most of the effects of ancient, as well as of
tnodern eloquence, may be attributed to the
luanner of delivery: we read their words,
but tlieir spirit is gone; the body remains,
beautiful indeed, but motionless — and dead ,-
TiiuE eloquence — revivifies it.
Not*S» To produce this labio-nnsal sound, close the lips
arid make a sound through t)ie nose, resembling the plaintive low-
I! 5 of an ox, with its mouth clos»d ; or, a wailing sound through
vr^ur nose. 2. Tliis is called a iiusal sound, because it is made
through the nose; and not because it does not pass through it, as
many imagine: which may become evident, by producing the
sound when the nose is held between the thumb and forefinger. 3.
Avoid detaching letters from preceding words, and attaching them
to succeeding ones ; as— his cry moved me ; for, his crime moved
me. 4. M is silent before n, in the same syllable ; as, JJ/nason,
and
l'iT» That is th' man, th't said that you
saw him. I say th't that, th't that man said,
is not that, th't that man told him. That th't
I say is this : th't that, th't that gentleman
advanced, is not that, th't he should have
spoken ; for he said, tli't that that, th't that
man pointed out, is not that that, th't that la-
oy insisted th't it was ; but is another that.
THE PATH.S OF LIFE.
Go forth — the world is very wide.
And many paths — before you lie.
Devious, and dang'rous, and untried ;
Go forth with wary eye !
Go ! with the heart — by yn-rjcf unbow'd !
Go! ere a shadow, or a cloud
Hath dimm'd the laughing sky!
But, lest your vvand'ring footsteps stray,
Chtiose ye the straight, th« narroio way.
BilONSON 4
138. By the aid of the principlen heie in-
culcated, children can be taken, before tliey
have learned the names of the letters, and, in
a few months, become better readers than
one in fifty of those taught in the usual
way ; and they may have their voices so de-
veloped and trained, by the natural use of
the proper organs and muscles, as to be able
to read, speak, and sing, for hows in succes-
sion, without hoarseness, or injurious ex-
haustion. It is a melancholy reflection, that
children learn mo-e bad habits than good
ones, in most of our common schools.
Provertos. 1. He, that does you an ill turn,
will never /or^iwe you. 2. It is an ill wind that
blows nobody any good. 3. The proof of the
pudding— \s in eating. 4. None so deaf, as they
that will not hear. 5. Time— is a file, that wears,
and makes no noise. 8. When every one takes
care of himself , care is taken of all. 7. Withotit
pains, there can be no gains. 8. One may as
well expect to be at ease, without money, as to be
happy, without virtzie. 9. A man, like a watch,
is valued according to his going. 10. The gov-
ernment of the loill is better than an increase
of knowledge. 11. Character — is everything — to
both old and young. 12. JVar brings scars.
Anecdote. Lojig Enough. A man, up-
on the verge oi baiiliruptcy , having purchased
an elegant coal, upon credit, and being told
by one of his acquaintances, that the cloth
was very beautiful, though the coat was too
short ; replied, — with a sigh — "It will be
long enough before I get another.
Honor — was the virtue of the pagan ;
but Christianity — teaches a more enlarged
and nobler code ; calling into activity — all
the best feelings of our nature, — illuminat-
ing our path, through this world, with deeds
of mercy and cJiarity, mutually done and re-
ceived,— and sustaining us, amidst difficul-
ties and temptations — by the hope of a
glorious immortality, — in which peace —
shall be inviolable — andjoj/ — eternal.
Varieties. 1. Why is a fashionably
dressed lady, like a careful hovsewifef Be-
cause her waist (waste), is always as small
as she can make it. 2. Literature and
Science, to produce their full effect, must
be generally diffused, like the healthful
breeze. 3. The elements, so mixed in him,
that Mature might stand up, and say to all
the world, '^This is a man f'' 4. All minis
are influenced every moment ; and there i;?
a providence in every feeling, thought and
v)ord. 5. The excesses of our youth, are
drafts on our old age, payable with interest ,
though sometimes, they are payable nt sighi.
6. I will not only k7iow the way, but walk in
it. 7. As it is God's will to fill us with his
life, let us exert every facuhy we poesess,
to be filled with it ; and that with all fin
eerily and diligence.
The man, th't's resolute, and just.
Firm to his principles and trust.
No' hopes, nor fcors— can bind.
60
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
129. Distinctness of articulation demands
special attention, and requires that you should
pronounce the vocal letters, as well as every
word, audibly an; '. con-ectly, giving to each
its appropriate /orce and quantity. Unless
these principles are perfectly understood,
y owe future acquirements will be more or
less faulty : for, in proportion as one is ig-
norant of what ought to be felt, thought, and
done, will he be hable to err.
130. N lias two »o\tnA»', first^its name
sound : ^INE ; the towd-man's "
niii-ny, neg-li-gent of the hunts- / , J
man's en-cAan^-ments, con-tam,' /.u.^^^^^
i-nates the wo-ble-man's nine- \ ^ — ^ /
pins with his an-ti-no-mi-anwo/i- [K '-^ nine.]
sense : Ndi-hant, and Flan-m-gan, joint-/en-
ants of wtne-ty-nine i\fan-i-kins, n-nan-i-
mous-ly en-chain with win-ning tones, the
be-nig-nantdu-ew-na, while they are con-ven-
ed to nam-i-nate co7i-di-ments for the so-cin-
i-an con-uen-tion of the non-^-es-i-dents ; he
knows his nose,- I know he knows his nose :
he said I knew he knows his nose : and if he
says he knows I know he knows his Jiose,
of course, he knows I know he knows his
nose.
131. Some public speakers, in 'other re-
spects inferior, from the ease, grace, dignity
and power of their delivery, sue followed and
applauded ; while others, however sound in
matter, and fmished in language, on account
of their deficiency of manner, are passed by
almost unnoticed. All experience teaches us
the great importance of manner, as a means
of inculcating truth, and persuading others
to embrace it. Lord Bacon says, it is as ne-
cessary for a public speaker, as decorum for
a gentleman.
Notes. I. This vocal nasal sound is made, by pressing the
tingue against the roof of the mouth, and thus preventing the sound
from passing through the mouth, and emitting all of it through the
nose: see engraving. 2. In comparing sounds, be guided solely by
the tar; beware of going by sight in the science of accoustics. 3.
Remember, when there is a change in the position of the organs,
Ihere is a corresponding change in the sounds. 4. In words where
I and n precede cA, the sound of t intervenes in the pronunciation :
filch, blanch, wench, inch, bench, &c. 5. Beware of omissions
and additions ; Boston notion, not Boston ocean. Regain either,
not regain neither..
Anecdote. The Rev. Mr. Whitfield—
was once accused, by one of his hearers, of
vxmdering in his discourse ; to which he re-
plied : '* Uvou will ramble like a lost sheep,
i must ramble after you."
Truth-
Comes to us with a sZow— and doubtful step ;
Measuring the ground she treads on, and forever
Turning her curious eye, to see that all
Is right — behind ; and, with keen survey.
Choosing her onward path.
Seize upon truth,— wYierev ex found.
On christian,— or on heathen ground ;
Among your friends, — among your foes;
The slant's 4ii inc,— toAe-e'er it grows.
Proverbs. 1, It is not th* burthen, but the
orer-burthen, that kills the beast. 2. The death
of youth is a shipwreck. 3. There is no di&t ut-
ing of tastes, appetites, and fancies. 4. When the
fox preaches, let the geese beware. 5. .Alms-
giving— never made a man poor ; nor robbery —
rich ; nor prosperity — wise. 6. A lie, begets a lie,
till they come to generations. 7. Anger — is often
more hurtful than the injury that caused it. 8.
Better late ripe, and bear, than blossom, and hlo>it.
9. Experience — is the mother of science. 10. He
that will not be counselled, can not be helped.
11. Expose one's evils, and he will either /orsaAe
them, or hate you for the exposure. 12. Do not
hurry a. free horse. 13. Every thing would livs.
Gradations. The dawn, the deep light,
the su7i-rise, and the blaze of day ! what
softness and gentleness ! all is graduated,
and yet, all is decisive. Again, observe
how winter — passes into spring, — each—
weakened by the struggle ; then, steals on
the summer, which is Followed by the matu-
rity of autumn. Look also at the gradations
and commingling of infancy, childhood,
youth, manhood and age : how beautiful the
series! and all this may be seen — in the
successive developments of the hnmtmmind:
xmagina-
-there is first sense, then fancy,
tion and reason, — each oi which — is the
ground,^ or continent, of all that succeed :
sense — is the rude germ, or crust of tht
fancy, which is the full-fledged bird, freed
from its confinement and limited notices,
and soaring aloft, unrestrained, in.the luxu-
ries of its weto being ; then, succeeds imagi.
nation, a well regulated fancy, that emulate5
the work of reaso?i, while it borrows the
hues — of its immediate parent : and rea.<ton
— is the full and perfect development — of all
that sense — originally contain'' d, fancy — de-
corated, and imagination — designed — in a
thousand forms : thus reason — combines the
whole, and from the whole, thro' the light
of the Supreme Mind, deduces her conclu-
sions : thus, shall the gradations, or series
of developments, continue in the good, and
the true — to all eter?iity !
Varieties. 1. How many years inter-
vened— between the discovery of the mar-
iner's compass, in 1302, and the discovery
of America 1 2. The covetous man — is as
much deprived of what he has, as of what
he has not ; for he enjoys neither. 3. Ah !
who can tell, how hard it is to climb the
steep, where Fame''s proud temple shines
afar, checked by the scoff of Fride, by E?i.
vy^s frown, and Poverty''s unconquerable
bar ! 4. A man of cultivated mind, can
converse with a picture, and find an agree
able companion in a statue. 5. Little men-
triumph over the errors of great ones, as an
owl — rejoices at an eclipse of the sun. G.
The eternal and natural worMs are so unit-
ed, as to make but one ; like the soul and
the body. 7. What is the difference between
good sense, ana wit ?
A villain, when he most seems kind.
Is irost to be suspected.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
hi
133. Be perfectly distinct in your articu-
lation, or you cannot become an easy, grace'
ful, effective and natural elocutionist ; there-
fore, practice on the vowels and consonants.
SlS here recommended, separately and com-
bined. If your utterance is rapid, and indis-
tinct, 5'our reading and speaking, will not
be listened to with much pleasure, or profit.
A hint — to those who would be wise, is suf-
ficient.
133. Tlie second sound of X, is tliat
of Ng, before hard g, and often "
before hard c, fe and q under the /
accent. BANK ; con-gress con- [^
quers the strang-\in^ don-key, "^
and sanc-tions the lank con-clave IN in bank.)
in punc-/i/!-ious co?i-course: the san-gume
un-cle, ana;-ious to ling-ex much long-ex
among the /mfe-ling in-gots,ym-gles his ?-iw-
kled jin-gex over the lin-guist's an-gu-lar
shrunk shanks.
134. The common mode of teaching elo-
cution is considered the true one, because it
has been so long admitted and practiced :
the old have become/ami/iar with it, and/oZ-
Zo?/; it from habit, as their predecessors did ;
and the rising generation receive it on trust :
thus, thej' pass on, striving to keep each oth-
er in countenance : hence it is, that most of
our bad habits, in this important art, are horn
in the primary school, brought up in the
academjy, and graduated in the college,- if
we proceed so fkr in our education. Is not
an entire revolution necessary.
135. Irregulars, iVg- have generally this
sound. In cultivating and strength-en-ing
the un-der-stond-ing, by stud-Y-mg,read-mg,
wriAxng, c//-pher-ing, and speak-ing, I am
ihink-'mg of con-^enrf-ing for go-ing to sing-
ing meet-ing ; in re-Zin-quish-ing your stand-
ing in the cmjr)-ing/rt/-ing pan, by/ttrnp-ing
o-ver the ivindring rail-ing, you may be sail-
ing on the &otZ-ing o-cean, where the limp-ing
her-xings are .^fcip-ping, and danc-ing, around
some-thing that is laugh-ing and cry-ing,
„(eep-ing and lya-king, lov-ing and smi-ling.
Notes. J. This nasal diphthongal vocal consonant sound,
may be made by drawing the tongue back, closing the pass»^c
from tlie throat into the mouth, and directing the sound through
the nose; as in giving the name sound of N; it can be distinctly
perceived by prolonging, or singing the ng sound m the word sing,
2. If the iccent be on the syllable beginning with g and c hard.
Mid h, and q, the n may take its name sound ; as, con-grot-u-late,
cM>-cttr, con-c^wde, &c. 3. The three eounds of ni and n, are the
^nl 7 nasal ones in our language. 4. Some consonant iounds are
coniinuous: the 1st, 3d, and 4th of c ; the 2nd of/, the third of
g,l,m,n, r, &c. are examples ; others are abrupt or discrete; ag,
f, d, p, X, t, &c. : so we have coniinuous tounds, ( the long ones, )
•nd abrupt or discrete ones, (the short.)
Anecdote. Equality. When Lycurgus,
king of Sparta, was to reform andf change
the government, one advised him, that it
enould be reduced to an absolute popular
equality : " Sir," — said the lawgiver, " be-
gin it in your own house ^rs«.
Xfl^— reckons hours — for months, — and days — for years ;
.And ever? litUe oiwejice— is an age. >
Proverbs. 1. A miss, is as good as a milg-
2. A man is a lion in his own cause 3. He that
has too many irons in the fire, will find thatsowi«
of them will be apt to burn. 4. It is not an art to
play; but it is a very good art to leave ojf play
5. Beyond the truth, there is nothing but error ;
and beyond error, there is madness 6. He, who
deals with a blockhead, has need of much hrairia.
7. The burnt child dreads the /re. 8. When oni
will not, two cannot quarrel. 9. Words from the
mouth, die in the ears ; but words from the heart
—stay there. 11. Young folks— think old folks
fools; but old folks know that young ones arc.
11. First know what is to be done, then do it.
12. The tongue, without the heart, speaks an un-
known tongue. 13. Remember the reckoning.
The three essentials — of every exist
ence are an iiimost, a middle and an outmost:
i. e. an e7id, a cause, and an effect: the e?id
is the himost, the cause is the middle, and
the effect the outmost, or ultimate. Ex,
Man is one existence, and yet consists of a
soul, or inmost principle, a body, or middle
principle, and an activity, or ultimate prin-
ciple. In his soul are ends, or motives to
action; in his body are causes, or ways and
means of action ; and in his life are effects,
or actions themselves : if either were want-
ing, he could not be a man : for, take away
his soul, and his body would die for want of
a first principle to live from ; take away his
body, and his soul could not act in the natu-
ral world, for want of a suitably organized
instrument ; take away his life, or the acti-
vity of his body from his soul, and both
soul and body would cease to exist for lack
of exercise. In other words, man consists
of will, or inmost ; understanding, or inter-
mediate ; and activity/, or ultimate. It is
evident, that without willing, his under-
standing would never think, and devise
means of acting ; and without understand-
ing, his will — could not effect its purpose ;
and without action — that willing and under-
standing would be of no use.
Varieties. 1. The thief— is sorry he is
to be punished, but not tHat he is a thief.
2. Some — are atheists — only in fair weather.
3. Is the casket — more valuable than the
jexoel it contains ? 4. Indolence — is a stream
that flows slowly on ; yet it undermines ev-
ery virtue. 5. All outward existence — is
only the shadow of that, which is truly real ;
because its very correspondence. 6. Should
we act from policy, or from principle? 7.
The prayer of the memory is a reflected light,
like that of the mdon ; that of the under-
standing alone, is as the light of the sun in
winter ; but that of the heart, likethe light
and heat united, as in spring or summer ;
and so also, is all discourse from them, and
all worship.
THE FLIGHT OF YEARS.
Gone I gone forever .'—Like a rushing wave
Another year— has burst upon the shore
Of earthly being— and its last low tones.
Wandering in broken accents on the air.
Are dying— to an ecluc.
52
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
136. In ancient Rome, an orator's educa-
tion began in infancy; so should it be now ;
the seeds of eloquence may be sown, when
the child is on the maternal bosom ; the voice
should be developed with the mvid. If the
child has good examples set liim, in reading
and speaking, and the youth is attentive to
his every day languagCy and is careful to im-
prove his mind and voice together, he wUl
become a good elocutumist, without scarcely
knowing it Connection and association —
have as much to do with our manner of
speaking, as with our cast of thinking.
137. P lias but one soiuid: PAP;
pale, par, pall, pap ; peep, pet ; ,
pipe, pip; pope, pool, pop; /^"Y^\
pule, pup, puss ; point, pound ; (fC^^^SX
peo-p\e put pep-pev in ^p-per- ^^ — ■ -^
box-es, aj9-ple-pies in cup- [Pin pap.]
boards, and whap-ping pap-poo-ses in wrap-
pers ; tlie hap-ipy pi-per placed his peer-less
jnip-Tpy in Pom-pey's slop-shop, to be pu7'-
chased for a peck of pap-py pip-pins, or a
pound of jDU^-ver-iz-ed pop-pies; a padrdy
picked a peck of pick-led pep-pevs, and put
them OH a broad brimed pew-ter plat-ter.
138. Muscle Brfakehs. Peter Prickle
Prandle picked three pecks of prickly pears,
from three prickly prangly pear trees: if
then, Peter Prickle Prandle, picked three
pecks of prickly pears from three prickly
prangly pear trees; where are the three pecks
of prickly pears, that Peter Prickle Prandle
picked, from the three prickly prangly pear
trees'? Success to the successful prickly
prangly pear picker.
Notes. 1, To give this aspirate labial, whisper the word
jnigh, (u short,) or pop out the candle ; see the engraving : it is
all of the word up, except the u ; but the sound is not fini^ed till
the lips are separated, or the remaining breath exhaled : remember
".he remarks in reference to other abrupt elements. 2. The prin-
cipal difference between i and p is, that 6 is a vocal, and p, only a
breath sound. P, H, 7", are called, by some, sharp mutes ; and B,
G, D,flat mutes a Germans find it difficult to pronounce cer-
tain vocal consonants at the ends of words, tho' correctly at the be-
ginning : hence, instead of sayinj dog, mad, pod, kc. they say, at
first, dok, mat, pet, kc. 4. In pronouncing m, and t together, p is
very apt to intervene ; as in Panj-ton &c. 5. P is silent in psal-fer,
jpshaw, pneu-maMcs, Ptol-e-my, Psy-che, rosp-ber-ry, (3d a,) coi^js
:o long,) re-ceipt, etc 6. Not detthg, but depths ; not clai-board,
Sut clap-board ; not Ja-cop, but Ja-co6 ; not baj-tism, but bap-
nm; etc.
Anecdote. A Check. Soon after the
.tattle of Leipsic, a wit observed, — " Bona-
jart must now be in funds ; for he has re-
ceived a check on ihe'hank of the Elbe^
Hidden, and deep, and never dry,
(xrftowing, or at rest,
A living spring of love — doth lie
In every human breast.
All else— may flail, th't soothes the heart,
Ml. save that fount alone ;
With that, and life, we never part ;
For life, and love — are one.
He seemed
For diffnity composed,— and high ei ■plait ;
Sut all was false —and hellow.
Proverbs. L He, who thinks h< A;/iowg tlie
viost, knows the least. 2. Take every thing as it
comes, and make the best of it. 3. Three removet
are as bad as a fire. 4. Tread on a worm, and he
will turn. 5. Two things we should never be
angry at,— what we can, and what we cannot
heip. 6. When the bow is too much bent, it
"breaks. 7. A wise man — is a great wonder. 8
Kwicked man — is his own hell ; and his evil Ivits
and passiovv the fiends that torment him. S
Blushing — is virtue'' s color. 10. Evil comviM,;ir^
cations corrupt good manners. !1. Gain — is un-
certain, but the pain is sure. 12. Never court.,
•inless you intend to marry.
Amusements. Ever since the fall,
mankind have been prone to extremes ; not
only the religious, but the irreligious por-
tion of the world. It ic greatly to be regret-
ted, that we are all so much at the mercy
of -passien and prejudice, and so little — un-
der the guiding influence of reason and in-
telligence. In our creation, the Divine
Being — has manifested infinite love and in-
finite wisdom : for we are made in " his
IMAGE and likeness;" the /ormer, we
still retain, but the latter, sad to relate, we
have lost. The will, or voluntary principle
of the mind, constitutes our impelling power,
and the understanding, or reaso?iing facul-
ties, under the light o\ truth, is our govern-
ing power : if, therefore, we find ourselves
loving — what is not good and true, our ra-
tionality, enlightened by wisdom, must bo
our guide. Hence, our rule is this ; what-
ever amusements — tend to fit us for our va-
rious duties, and give us zest in faithfully
performing them, are perfectly proper ; but,
amusements, whose tendency is the reverse
of this, are entirely improper; and we should
not hesitate a moment in abstaining from
them, however they may be approved by
others, or sanctioned by long usage : we
must Clever compromise the interests of
eternity — for those transitory enjoyments of
time and sense, wh-ich are at variance with
the principles of truth and goodness. Both
worlds are best taken care of, when they are
cared for together, and each has its attention,
ig to Its importance.
eties. 1. There ar
Varieties. 1. There are some, who live
— {o eat and drink; and there are others.
who eat and drink, to live. 2. The perfec-
tion of art is — to conceal the art : i. e. to he
the thing, instead of its representative. 3.
Let every one sweep the snow from his own
door, and not trouble himself about the /ro5f
on his neighhor''s tiles. 4. Gnhleo, the great
astronomer, was imprisoned for life, because
he declared that Venus — shone with a bor-
rowed light, and from the sun, as the centre
oionr system. 5. There ?ixe abuses — mall
human governments. 6. He, whose virtues,
exceed his talents, is the good man ; but he,
whose talents exceed his virtues, is the hml
man. 7 All we perceive, understand, wilt,
love, and practice, is our own ; but nothing
else.
Sufptcion—ahoays haunts the gicilty mind ;
The t«e/— «tiU fears each hush— in qffker. •
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
63
139. Written language consists of letters,
and , consequently, is more durable than spo-
ke?} language, which is composed of articu-
late sounds. Our written alphabet contains
twenty-sir letters, which make syllables and
nwds ; words make sentences; sentences
paragraphs, which make sections and chap-
ters; these constitute an essay, discourse, ad-
dress, oration, poem, dissertatiun, tract or
oook: but our vocal alphabet has forty-^fowr
letters, or sounds, which make up tlie whole
of spoken language.
140. R Ixas two sounds ; first, its name
Bound ; ARM ; the bar-bers were, ^ j
in former years, the cr-bi-ters of "^^K
the mwr-der-ers of their fore-fa- / /^^\ \
thers . the Tar-tars are g-crr-blers ; "Vaoxn^)
of Aarrf-ware and per-rer-ters of "
the er-rors of JVbr/A-ern-ers and [«'°^^RM-3
SoM^A-ern-ers ; the/a?*-mers are dire search-
ers af-ter burnt Gr-bors, and store the cor-
ners of their Zar-ders with di-vers sorts of
gr*ar-ter dol-laxs ; Charles Biir-ser goes to the
/ar-ther barn, and gets lar-gev ears of hard
corn, for the car-ter's horses.
14:1. Dr. Franklin says, (of the justly cel-
ebrated Whiifield,) that it would have been
fortunate for his reputation, if he had left no
tv nften works behind him ; his talents would
fchen have been estimated by their effects : in-
deed, his elocution was almost faultless.
But whence did he derive his effective man-
ner'? We are informed, that he took lessons
of Garrick, an eminent tragedian of Eng-
land, who was a great master in Nature'' s
school of teaching and practicing this useful
art.
^Otes. 1. To make this smooth vocal sound, pronounce
the word arm, and dwell on the r sound ; and you will pej'ceive
that the tongue is turned gently to the roof of the mouth, and at
the same time drawn back a little. 2. Avoid omitting this letter, as
It never is silent, except it is doubled in the same syllable ; not
staw-my, but stor-my ; not Zii-ah-ty, but /tfc-er-ty ; not burt. but
burst ; not waw-um, but warm ; not oA-gu-ment, but ar-gu-n/ent ;
uot hojses, but Aor-ses ; not hakA stawm, but hard storm ; etc. 3. Re-
member that short e and t before r, in the same syllable, when ac-
cented, sound like short u, unless followed by another r, as mei'cy,
(mer-it,) ser-geant, (ser-rate,) ter-ma-gant, (ter-ror, ) mirth-ful,
(Mirror,) ver-ses, (ver-y) (here the r is re-echoed ;) and spirits, fic. :
the exceptions are in parentheses : see p. 22<1. 4. Some words,
(where e, t, and r, are peculiarly situated, as above,) have, in their
pronunciation, a reverberation, or rejietition of the r, although
there laiy be but one in the word ; as — ver-y ; being followed by a
vowel.
Anecdote. Who Rules ? A schoolmas-
itr, in ancient Rome., declared, that he ruled
the world. He was asked to explain : which
he did in the following manner. " Rome — •
rules the world ; the women rule those who
govern Rome ; the children control their mo-
*hers, and / rule the children.''''
So — we grew together,
Like to a double chary, suming— parted;
But yet a union — in partition,
TVoo lowly berries, — moulded on one stem:
CO, with two seeming bodies, but one heart:
7\oo— of the/irsi, like coats, in heraldry,
Due but to one, and crowned — with one crest.
e2
I Proverbs. 1. He that is ill to himself, w]\\
be g-ood to nobody. 2. The remedy — is^vorse than
j the disease. 3. Who is so deaf, as he that will
not hear? 4. Ml vice infatuates and corrupts ihxi
judgment. 5. A /oo^ may, by chance, put some-
thing into a wise man's head. 6. After praying
to Ood, not to lead you into temptation, do not
throw yourself into it. 7. Evil gotten, evil spent.
8. He, that knows useful things, and not he that
knows many things, is the wise man. 9. He — .
preaches well, that lives well. 10. It is always
term time in the court oi conscience. 11. We may
be ashamed of our pride, but not proud of our
shame. 12. Historical faith — precedes saving
faith. 13. Stolen waters are sweet.
Tlie Tme Christian Cliaracter. The
three essentials of a christian — are — a good
will — flowing through a true under standing,
into a uniform life oi justice and j^idgment.
It is not enough, that we mean well, or
know our duty, or try to do right ; for good
intention is powerless, without truth to
guide it ai-ight ; and truth — in the intellect
alone, is mere tum^er-light, without the
s«mmer-heat of love to God — and love to
man; and blundering efforts — to do our
duty — are poor apologies for virtuous ener-
gies, well directed and efficiently applied :
the three alone — can constitute us true chris-
tians ; i. e. our will, understanding and life,
must be brought into harmonious and effi-
cient unity, in order that we may be entitled
to this high and holy appellation. Things
must not only be thought of, and desired,
purposed, and intended, ; but they must be
done, from love to the Lord ; that He, as a
principle of goodness, and a principle of
truth — may be flowing, constantly, from
the centre — to the circumference of actions .
we must practice what we Jc?iow of the truth;
we must live the life of our heavenly Fa-
ther's commandmeni s ; so as to have htit
goodness and truth implanted in us, 'nat wp
may strive to w;aZ/i,^efp.re Kitr>, and become
perfect.
Varieties. 1. A ccnmn apothecary — hag
over his door, this slg7i — " All kinds of dy-
ing stuff sold here." 2. Does v:eaUh — exert
more influence than knowledge^ 3. A
pretty shepherd , indeed, a utoZ/ would make!
4. Ax some X-dvexn?,— madness — is sold by
the glass ; ilt others, by the bottle. 5. So-
hriely, without sullcjiness, and mirth witA
modesty, are commendable. 6. Even an or-
dinary composition, well delivered, is b'ltier
received, and of course does more a W,
than a superior one, badly delivered. 7,
Where order — cannot enter, it cannot exist.
What is beauty ? Not the show
Of shapely limbs, a.nd features. No :
These— are hutjlowers.
That have their dated hours,
To breathe their momentary sweets, then ^of
♦Tis the stainless soul— within —
That outshines— the /aires* skin.
.Appearances — deceive ;
And this one maxim — is a standing rttlej--
Men are not— what they wem.
54
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
14:a. Many persons take great pains in
tlieir dress, to appear well and receive atten-
lion ,' and so far as personal appearance can
exert an influence, they attain their end : but
if tliey would cultivate their language, and
the proper way of using it, so as not to de-
form themselves in reading and conversation,
they might accomplish the object at which
they aim.
143. Tlie second sound of R, is rougli,
irIUed, or bxirredj when it \\L^
comes before vowel sounds in / (* \
the same syllable : RAIL ROAD ; '^^^^
the rc/a-ring rep-ro-bate re-ver- ^ ^ — ^
be-rates his ran-cor-ous ri6-ald- [R in rail.]
ry and re-treats from his re-gal throne, to liis
ri-val rec-re-a-tion in the rook-e-ry : the op-
pro-bri-ous li-6ra-ri-an, rec-re-ant-ly threw
the great gridri-ron among the crock-e-ry with
ir-Te-proach-a.-ble ef-front-e-ry ; the re-sults
of which were, ro-man-tic dreams, bro-ken
ribs, and a hun-dred prime cit-rons for the
throng of cn/-ing chil-dren: round and round
the nig-ged rock the rag-ged ras-cal drags the
strong rhi-noc-e-ros, while a rat in a ra^-trap
ran through the rain on a rail, with a raw
lump of red liv-er in its mouth.
144. Written language — is used for com-
municating information respecting persons
distant from each other, and for transmitting,
to succeeding ages, knowledge, that might
otherwise be lost, or handed down by erring
tradition. Spoken language — is used to con-
vey the thoughts and feelings of those who
are present, and are speaking, or conversing
together: the former is, of course, addressed
to our eyes, and the latter, to our ears ; each
kind having its own particular alphabet,
which must be mastered.
Notes. 1. This vocal trilled diphthongal sound, consists
iC the aspirate sound of h, modified between the end of the tongue
md the roof of the mouth, combined with a vocal. 2. Or, make
the nami sound of r, and mix it with the arpirate, by clapping
t!ie tongue against the roof of the mouth ; psactice prolonging her"
or purr in a whisper, trilling the r, then add the voice sound ; af-
terwards prefix the i, and exercise as above. 3. Demosthenei, in
the early part of liis career, was reproached for not being able to
pronounce, correctly, the first letter of his favorite ^t— Rhetoric :
i. e. he could not trill it for some time. 4. Give only one trill or
clap of the tongue, uniest the sentiment be very animating; as—
Rise— brothers, rise! etc. «' Strike! tUl the lajt armed foe ex-
pjres."
145. Another. The riven rocks are
rudely rent asunder, and the rifted trees
rush along the river, while hoa-ry 6o-re-as
rends the robes of spring, and rat-tling thun-
der roars around the rock-y re-gioiis : Robert
Rowley rolled a round roll round ; a round
roll, Robert Rowley rolled round ; where roll-
ed the round roll, Robert Rowley rolled
round'!
Didst ever see
Two gentle vines, eacA— round the other twined,
Bo fondly, closfly, that they had become,
Ere their growth, blended trgether
bio one sinffU tree ?
Proverbs. L He, who resc/ves to amend,
has God on his side. 2. Honest men are soon
bound ; but you can never bind a knave. 3. If
the best man's faults were written on his fore-
head, it would make him pull his hat over his
eyes. 4. Life is haK spent, before we knew what
it is. 5. Of the two evils, choose the least. 6.
One bad example spoils many ^ood precepts. 7.
Patience — is a plaster for all sores. 8. He who
serves well — need not be afraid to ask his ra^£*.
9. If you will not hear reason, slie will rap yo\»
over your knuckles. 10. Prayer — should :)e the
key of the daij, and the lock of the rJg'ru. 11.
Foul water will quench fire. 12. Ficm ncithiug
— nothing can come.
Anecdote. Spinster. Formerly, it was
a maxim, that a young woman should never
be married, till she had spun, hferself, a full
set oi linen. Hence, all unmarried women
have been called spinsters : an appellation
they still retain in certain deeds, and lav)
proceedings ; though many are not entitled
to it.
Matliematics — includes the study of
numbers and magnitudes : hence, it is called
the science of gravity ; and is applicable to
all quantities, that can be measured — by a
standard unit, and thus expressed by num-
bers and magnitude. Feeling and thought,
though they vary immensely, cannot be
measured : we cannot say, with strict pro-
priety, that we love one — exactly twice aa
much as another ,- nor, that one — is three
times as wise as another : because love and
wisdom are not mathematical quantities:
but we can measure time by seconds, inin- .
utes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, and
centuries; space hy inches, feet, yards, rods,
and miles ; and motion, by the space passed
over in a given time.
Varieties. 1. Was the world created
out oi notJiing ? 2. Fools — draw false con
elusions, from just principles : and mad
rnen draw just conclusio7is, from false prin
ciples. 3. The discovery of what is true,
and the practice of what is good, are the two
most important objects of life. 4. Associa
tions — between persons of opposite tempera
ments, can neither be durable, nor produc.
five of real pleasure to either party. 5.
Where grace cannot enter, sin increase?
and abounds. 6. The spontaneous gifts of
heaven, are of high value ; but •perseverance
— gains the prize. 7. When the will — be-
comes duly resigned to God, in small things,
as well as great ones, all the affections will
be reduced into their proper state, in their
proper season.
The wretch, condemn'd with life to pan,
Still, still on hope relies,
And every pang, that rends his hearty
Bide nxpectation rise.
Hope, like the glimmering taper^g light,
.Adorns — and cheers his way,
And still, as darker grows the nigkt.
Emits a brighter ray.
PRINCIPLESi OP ELOCUTION.
55
1 46. Keep a watchful and jealous eye
over common opinions^ prejudices and bad
school instruction, until the influence of rea-
son, nature and truth, is so far established
over the ear and taste, as to obviate the dan-
ger of adopting ox following, unquestionable
errors, and vicious habits of reading and
speaking: extended views, a narrow mind
extend. To judge righteously of all things,
preserve the mind in a state of perfect equi-
Hbrium, and let a love of truth and goodne&s
govern all its decisions and actions.
14:7. MV, lias but one consonant
eoiuid, and one voivel sound;
WOO ; a wan-ton wag, with wo-
ful words, bc-wail-ed the well (t
wish-er of the wig-wam ; the
dwarf dwells in the wea-ry west, [W in woo,
where wom-en weave well the warp of hfe,
and tom-ter winds wan-dcr in the wild
swamps, tliat wail and weep : the lya-ter-
witch, al-ways war-worn in the wax-woxks,
war-hies her watch-word to the iveathrer-
wise, and re-iuards the wick-Qd with weep-
ing, wail-'mg and w;orm-wood.
148. By separating these elements of lan-
guage, and practicing on them, each by itself,
the exact position and cffo7't of the vocal or-
gans, may be distinctly observed ; and in this
way, the true means of increasing and im-
proving the force and quality of every one
ascertained. Be not discouraged at the ap-
parent mechanical, artificial and constrained
modes of giving the sounds, and pronoun-
cing the words : acquire accuracy, and ease
and gracefulness will inevitably follow.
149. Irregulars, U has this sound in
certain words: the rm-guish of the aw-ti-qua-
ry is as-sua-ged with lan-guid man-sue-tude,
for the con-quest over hi-s dis-tin-guish-ed
per-5'?ia-sion : the guide d\s-guirses his as-
sue-tude of per-,swa-ding the dis-5wa-der.
Notes. 1, To produce this sound, shape the mouth and lips
aafor whistling, and make a voice sou«d ; or, pronounce the word
do, and when the o is about to vanish, commence this vocal conso-
nant, thus, do was. 2. When w is initial, t. e. begins a word or
syllable, it is a consonant ; but when it ends one, it is equivalent to
ad 0 in ooze ; new, how, now, pow-er, etc. 3. In sttiord, two, an.
stoer, it is silent : w also before r, lorap, lorack, lureath, lorist,
wrong, etc. bloio, iwho, knouHedee, lohom, lohose, lohole, lohoop,
eic. 4. Practice changes onto and D, as found under 2d /. 6. He
who a watch would wear, two things must do, pocket his watch,
and watch his pocket too.
Anecdote. A Scold. Foote, a celebrated
comic actor, being scolded by a woman, said,
in reply, " I have heard of tartar — and
brimstone ; — you are the cream of the one,
and the flowek of the other.'"
" Ask for what en(i— the heavenly bodies shine ?
Earth— ior whose ust F—Man answers, 'Tis for mine;
For mc — kind nature wakes her genial ptnoer,
Suckles each /leri, and spreads out every flovoar;
Annual for me— the grape, the rose renew
The JMtVe nectareous, and the balmy dew :
Tot me — health — gushes from a thousand springs;
For me — the mme— a thousand treasure.! brings,
Seas roll — to vtaft me, tuns — to light me rise,
lily footttool— earth, my canopy— the skxcs."
\
Proverbs. 1. It is easier .o praise povrerty,
than to bear it. 2. Prevention — is better than
cure. 3. Learn wisdom by the follies of othen.
4. Knowledge, without practice, makes but half
an artist. 5. When you want any thing, always
ask the price of it. 6. To cure idleness, count the
tickings of a clock. 7. It costs more to revenge
injuries, than to endure them. 8. Conceited men
think nothing can be done without them. 9. He,
that kills a man, when he is drunk, must be Awng
when he is sober. 10. An idle man's head, is the
devil's jcork-shop. II. God makes, and apfarcl
shapes. 12. Good watch prevents harm.
Tlie Difference. Two teachers apply
for a school ; one — is ignorant, but ofl'ers to
teach for twelve dollars a month ; the other
— is well qualified for the station, and asks
twenty five dollars a monih. The fathers —
weigh the souls of their children against
mo7iey, and the twelve dollar teacher is em-
ployed. A man in search of work asks a
farmer, if he does not want tc hire a hand ?
'* If I can find one to suit me," — the farmer
replies : and then he puts a variety of ques-
tions to him; such as, — "Can you mowl
reap? chop? cradle? hoe? dress flax? Sec.''
Soon after, another stranger calls, and asks
whether they wish to hire a teaclier in their
district ? But the prmci/)aZ question in thi?
case, is — "How much do you ash ii month?''''
Now, just observe the difference — in the
catechising of the two applicants. Again,
the fathei — will superintend the hired man,
and have things so arranged — as not to lose
a moment's time, — and see that nothing
goes to waste ; but the same watchful parent
— will employ a teacher, and put him into
the school, and never go near him.
Varieties. 1. If a man begin a fool, he
is not obliged to persevere. 2. Ought cir-
cumstantial evidence to be admitted in cri-
minal cases ? 3. Suspicion — is always worse
than fact. 4. No duty, imposed by 7ieces-
sity, shovJd be considered ^burthen. 5. To
act from order, is to act from heaven. 6.
Truth, however little, does the mind good.
7. True love always gives forth Irtie light ,
false light agrees not with the trutli, but
lightly esteems it ; and also, seems to itself,
to be better than truth.
Oreat were the hearts, and strong the mind&,
Of those, who framed, in high debate,
The immortal league o{ love, that binds
Our /air, broad Empire, State with State
And deep the gladness of the hour,
When, as the auspicious task was done,
In solemn trust, the sword of power.
Was giv'n to gloriff unspo I'd son.
That noble race is gone ; the suns
Of fifty years — have risen, ^nd set ;
But the bright links, those chosen ones
So strongly /or-o-ed, are brighter yet.
Wide— as our own free race increase-
Wide shall extend the elastic chain
And bind, in everlasting peace.
State after State, a mighty train.
56
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCU flON.
150. Two grand objects are to be accom-
plished by these lessons and exercises: the
acquiring a knowledge of tlie voiuel and con-
807iant sounds, and a facility in pronoun-
cing them ; by means of which, the voice is
partially broken, and rendered Jiexible, as
well as controllable, and the obstacles to a
clear and distinct articulation removed : there-
fore, practice much, and dwell on every ele-
mentary sound, taking the letters separately,
aud then combining them into syllables,
words and sentences.
191. Two of tlie three sounds of X:
first, name sound; or ks, when ^, .
at the end of accented syllables, / TUT
and often when it precedes them ; i' C-^^^ i
if followed by an abrupt conso- ^' ^zr-^'^'
nant AXE: the cox-comb ex- [XinAXE.i
ye-ri-en-ces the lux-u-ry of ex-pa-ti-a-ting on
the ex'plo-sion of his ex-ccs-sive ex-al-to-tion
of the bux-om fair sex ; being ana;-ious to
ex-plain the or-tho-dox-y and Ae^-o-dox-y of
Ex-ffg^o-nus, the ex-po5-i-ter ex-po-ses the
ex-ploU, of ex-pec/-ing to ex-plain how to
ex-crete ex-cel-lent texts by ex-cru-ci-a-ting
the wax of the ex-cheq-ner.
153. A good articulation — consists in giv-
ing to every letter in a syllable, its due propor-
tion of sound, according to the best pronun-
ciation,- and, in making such a distinction
between the syllables, of which words are
composed, as that the ear, without difficulty,
shall acknowledge their number, and per-
ceive, at once, to which syllable each letter
belongs. When these things are not observed,
the articulation is in that proportion, defec-
tive: the ^reaX object is— to articulate so well,
that the Jiearer can perfectly understand
what is read or spoken, without being obliged
to have recourse to a painful attention. A
good articulation is the foundation of good
delivery: as the sounding of the musical
notes with exactness, is the foundation of
good singing.
153. Play upon Xes. Charles X. x-king
of France, was xtravagantly xtoUed, but is
xceedingly xecrated. He xperienced xtra-
ordinary xcellence in xigencies ; he wasxcel-
lent in xtemals,but xtrinsic inxtacy ; he was
xtatic in xpression, xtreme in xcitement, and
xtraordinary in xtempore xpression. He was
xpatriated for his xcesses, and, to xpiate his
xtravagance, was xcluded, and xpired in
xpulsion.
Notes. 1. To produce this diphthongal a^irate sound,
whisper the word kus, and then repeat it, aid leave oat the j ; k'ss :
one of the most unpleasant sounds in our language. 2. Since the
word diph'hong merely signifies a double iound, there is no impro-
priety in calling double consmmnts, diphthongs, as we do certain
voweU. S. All critical skill ^n the sound of language, has its foun.
dation in the practical Knowledge of the nature and properties of
ttie«e elements : remember this and apply yourself accordingly.
C In all rases, get the pro(>ef sounds of letters, as given in the
irj-worda, or first examples.
To err— ia human , to forgive— dlviTie.
Proverbs. . If letter weie within, tsttei
would come out. 2. Jests,, like sweetmeatt , Iiave
often sour sauce. 3. Keep aloof from qunrrels;
be neither a witness, nor a party. 4. Least said.
the soonest mended. 5 Little boats should keep
near shore ; greater ones may venture iiiore. 6.
Some — are more nice than wise. 7. Make a wrong
step, and down you go. 8. We all live and learn.
9. Riches, (like manure,) do no good, till they ar^
spread. 19. Silks and satins often put out the
kitchen^re. 11. Some — would go to the devil, if
they had authority for it. 12. Love virtue, uid
abhor vice. 13. Good counsel ftas no pru.e.
Anecdote. Matrimony. A /aiAer, wish-
ing to dissuade his daughter from all thoughts
of irmirimony, quoted the words : "She who
marries, doeth well ; but she who marries
not, diOeXh. better.'^ The daughter, meekly
replied, " Father, /am content to do well;
let those do better, who cara."
Boundaries of jKnovi'ledgfe. Human
reason — very properly refuses to give its
assent to any thing, but in proportion as it
sees how that thing is, or is done. Now,
there are three directions — in natural science,
which are attended with their difficulties.
The astronomer — sees — and feels a diffi-
culty— in getting from the solar system — lo
the universe ; the chemist, in proceeding
iroro matter — io its mysterious essence;
and the physiologist, in advancing from the
body — to the soul ; three kingdoms of hnow'
ledge — bordering on kingdoms — unknown to
natural science. Without reason, man could
never become elevated above his senses, and,
consequently, could not become a ratiofial
and intellectual being, and, of course, not
MAN, in the true sense of the term. But
our minds are so constituted, that after hav-
ing traversed the material creation, anc
perceived, scientifically, the very hnnndaries
of matter, where it is adjoined hy spirit, it
can elevate itself, by a power, constantly
given by God, to the loiver boundaries of
spirit, where it touches upon matter, and
then, by its derived powers, ascend step by
step, to the great I Am; whom to Awow
aright, and whom to love supremely, is the
chief good of man.
Varletiss. 1. When man sins, angels
WEEP, and devils rejoice. 2. True polite-
ness, springs from the heart. 3. What is
that, which makes every body sick, except
those who swaZZoii; it ? Flattery. 4. Science
has no enemy, but ignorance. 5. Be not too
brief in conversation, lest you be not under-
stood ; nor too diffuse, lest you be trouble-
some. 6. Simplicity, and modesty, are
among the most engaging qualities or every
superior mind. 7. We five in two worlds
a natural and a spiritual one.
1 would never kneel at a gilde*' i}tr\m.
To worship the \Ao\—gold;
I would never fetter this heart ol mine.
As a thing— for /or/u?i« sold :
But I'd bow— to the light th' ' God hath given.
The nohUr 1 ight— of mind ;
The only light, save that of Heaven,
That should free-wiil Iwmage find.
I
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUl.ON.
57
15*. Reading — should be a perfect fac-
Bimile of correct speaking ,• and both exact
copies of real life : hence, read just as you
would naturally speak on the same subject,
and under similar circumstances : so, that if
any one should fiear you, without seeing you,
he could not tell whether you were reading
or speaking. Remember that nothing is de-
nied to industry and perseverance ,■ and that
nothmg valuable can be obtained without
them.
155. Tlie second sound of X is tliat
of gz ; generally, when it imme- ^ <>*^
diately precedes the accent, and / .-~li-N^ \
IS followed by a vowel sound, or ( C^3Tj!j^'
the letter h, in words of two or \^ — //
more syllables ; EXIST; the ex- [X in exist.]
h'tr-ter is ex-haust-ed by his ex-w-ber-ant ex-
or-di-um, and desires to be ex-on-er-a-ted
from ex-aw-in-ing the ux-o-ri-ous ex-ec-u-
tive; an ex -act ex-a/n-in-a-tion into the ex-ag-
ger-a-tions of the aux-iZ-li-a-ries ex-Ai&-its a
lui-tt-ri-ant ex-ile, who ex-is^-ed an ex-oMc
in ea;-em-pla-ry ex-al-to-tion.
156. The letters o, and e, in to and /Ae,are
long, before vowels, but abbreviated before
fonsonants, ( unless emphatic, ) to prevent
a hiatus. Th' man took the instrument and
began t' play th' tune, when th' guests were
ready to eat. I have written to Obadiah t'
send me some of th' wheat, that was brought
in th' ship Omar, and which grew on th' land
belonging t' th' family of the Ashlands. Are
you going from town! No I am going to
town. Th' vessel is insured to, at and from
London,
Notes. I, To make this diphthongal vocal sound, close the
teeth as if to give the sound of C, and then bring into contact the
posteriors, or the roots of the tongue, and back parts of the throat,
and pronounce the imaginary word guz, several times ; then omit
the ti, and pronounce the g, 2, by themselves : g—z. 2, For the 3d
sound of X, see the third sound of C. 3. These elemental sounds
vras the favorite study among the ancients, of the greatest ability.
157. Sight Reading. To become a good
reader, and a reader at sight, one must al-
ways let the eyes precede tJie voice a number
of words ; so that the mind shall have time,
clearly, and distinctly, to conceive the ideas to
he communicated { and also /ee/ their influ-
ence: this will give full play to the thoughts,
as well as impart power from the affectuous
part of the mind, to the body, for producing
the action, anrl co-operation, of tlie right
muscles and organs to manufacture the
sounds and words. In walking, it is always
best to see where we are about to step ; it is
equally so in reading, when the voice walks.
Indeed, by practice, a person will be able to
take in a line or two, in anticipation of the
vocal effort: always look before you leap.
The hiffh, the mountain-maieety^oi' worth —
Skovld be, and shall, survive its woe ;
And, from its immortality,— \oo\i forth—
In the sun's face, — like yonder Alpint snow^
Jmperiahably pure— beyond all things belovv
8
Proverbs. 1. If you rt'ould lend a man
money, and make him jour :nemy,askhim for :i
again. 2. lie that goes a borrowing; goes a sor-
roicivn-. 3. The t'riTioceni'— often suffer through
the indolence and neffligence of others. 4. Two Oi
a trade seldom agree. 5. When the Lord revives
his work, the Devil revives hie. 6. He that
swells in prosperity, will shrink in adversity. 7.
It is human to err ; but diabolical to persevere in
error. 8. For a cure of ambition, go in the church'
yard, and read the gravestones. 9. Better get in
the right path lute, than never. 10. A real friend
— is discerned in a trying case. 11. Every one
can acquire a right characUr. 12. Two wrongs--
don't make a right.
Anecdote. Zeno — was told, that it waa
disreputable for a philosopher to be in love.
"If that were true,'" said the wise man,
" the fair sex are indeed to be pitied; for
they would then receive the attention of
fools alone.''''
Mental Violence. Everything which
tends to discompose or agitate the mind,
whether it be excessive sorrow, rage or fear,
envy, or revenge, love or despair — in short,
whatever acts violently on our mental facul-
ties— tends to injure the health.
Varieties. 1. Washi7iaton — was bcrn
Feb. 22d, 1732, and died Dec. 14th, 1799 ;
how old was he ? 2. We cannot Zot^e those,
whom we do not respect. 3. Order—is the
same in the world, in man, and in the
church ; and man is an epitome of all the
principles of order. 4. In factions, the most
¥norant are always the most violent. 5.
he good man has God in his heart, when
he is not in his mouth : but the hypocrite—
has God in his mouth, without having him
in his heart. 6. It is some hope of good-
ness, not to grow worse ; but it is a part of
badness, not to grow better. 7. Why should
we seek — that love, that cannot profit us, or
fear — that malice, that cannot hurt us ?
ivARREN'S ADDRESS AT THE BUNKER HILL BATT.'.£
Stand ! the ground's your own, my bravte
Will ye give it up to slaves ?
Will ye look for greener graves ?
Hope ye wercy still ?
What's the mercy despots feel I
Hear it— in that battle peal :
Read it — on yon bristling steel I
Ask it — ye who will.
Fear ye foes who kill for hire ?
Will ye to your homes retire 1
Look behind you ! they're afire I
And before you, see
Who have done it !— From the vdti—
On they come .'—and will ye quail 7
Leaden rain and iron hail
Let their welcome be !
. n the God of battles trust !
Die we may — and die we mutt : —
But, O ' where — can dust— to dust
Be consigned so well,
As where heaven — its dews shall shed
On the martyr'd patriot's bed.
And the rocks shall raise their head.
Of his deeds to tell J [piERPOJJl.
58
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
158. An accurate knowledge of these ele-
mentary sounds, which constitute our vocal
Alphabet, and the exact co-operation of the
appropriate organs to give them truly, are
essential to the attainment of a good and ef-
ficient elocution. Therefore, be resolved to
understand them thoroughly/ and, in your
various efforts to accomplish this important
object, give preciswi and full force to every
sound, and prsictice faithfully, and often, the
difficult and rapid changes of the vocal pow-
ers, required by the enunciation of a quick
succession of the muscle-'bTeakers.
159. Tlie sound of Y, ^vlieii a conso-
nant ; VE t the year-ling young-
ster, yelled for the yel-low yolk,
i'es-ter-night, and yearn-ed in the
yard o-ver the year-book till he
yex'd: the yoke yields to your [VinYE.]
year-ling, wliich yearns for the yar-xow in
the yawls ; you yerk'd your yeast from the
yavm-\xiz yeo-maxi t/cs-ter-day, and yet your-
belf, of yore, yea, tho' young, yearn-ed o-ver
the yes-ty yawn : Mr. Yew, did you say, or
fiid you not say, what I said you said 1 be-
cause Mr. Yewyaw said you never said what
I said you said : now, if you say that, you
did not say, what I said you said, then pray
what did you say 1
160. The first step to impirsvement is, to
awaken the desire of improvernMnt : whatev-
er interests the hea7't, and excites the imagi-
nation, will do this. The second is a clear
and distinct classification of the principles,
on which an art is hosed, and an exact ex-
pressio7i of them, in accordance with this
classification ; indeed, all the arts and scien-
ces should be seen in definite delineations,
thro' a language which cannot well be mis-
understood.
161. Irregiaars. E, I, J, and U, occa-
sionally have this sound ; £M-rope aZ-ien-ates
the con-spic-n-ous cult-ure of her na-iads,
and, like a d\s-guised a-eat-ure, eti-lo-gi-ses
her^a-nior co;ir/-iers for their bril-lmnt gen-
ius: the virt-n-ons christ-ian sold-ier, in spi)'-
it-u-al un-ion with the mill-ions of Nat-ure,
shouts with eu-cha-ris-tic grand-enr, eu-pho-
Tii-ous hal-le-lu-jahs, which are fa-miZ-iar-ly
read, throughout the vol-ume of the U-ni-
vt'Tse.
Notes. To give this voc»J sottnd, nearly close the teeth,
viU. the lips turned out as in making long e, (see engraving,) and
d.-awlingly pronounce the word yet, protracting the sound of the
y tbua, y et ; y on. 2. For the two other sounds of y, see
the two sounds of t ; rhyme, hymn ; isle, ile. 3. Fis a consonant at
ttie beginning of t word or syllable, except in y-clad, (e,-dad,) j-
KUft, {e-clqpt) 'yt-ri-a, (t/-ri-a,) Yp-si-tan-ti, (Ip-si-taii-ti,) the name
oiatrwnin Michigan. 4. In prod-uce, u has its nawie sound ;
-j'.A .n col-utne, if has this cun-so-nant sound of y preceding it;
111 the^Srrt, it is preceded by an abrupt element : in the second, by
isjqjcn one.
If I could find some eave unknown.
Where human feet have never trod.
Even there — I could not be alone.
On every side— there would be Chd
Proverbs. \. Tha shorter answer— is dointi
the thing. 2. You cannot quench fire with tew.
Z. There is no general rule without exceptions.
4. Happiness — is not in a csttage, nor in a palace,
nor in riches, nor in poverty, nor in learning, nor
in iffnorance, nor in active, nor in passive life ;
but in doing right, from right motives. 5. Good
intention — is not reftrmation. 6. It is seM-conceit,
that makes a man obstinate. 7. To cure a fit of
passion, walk out in the open air. 8. Idle men
are dead, all their lives long. 9. If you would
know the value of money, earn it. 10. Hearts
may agree, tho' heads — differ. 11. Beware of
jlirting and coquetry. 12. There is no place like
home. 13. He that is warm, thinks others bo.
Anecdote. A Vain Mother. As a lady
— was viewing herself in a looki7ig-g\ass,
she said to her daughter : " What would
you give — to be as fiandsome as 1 am?"
" Just as much, (replied the daughter,) as
you would, to be as young as / am."
The Poor. How few, even of professing
christians, are aware of the pleasure, arising
from contributing to the support of the poor .'
Is it not more blessed to give — than to re-
ceive ? But there are alms for the mind — as
well as for the body. If we duly considered
our relations, and our destinies, instead of
giving grudgingly, or wanting to be called
upon, we should go out in search of the de:5-
titute and ignorant, and feel that we were per-
forming the most acceptable service to God,
while sharing the gifts of his providence with
our /eZ/o'io-beings, who are as precious in his
sight — as we fancy ourselves to be: for he
does not regard any from their external situ-
ation, but altogetlier from their internal state.
Varieties. 1. American independence— ^
was acknowledged by Great Britai?i, Jan.
19, 1783 ; and the treaty of Ghejit signed,
Dec. 24, 1814. 2. Never do an act, oi'
which you doubt the justice. 3. Nothing
can be a real blessing, or curse, to the soul,
that is not made its own by appropriation.
4. Let every man be the champion of right.
5. How sharper — than a serpenVs tooth it is
to have a thanhless child. 6. All science has
its foundation in experience. 7. Happy are
the miseries that end in joy; and blessed are
ih.e joys, that have no end.
Ay, I have planned full many a sanguine scheme
Of £ar(AZi/ happiness; * * *
And it is hard
To feel the hand of cfeat/t— arrest one's steps,
Throw a chWXhlight — on aW one's budding hopes
And hurl one's soul, untimely, to the shades.
Lost in the gaping ^-mZ/ of blank oblivion.
—Fifty years hence, and who will think of Henryl
Oh, none!— another busy brood of beings
Will shoot up in the interim, and none
Will hold him in remembrance. —
/ehall sink.
As sinks a stranger — in the crowded streets
Of busy London : — some short bustle's caused,
A few inquiries, and the crowd close iu.
And all's forgotten. [h. k. whitb.
PRINCIPLES OF' ELOCUTION.
5d
183. Many consider elocution merely as an
accomplishment and that a tlesiiltwy, in-
stead of a systa.iatic attention, is all that is
necessary. A regular, scientific and progres-
nve course, in this as well as every thing else,
is the only correct, effectual, and rapid mode
of proceeding, ^improvement be the object,
whether we devote little, or much attention,
to a pursuit, be it mental or manual, system
and method are absolutely essential : order —
is heaven's^rs/, and last law.
163. One of tlie tlxree sounds of Cli ;
"Which may be represented by tch : ,
CHANGE ; the cheat choked a /^ \
child for cAoos-ing to chop a chump (i^^^^^
of chives for the arch-deacon of ^^■^''"zz '
Greew-wich: a chap chased a [CH in chip.]
chick-en into the church, and the churl-ish
chap-\a,m check'd it for c^ar-i-ty; the Sa-
chem of TFooZ- wich, chuck-led over the icr-
chin's chit-cha.i, and snatched his rich peach-
es, and pinch'd tliem to chow-der ; the chief
of iVor-wich, charm'd by the chaunt-lng of
the c^irp-ing chough, chafed his c/^^ly chin
by touch-ing it on the chal-ky chim-ney:
three chub-hy chil-dren, in Richfield, were
each choked with choice chunks of cheese,
much of which Sancho Panza purchased of
Charles Chickering on Chimborazo.
164:. In all cases of producing sounds, ob-
serve the different positions of the organs,
and remember, that the running through with
the forty-four sounds of our language, is
like running up the keys of an instrument,
to see if all is right : be satisfied with nothing,
short of a complete mastery over the whole
subject. Be very particular in converting all
the breath that escapes into sound, when rea-
ding or singing; and remember, that the
purer the sound, the easier it may be made ;
the less will be the injury to the vocal organs,
the farther it will be heard, and with the
more pleasure will it be listened to. Do not
forget the end, the cause, and the effect.
Notes. 1. To produce this most unpleasant triphthongal
sound in our language, close the teeth, and, as you suddenly separ-
ate them, whisper cftij, (m short,) and you will accomplish the ob-
ject. 2. In drac/im, the ch, are siient. 3. Always try to improve
'he sounds^as well as your voice. 4. QuinctXian says, in reioic-
iiieiiding a close attention to the study of fne simple elements,
" whoever will enter into the inmost recesses of this sacred edifice,
will find many things, not only proper to sharpen the ingenuity of
children, but able to exercise the most profound erudition, and the
deepest science :"' indeed, they are the fountains m the Bcience of
louud and vocal modulation.
Anecdote. Principal — Interest. A
debtor, when asked to pay hia creditor, ob-
served to him : that " it was not his interest
to pay the principal, nor his principle to pay
the interest.'''' What do you thi7ik of such
a man?
Unhappy he, who lets a tender heart.
Bound to him— by the ties of earliest love,
Pali from him, by his own neglect, and die.
Because it met no kindna^s.
Proverbs. 1. IJumility — ga n^ more ihan
prike. 2. ^ever he weary in well-dna^. 3. £x.
pect nothing of those who promise a great deal.
4. Orieving for misfortunes, is adding gall to
mormwood. 5. He, who would catch fish, must
not mind getting wet. 6 He that by the plo7n
would thrive, must either hold, himself, or drive.
7. Idleness — is the greatest prodigality in tho
world. 8. If the counsel be good, no matter wh ■
gave it. 9. Occupation — cures one half of 'ife's
troubles, and mitigates the other. 10. We boa?
710 afflictions so patiently as those of ( thers. 1 1.
Let JVaturi have her perfect work. 12. Soft
hands, and soft brains, generally go logether.
To speak of Howard, the philanthropist,
without calling to mind the eloquent eulo-
gium, in which Burke has embalmed his
memory, would be as impossible — asit would
be to read that eulogium without owning that
human virtue never received a more illus-
trious manifestation. " Jf:Z^oioarcif," said the
orator, " was a man, who traversed foreign
countries, not to survey the sumptuousness
o[ palaces, or the stateliness oi temples ; not
to make accurate measurements of the re-
mains of ancient grandeur, nor to form a
scale of the curiosity of modern art ; not to
collect medals, or manuscripts ; but, to dive
into the depths of dimgeo?is ; to plunge in
the infection of hospitals ; to survey the
mansions of sorrow and pain ; to take the
guage and dimensions o{ misery, depression,
and C071 tempt ; to remember the forsaken ;
and to compare and collate the distresses of
all men, under all climes." In the prose-
cution of this god-\\ke work, Howard made
" a voyage oi discovery, a circumnavigation
of charity,'''' and at last — ^fell a victim to hia
humanity; for, in administering medicine to
some poor wretches in the hospital at Cher-
son, in the Crimea, he caught a malignant
fever, and died in the glorious work of bene
valence. Thus fell the man who —
" Girding crcatwi— in one warm embrace,
Outstretch'd his savior-arm — from pole to pole,
And felt akin — to all the human race.^'
Varieties. 1. To promote an iniworthy
person — disgraces humaiiity. 2. Read not
6oo/rs alone, but me7i ; and, especially, thy-
self 3. The human mind is a mirror — ot
the incomprehensible Divinity. 4. No one
need despair of being happy. 5. The rea^
son, that many persons want their desires,
is — because tneir desires want reason. 6.
Passions — act as xvind, to propel our vessel ;
and our reason — is the pilot that steers her:
without the wind, we could not move, and
without the pilot, we should be lost. 7.
The more genuine — the truths are, wnich
we receive, the purer will be the good, that
is found in the life ; if the truths are applied
to their real and proper uses.
What, then, remains, but well our power to use,
And keep good humor stilt, xoliate'cr we loce ?
And trust me, dear, good humor can prevail,
When airs, zui flights, and screams, and tcolding—teU.
Beauties— ,n vain, their pretty eyes may roll ;
Charmt strike the fijW but mmJ— Tins tHe roul.
60
PRINCIPLES 0/ ELOCUTION.
165. Vowel sounds are all formed in the
LARYNX ; and, on their emission, the articu-
lating organs modify them into words.
These words constitute language, which is
used, by common consent, as signs of ideas ;
or as mediums for the manifestation of
thought and feelinz : it may be written, or
spoken ,- and the natural results are— books,
fapers and lonversation : by means of which,
the conceptions and affections of human
minds are made known and perpetuated.
166. Tli liave two soiuids ; first a lisp-
ing sound; THIN: a thief /Airs/-
e<.h for the path of death, and /
u,'m-keth at his thank-less thefts ■ '
as the a-the-ist doth of the-o-?-e/-
i-cal truth ; forth-with the thrift- [Th in thin.]
less throng, tlirew tliongs over the mouth of
Vrith of Fourth, and tliwar-ted the wrath of
the thril-ling thun-der; faith, quoth the
youth, to the Pro-/Aon-o-ta-ry, the bath is my
berth, the hearth is my cloth, and the heath
is my throne.
16T. Ventriloquism. In analyzing the
sounds of our letters, and practicing them
upon different pitches, and with different
qualities of voice, the Author ascertained that
this amusing art can be acquired and prac-
ticed, by almost any one of common organi-
zation. It has been generally supposed that
ventriloquists possessed a different set of or-
gans from most people ; or, at least, that they
■were differently constituted ; but this is alto-
gether a misapprehension : as well might we
say that the singer is differently constituted
from one who does not sing. They have the
same organs, but one has better command of
them than the other. It is not asserted that
all can become eguaZZ?/ eminent in these arts;
for there will be at least, three grand divis-
ions; viz, good, BETTER and BEST.
168. The Thistle Sifter. Theophilus This-
tle, the siiccesfful thistle sifter, in sifting a
sieve full of unsifted thistles, thrust three
thousand thistles thro' the thick of his
thumb: if then Theophilus Thistle, the suc-
cessful thistle sifter, in sifting a sieve full of
unsifted thistles, thrust three thousand this-
tles thro' the thick of his thumb; see that
thou, in sifting a sieve full of unsifted this-
tles, dost not thrust three thousand thistles
tlirough the thick of thij thumb : success to
the successful thistle sifter, who doth not get
Hie thistles in his tongue.
Wotes. 1. To make this lisping diphthongal sound, press
the tongue against the upper front teeth, and let the breath pass
between them : or pronounce the word path, and dwell on the th
sound; see engraving. 2. To avoid lisping, draw the tongue back
lo Ki not to touch the teeth, and take words beginning with i, or it ;
toe the fii-st sound of C for examples. 3. Why should this sound be
ccUcd tharp, rather than didl? 4. Exactnes* in articulating every
Tocal letter, is more iciportant thai- correct spelling in ccroposi<
tfon; for the fonier it addressed to hundreds at the same instunt,
«rM'.e t*ie bittri « '.ubra.tted to one or a few zX a time.
Proverbs. I. Youih — it julges in hope old
age — in remembrance. 2. One half of the world
delights in utterina- slander, and the other — iQ
hearing it. 3. Virtue— \s the only true nobility.
4. To bless, is to be bless'd. 5. r easures — are
rendered bitter, by being abused. 6. Quarrels —
would not last long, if the faults all lay on one
side. 7. True merit— is dependent, neither on
season, nor on fashion. 8. Hypocrisy — is the
homage, which vice— renders to virtue. 'J. The
law — imposes on no one impossibilities. 10. Con-
tempt of injuries, is proof of a great mind. 11.
What ! hope for honey from a nest of zcasps ?
12. Shall we creep like snails, or fly like eagles ?
Anecdote. A stranger — went into a
church-yard, where two children were set-
ting out flowers on some graves. " Whose
graves are these?'' said he. "Father, mo-
ther, and little Jo/i?m// lie here." " Why do
you set Xhefowers here ?"said the stranger.
They looked at him with tears, and said —
" We do love them so.''"'
Human ambition and human poZ/cj^-— labor
after happiness in vain; — goodness — is the
only foundation to build on. The wisdom
of past ages — declares this truth ; — our own
observation confirms it; — and all the world
acknowledge it ;— yet how few, how very
few — are willing to act upon it ! If the in-
ordinate love of wealth — and parade — be not
checked among us, it will be tiie ruin of our
country— as it has been, and will be, the
ruin of thousands of others. But there are
always two sides to a question. If it is per-
nicious— to make money and style — the
standard of respectability, — it is injurious—
and' wrong — to foster prejudice against the
wealthy and fashionable. Poverty — and
wealth — have different temptations ; but they
are equally strong. The rich — are tempted
to pride — and insolence ; the poor — to jeal-
ousy— and envy. The envious and discon-
tented poor, invariably become haxighty-
and over-bearing, when they become rich ,
for selfishness — is equally at the bottom — of
these opposite evils.
' Varieties. 1. The battle of New Or
leans, was fought Jan, 8th, 1815. 2. A
flatterer, is the shadow of a fool. 3. You
cannot truly love, and ought not to be loved,
if you ask any thing, that virtue condemnf.
5. Do men exert a greater influence on so-
ciety than women ? 5. Self-exaltation, is the
worst posture of the spirit. 6. A principle
of unity, without a subject of unity, cannot
exist. 7. Where is the wisdom, in saying to
a child, be a man ? Attempt not what God
cannot cou?itenance; but wait., and all things
will be brought forth in their due season.
Deceit ! thy reign is short : Hypocrisy,
However gaily dress'd— in specious ga/b.
In witching eloquence, or winning smites.
Allures— b-jt fur a time: Truth— Viftt the vei.
She lights her torch, and places it on high.
To spread iittelligcnce—to all around.
How shrinks the fawning slave — hypoc>u,f
Then, when the specious veil— is rent in tuxitn,
Which scrtai'd the hideous monster— from ourm«W
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
61
169. Enunciation— is the utterance and
Cfltnbination of the elements of language, and
the consequent formation of syllables, words,
«fec, as contradistinguished from the tones,
and tuning of the voice, and all that belongs
to the melody of speech. A perfect enuncia-
tion— consists in the accurate formation of
the sounds of the letters, by right motions
and positions of the organs, accompanied by
a proper degree of energy, to impress those
elements fully and distinctly on the ear ; and
the act of combining and linldiig those to-
getlier, so as to form them into words, capa-
ble pf being again combined into clauses
and sentences, for the full conveyance of our
ideas and determinations.
170. The second, sound of tin, is tlie
vocal lisping: THAT; thotl-
saidst the truths are thine, and l^'^yr^
the youths say they are theirs (c^^i^
who walk therein ; fath-ex and I n^^E
moth-ex liathe dai-ly, and their
clothes and hearths are wor-thy f^H in that.]
of them ; broth-et says, where-with-al shall I
smoothe the scythe, to cut the laths to stop
the mouths of the moths with-out be-ing both-
ered ] they gath-er wreaths be-neath the baths,
and sheathe their swords with swath-ing
bands, rather than make a blith-some pother
171. Jaw-breakers. Thou wreath^d^st
and muzzPd^st the far-fetched ox, and im-
•prison^d^st liim in the volcanic Mexican
mountain of Pop-o-ca^-a-pe#l in Co-ti-por-i.
Thou prob^d^st my rack'd ribs. Thou tri-
fVd'st with his acts, that thou blackest and
contaminated'' st with his filch'd character.
Thou lov''d'st the elves when thou heard^st
and quick'* n'd'st my heart's tuneful harps.
Thou wagg^d'sl thy prop'd up head, because
thou thrusVd''st three hundred and thirty
three thistles thro' the thick of that thumb,
that thou cur'd'st of the barb'd shafts.
Notes. 1. To make this diphthongal vocal sound, place
the organs as in the jjreceding th, and then add the voice, sound,
wliich can be made only in the larynx. 2. The terms sliarp and
fiat, as applied to sound, are not sufficiently definite; we might as
vvelj sjieak of s<iuare, round and dull sounds ; at the same time it is
ofien eonvetrfent to use such terms, in order to convey our idea».
S. it you liave imperfections of articulation, set apart an hour eve-
ry day for practice, in direct reference to your specific defects ; and
eo of every other fault ; particularly, of rapid utterance : this can
Be done either alone, or in company of those who can assist you.
.Sky. mountains, rivers, winds, lakes, lightnings ! — Ye
With ni^ht, and clouds, and thunder, and a ioid
To make these /eZ/ a.nA feeling; the far roll
Of your departing uoicei— is the kntU
Of wh»t in me is sleepless— \i\ rest.
CoHld I imhody and unhosom now
That which is most within me — could I wrea&
My thoughts upon expression, and thus throw
tioul, heart, mind, passio7is, fechngs strong or weak,
All that I would jave sought, and all I seek.
Bear, know, ftel, and yet breathe, — into one word,
And that one wori were lightning, I would speak !—
But— aiit is— I live, and die, unheard,
CV/h a most voicdess thought, sheathing it as a rwo"i.
Proverbs. 1. A promise perforirjcd, ia prc-
ferable to one ma ie. 2. It will not alnmjs be
summer. 3. Make hay, while the sun shines.
4. Cut your coat according to the cloth. 5. Pridd
— costs us more than hunffer, thirst, or cold. 6.
Never spend your money before you have it. 7.
Never trc-uble another, for what you can do your-
self, ?.. Slanderers — are the Devil's bellows, to
blowup contention. 9. The loquacity of /oo.'*—
is a lecture to the wise. 10. Vows made ia
storms, are forgotten in calms. 11. We must (otm
our characters for both worlds. 12. Progresa
is the great law of our being.
A Puzzle. Here's a healtli to all those
that we love ; and a health to all those thaJ
love us ; and a health to all them, that love
those, that love them, that love tAemthat love
those that love us.
Anecdote. Half Mourning. A little
girl, hearing her mother observe to another
lady, that she was going into half mourning
inquired, whether any of her relations were
half dead ?
Wliat is Ours. It is not tJiose, who
have riches in their possession, that are real-
ly rich ; but they, who possess, and use them
aright, and thereby e7ijoy them. Is he a
true christian, who has a Bible in his posses-
sion, but does not live by the Bible? Is
he a genuine christian, who i-eads, but does
not understand the word, and, from under-
standing, -practice it? As well may one
say, that they are rich, who have borrowed
money from others, or have the vroperty of
others in their possession. Wliat do we
think of those, who go dressed in fine clothes.
or ride in splendid carriages, while none of
these things are their own property ?' Know-
ledges, or truths — stored up in the memory,-
are not ours, really and trtdy, unless we re-
duce them to practice : they are like hear-
says of great travelers, of which nothing
more than the sound reaches us. Under-
standing— does not make the man, but un-
derstanding and doing, or living accordingly.
There must be an appropriation of know-
ledge and truth — by the affections, in deeds,
or they are of no avail: '^ Faith, without
foorks, is dead :" the same principle applies
to a society, and to a churcli.
Varieties. 1. Burgoyne — surrendered,
Oct. 17, 1777, and Comwallis, Oct. 19, '81.
2. Happy is that people whose rulers — rule
in the fear of God. 3. Remember the past,
consider the present, and provide for tlie/«-
ture. 4. He, who marries for wealth, sell.?
his happiness for half price. 5. The covet-
ous person is always poor. 6. If you would
avoid wants, attend to every thing ^eZoto you,
arou7id you, within you, and above you. 7.
All the works of natural creation, are ex-
hibited to us, that we may know the nature
of the spiritual, and eternal; all things
speak, and are a language.
He was not born — to shame ;
Upon his 6row— shame— is ashamed to sit ;
For 'tis a throne, where honor— nmy be crown«o
Sole monarch— of the universal earth.
62
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUIiON.
17a. The chief source of indistinctness is
precipilanci/ / which arises from the bad
method of teaching to read : the child not be-
ing taught the true beauty and propriety of
reading, thinks all exceUence consists in
quickness and rapidity.- to him the prize
seems destined to the swift ; for he sets out
at a gallop, and continues his speed to the
md, regardless of how many letters, or sylla-
bles, he omits b/ the way, or how many
words he runs together. " O reform it alto-
gether."
173. AVli have one sound; WHALE ;
wherefore are u;Acf-stones made ^^,^1^
of whirl-winds, and whip-lashes / jJ-T'^x
of whirl-pools 1 Why does that //>^^>'
whimsical whis-tler whee-dle the y \\^^^y
whip-por-wills with wheat 1
PVfd-lom the wheels whipped [WHiaWHip.]
the u?Ai/-fle-tree, and ?^Air-tle-ber-ries were
u>M/e-washed for wheat; the luAim-per-ing
ivhi-ning whelp, which the whigs ivhi-ten-
ed on the wharf was whelmed into a whirl-
i-gig as a z^Aim-wham for a wheel-haxxovf of
whis-ky.
174. Causes of Hoarseness. Hoarseness,
in speaking, is produced by the emission of
more breath than is converted into sound,-
which may be perceived by whispering a few
minutes. The reason, why the breath is not
:onverted into sound, in thus speaking, is,
that the thorax, (or lungs,) is principally
used ; an 1 when this is the case, there is al-
ways an expansion of the chest, and conse-
quently, a lack of power to produce sounds
in a natural manner : therefore, some of the
breath, on its emission through the glottis,
over the epiglottis, and through the back
part of the mouth, chafes \ip their surfaces,
producing a swelling of the muscles in those
parts, and terminating in what is called
hoarseness.
Notes. 1. This diphthongal aspirate may be easily made,
by whispering the imaginary word whu, (u short,) prolonging it a
little. 2. Since a diphthong is a double sound and a triphthong
Proverbs. \. Self-esiltation—\B the /oofi
paradise. 2. That, which is hitter to endure, may
be siceet to remember. 3. The foil—\% busy in
every one's business but his own. 4. We may
give advice, but we cannot give condtict. 5.
Where reason — rules, appetite — obeys. 6. You
will never repent of being patient and sober. 7.
Zeal, without knowledge, is like^re without light.
8. Law-makers, should not be law-breakers. 9.
Might — does not make right. 10. The greater
the man, the greater the crime. 11. JVo one live«i
for himself. 12. No one can tell how much he
can accomplish, till he tries.
Anecdote. Wine. Said a Rev. guest to
a gentleman, with whom he was dinins, and
who was fl tentferance, man : "I always
think a certain quantity of wine does no
harm, after a good dinner.^'' " O «o sir,"
replied mine host; "it is the wwcertain
quantity that does the mischief.
Winter Evenings. This seems pro-
vided, as if expressly for the purpose — of
furnishing those who labor, with ample op-
portunity for the improvement of their minds.
The severity of the weather, and the short-
ness of the day, necessarily limit the pro-
portion of time, which is devoted to out-door
industry; and there is little to tempt us
abroad — in search of amusement. Every
thing seems to invite us — to employ an
hour or two — of this calm and quiet season,
in the acquisition of useful knowledge, and
the cultivation of the miiid. The noise of
life is hushed ; the pavement ceases to re-
sound with the di7i of laden wheels, and the
tread of busy men ; the glowing sun has
gone down, and the moo7i and the stars are
left to watch in the heavens, over the slum-
bers of the peaceful creation. The mind of
ma7i — should keep its vigils with them ; and
while his body — is reposing from the labors
of the day, and \iis feelings — are at rest from
its excitements, he should seek, in some
amusing and instructive page, substantial
food — for the generous appetite for k7iow
ledge.
Varieties. 1. The poor — may be con-
tent ; and the contented are rich. 2. Hypo-
tripk sound, tliere is as much propriety in applying the term to crisy dcslrCS tO Seem gOod, rather than
cmisprtanta, as to vowels. 3. Let the pupil, in revising, point out
all the Monothongs, Diphthongs, Triphthongs, and Polythongs. 4.
Make and keep a list of all your deficiencies in speech and son.ij,
wid |)racl ice daily for suppressing them: especially, in articulation,
ind false intonations ; and never rest satisfied unless you can per-
ceive a progress towards perfection at every exercise, — for all
principles are immortal, and should be continually developing
(neiiiselves.
How sleep the brave, who sink to rest
With all their country's wishes blest !
When Spring, with dewy fiiigers cold.
Returns — to deck their hallow 'd mould,
She there shall dress a sweeter sod
Than Fancy^s feet have ever trod :
By Fairy hands— their knell is rung,
By forms wnsecre— their dirge is sung ;
There— i/oKor comes, a pilgrim gray,
To h'ess, the turf, that wraps their clay ;
And Freedom— shall a while repair
Tc cvoll, a weeping hermit, there.
be good. 3. It is better to be beaten with
few stripes, than with Tnany stripes. 4. He
who swears, in order to be believed, does not
know how to counterfeit a man of truth. 5.
Who was the greater monster, Nero, or Ca-
taline ? 6, Let nothing foul, or indecent,
either to the eye, or ear, enter within the
doors where children dwell. 7. We wor-
ship God best, and most acceptably, when
we resemble him most in our minds^ lives.
and actions.
Home I how that blessed word— thrills the earl
In it — what recollections blend !
It tells of cAiZdAood's scenes so dear,
And speaks— of many a cherished /rieni.
O ! through the world, wherever we roam,
Though souls be pure— and lips be kind ;
The heart, vf \th fondness, turns to home.
Still turns to those— it left behind.
I
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
63
178. The pupil, in Elocution and Music,
is strongly urged to attend to the right and
the wrong method of producing the sounds
of our letters, as well as in enunciating
wards. By all means, make the effort entire-
ly below the diaphragm, while the chest is
comparatively quiescent ; and, as you value
health and Itfe, and good natural speaking,
avoid the cruel practice of exploding the
sounds, by whomsoever taught or recom-
mended. The author's long experience, and
practice, with his sense of duty, justify this
jrrotest against that urmatural manner of
coughing out the sounds, as it is called.
Nine-tenths of his hundreds of pupils, whom
he has cured of the Bronchitis, have induced
the disease by this exploding process, which
ought itself to be exploded.
176. Tlie 44r sounds of our liangnage,
m their alphabetical order. A 4; Ale, are,
all, at: B 1 ; bribe: C 4; cent, clock, suffice,
ocean : D 2 ; did, fac'd : E 2 ; eel, ell : F 2 ;
fife, of: G 3; gem, go, rouge: H 1; hope:
1 2 ; isle, ill : J\ ; judge : K 1; kirk .-LI;
lily : M 1 ; mum : N 2 ; nun, bank : O 3 ;
old, ooze, on : PI; pipe : Q 1 ; queen : R 2 ;
arm, rough : S 4 ; so, is, sure, treasury : T 2 ;
pit, nation .-US; mute, up, full : F 1 ; viv-
id -• W 2 ; wall, how .• X 3 ; flax, exist, beaux :
Y 3 , youth, rhyme, hymn : Z 2; zigzag,
azure : Ch 3 ; church, chaise, chasm : Gh 3;
laugh, ghost, lough : Ph 2 ; sphere, nephew .•
Th2; thin, that: Wh 1; whale: Oi 1; oil:
Ou 1 ; sound : the duplicates, or those hav-
ing the same sound, are printed in italics.
177. " Bovjels of compassion, and loins of
the rnind." In the light of the principles
Iiere unfolded, these words are full of mean-
ing. All the strong affections of the' human
mind, are manifested thro' the dorsal and a&-
dominal region. Let any one look at a boy,
when he bids defiance to another boy, and
challenges him to combat: "Come on, I am
ready for you :" and at the soldier, with his
loins girded for battle : also, observe the ef-
fect of strong emotions on yourself, on your
l)ody, and where,- and you will be able to
see the propriety of these words, and the
world of .meaning they contain. If we were
pure minded, we should find the proper stu-
dy of physiology to be the direct natural
:oad to the mind, and to the preseto". of the
Dkttt.
Notes. 1. Make these 4:4: sounds, which constitute our
»ocal alphabet, as familiar to the tar, as the shapes of our /80
letters are to the eye ; and remember, that success depends on
■Jour mastery of them ; they are the «, b, c, of spoken language ;
Eod the effort to ma}ie them has a most beneficial effect on the
i,ealth and voice. 2. Keep up the proper use of the whole body,
and you need not fear sickness. 3. The only solid foundation for
elocution is, a perfect knowledge of the number and nature of these
4:4 Bimple elements: error here will carry a taint throughout.
Virtue —
Stands* like the sun, and all, which rolls around.
Drinks lifi, and lig'ht, and glory— from her aspect.
Proverbs. 1. Truth — may be hlamti, but
never shamed. 2. What soberness — conceals,
drunkenness — reveals. 3. Be you ever so high,
the law is above you. 4 A mob — has many heads,
but no brains. 5. A poor man's debt makes a
great noise. 6. Busy-hoAxes — are always med-
dling. 7. Crows — are never the whiter, for
washing themselves. 8. Good words — cost no-
thing, and are worth much. 9. He, who paye
well, is master of euer?/ -body's purse. 10. Oui
knjowledge — is as the rivulet ; our ignorance — ^as
the sea. 11. Consider well, before you promise^
12. Dare to do right.
Anecdote. Candor. A clergt/man-'cncs
preached, during the whole of Lent, in a
parish, where he was never invited to di?ie ,
and, in his farewell sermon, he said to his
hearers, "I have preached against every
vice, except good living ; which, I believe,
is not to be found among you ; and, there
fore, needed not my reproach.''''
Society o^ves All a liivlng- Every one
must and will — find a livelihood ; nor has
society the choice, whether or not to provide
for its members : for if an individual is not
put in a way to ear?i a living, he will seek
it by unlawful means : if he is not educuted
— to lead a. sober and industrious life, he will
lead a life of dissipation ; and if society re-
fuse to take care of him, in his minority, he
will force it to notice him — as an object of
self-defence. Thus, society cannot avoid
giving a livelihood to all, whom providence
has placed in its bosom ; nor help devoting
time and expense to them ; for they are by
birth, or circumstances, dependent on its as-
sistance. While, then, it has the power— ~
to make every one — available — as an honest,
industrious and useful citizen, would it not
be the best policy, (to say nothing of prin-
ciples,) to do so ; and attach all to society,
by ties oi gratitude, rather than put them in
a condition to become e?iemies ; a condition
in which it will be necessary to punish them
— for an alienatio?i, which is the natural
consequence oi desthution. Scliools, found-
ed on true christian principles, would, in the
end, be much cheaper, and better — than to
support cur crimiiial code, by the prosecu
tions, incident to that state, in which many
come up, instead oihelngbrougtd up ; and the
consequent expenses attending our houses
of correction, penitentiaries, &c. (of which
many seem to be proud,) on the score of
public justice, hnt of which, on the score of
christian love, we have reason to be deeply
ashamed.
Varieties. 1. Will not our souls — con.
tinue in being forever? 2. He — is not so
good as he should be, who does not strive to
be better than he is. 3. Genius — is a plant,
whose growth you cannot stop, without de-
stroying it. 4. In doing nothing we learn
to do ill. 5. Neither wealth, nor power, can
confer happiness. 6. In heaven, (we havo
reason to believe,) no one considers anything
as good, unless others partake of it. 7. No-
thing is ours, until we give it away.
\ I doers — ^are ill thinkers.
84
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
178. Orthography or Right Spelling. As
we have two kinds of layiguage, written and
si)oken, so, there are two modes of spelling ;
one addressed to the fye, and exhibited by
naming the letters; the other addressed to
the ear, and spelled by giving the sounds,
which the letters represent : the former meth-
od, which is the common one, tends to the pre-
dominant use of the throat, and lungs, and is
one of the fruitful sources of consumptio7i ;
the latter, which is the new one, serves to
Keep up the natural use of the appropriate
nuscles, and tends to prevent, as well as cure,
dyspepsia, liver and lung complaints, and
diseases of the throat.
119. Classification of the Consonants.
The first natural division of the consonants
IS into Vocal and Aspirate. Of the Vocal
there are, as they stand in the alphabet, and
their combinations, twenty-six ,- but deduct-
ing the duplicates, there are but seventeen ,•
viz: &, as in bib; c, as in suffice; d, as in
desid; f, as in of; g, as in g-em, go, rouge;
/, as in ill ; m, as in me ; n, as in none, bank ;
r, as in err, pride ; w, as in ivo ; x, as in e;r-
ist ; y, as in yet ; and th as in this ; all of
which should be given separately, as well as
combined, and their differences observed.
180. After the pupil has become familiar
with reading by vowel sounds and spelling,
as above recommended, let him be exercised
in reading by the vowel and consonant
jiounds: i. e. by giving a perfect analysis
o' all the sounds, found in any of the words
cf the sentence before him ; which involves
every thing relating to sounds, whether sin-
gle, double, or triple,- and to articulation,
accent, pronunciation, and emphasis. No
one should wish to be excused from these
very useful and important exercises ; for they
are direrctly calculated to improve the voice,
tlie ear, and the manner, while they impart
that kind of knowledge of this subject, which
will be felt to be po7ver, and give one coJifi-
ilcnce in his own abilities.
Notes. 1. It is rot a little anmsin? and instructive too, to
^janiiri* the great variety of names, used by different auttiors, to
u. gi^iiate the sounds of our letters, their classificatioiis, *c. against
* licti tlie charwof nmplicittj cannot be brought : in every thinfr,
tf. u» euard against Zeanierf and unteamed ignorance. 2. There
EFu Uiose, who oiiglit, from their positiin before tlie world, to be
9UD>4rd aiithnrities in the pronunciation of letters and words, and
lit eenera! delivfy ; but, unfortunately, on account of their sad de-
K-a and iiiaccura .ie«, in all those particulars, they constitute a court
of Errors, instead of Appeal: consequently, we must throvT our-
je.ves u]K)n the first principles and our own resources; using, how-
ever, such true lights as a kiud Providence has vouclisafed us for
Oil' f^jidauce.
T.» him, wlio, in the love of nature, holds
n.iinmunion with her visible forms, she speaks
A variovs language ; for his gayer lioiirs,
Phf has a voice of gladness, and a S7iiile,
And eioquenre of beauty ; and she glides
Into his durksr musings — with a mild
And rentle sympathy, that steals awav
Their skarfnees—tre he is aware.
Proverbs. 1. As we act towards oiherg, wn
may expect others to act towards us. 2. A guod
orator is pointed, and vehement. 3. Idleness — is
the rust of the mind, and the blight of genius. 4
Assist yowrseZ/, and heaven will assist you. 5
We should estimate man's character,hy his good-
ness ; not by his wealth. 6. Knowledge — is as es-
sential to the mind, as food is to the body. 7. A
good word is as soon said, as an ill one. 8. No
temptation of emolument, can induce an honest
man to do wrong. 9. Virtue — is the best, and
safest helmet we can wear. 10. Against the
fickleness of fortune, oppose a bold heart. 11.
Never profess — what you do not practice. 12.
Treat eucry one with iindHess.
Anecdote. Keeping Time — from Eter-
nity. Chief Justice Parsons, of MassachU'
setts, having been shown a watch, that wa.s
looked on as well worthy of notice, as it had
saved a man's life, in a duel, remarked, —
"It is, indeed, a very astonishing watch,
that has kept time from eternity.''''
The DlfTerence. V/hy is it, that many
professors of religion — are so reluctant, to
have the reading" of the BMe, as well as
speaking and singing, conducted in a cor-
rect an^ proper manner? Should not the
greatest and most glorious truths — be deliv-
ered in an appropriate style ? Do they
think to exalt religious truth, in the eyes ot
the well-informed, by communicating it ii
a way that is not only repulsive to correo
taste, but slove?ily, and absolutely wrong t
Is it calculated to recommend devotional ex-
ercises to their consideration, by offering \\\
prayer in a language and manner, unbecom
ing man when addressing man ; and per
forming the singing, regardless of proper
time and tune? Will they present their of
ferings in a maimed, halt and hlind manner
iipon the altar of religion ; while they have
it in their power, to provide a way in ac-
cordance with the suhject and object of their
devotion? Is it vieU — to despise a good
style and manner — of elocution and music,
because we have not the ability, and are too
indolent to labor for it. to do justice to our-
selves and others ? Wliat course does true
wisdom dictate ?
Varieties. 1. Men — will never /eeZ like
women, nor women — think, like men. 2.
In too eager disputation, the truth is often
lost sight of 3. Woma7i — is not degraded,
but elevated, by an earnest, daily applica-
tion— to her domestic concerns. 4. How
wretched is his condition, who depends for
his daily sitpport, on the hospitality of o^Aers.
5. An evi]-speaker — differs from an evil-
doer, only in opportunity. 6. The use of
hnowledge is — to communicate to others, that
they may be the better for it. 7. They who
deny a God, either in theory, or practice, de
stroy man's nobility.
Till y .ruth's delirious dream is o'er,
Sanguine with hope, we look before,
The future good to find ;
In age, when error charms no more,
For bliss — we look behind.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
63
181. Orthography, being to the Elocution'
1st, especially, a subject of incalcualle im-
portance, it is presumed a few observations,
illustrated by examples, will not be out of
place. The author introduces an entirelj^
7iew mode of learning the letters, by the use
of sounds, before the characters are exhib-
ited ; also, a new way of spelling, in which
the words are spelt by giving the different
Hounds of the letters, instead of their wames.-
anJ finally, a new method of teaching chil-
drtn to read, by dictation; instead of by the
book:i. e. to read without a book, the same
as wPkll learn to speak our mother tongue ;
and afterwards, with a book: thus making
the book talk just as we should, when speak-
ing on the same subject.
1 8«. Aspirates. There are, according to
their representatives, 21 aspirate, or breath
sounds : omitting the duplicates, (or letters
having the same sound,) there are only elev-
en ; viz : c, as in cent, clock, ocean ; d, as in
flic'fZ ; /, as \njife ; h, as in hoe ; p, as in pipe ;
X, as in mix ; ch, as in c/turch ; th, as in ^^in ;
and luh, as in ivhere • whence it appears, by
actual analysis, that we have sixteen vowel
sounds, and twenty-eight consonant sounds ;
making in all roftfY-Foun; some authors,
however, give only thirty-eight.
183. The common mode of teaching all
three, is no better policy, (setting every thing
else aside,) than to go from America to Chi-
na to get to England : in other words, per-
fectly ridiculoxis : and were we not so much
accustomed to this unnatural and dementing
process, we should consider it one of the
mo?t self-evident humbugs, not of the age
only, but of the world. Examples of the old
mode: p, (pe,) h, (aytch,) i, (eye,) s, (ess,)
TiR, i, (eye,) c, (see,) fc, (kay,) jck, tisick;
fifteen sounds: of the new ; t,i,z, tis, i, k,ik,
tis-ik; giving nothing but the five sounds:
Ihe old: g, (je,) e, (e,) w, (doubleyou,) gv,
g, (je,) a, (a,) iv, (doubleyou,) gaav, gkw-
fi AW ; eighteen sounds, and not one sound in
spelling is found in the word after it is spelt :
the new mode; g, u,g, aw, rkaf-gaw, giv-
ing only the /our sounds of the letters, in-
stead of their names.
If Otes. 1. We never can succeed in accomplishing one
tialf of the «;lorio'js purposes of language, so long as we apply our-
•elvos to what is ivritteti, and neglect what is spoken. 2. A new
fif.' 1 presents itself; and when we shall have entered it, in the
ni^it place and manner, a new era will dawn upon us, leading us
more to the cultivation of the living language and the living voice:
the compass and harmony of the best instrument can never be per-
tt-ived, by toucliing the keys at random, or playing a few simple
tunes upon if, learned by the ear.
When sailing — on this troubled sea
Of pain, and tears, and as:ony ;
Thougli wildly roar the waves around,
With restless and repeated saund,
'Tis sweet— to think, that on our eyes,
A loveliiT ciime — shall yet arise ;
That W3 sh*^ 1 wase — from sorrow^s dream,
Beside a pttfj — and living stream.
13R0NS0.Y .>
Proverb^. 1. Estimate persons tnore by
tjeir hearts, than by their heads. 2. A. people
who have no amveements. have no rnanners. 3.
Ml are not saints, who gc to church; all is not
ffold that fflitters. 4. Advice — is soUlom icelcovie,
those who need it most, generally like it least.
5. Do not spend your words to no purpose ; but
come to the facts. 6. Great things — cannot be
accomplished without proptr vieans. 7. Wc reap
the consequences of our actions— holh here, an*;*
hereafter. 8. God gives to all, the power of be-
coming what they ought to be. 9. Infringe oa
no one's rights. 10. If we are determined to suc-
ceed, we shall succeed. 11. Better do well, than
say well. 12. Better be happy tljan rich.
Anecdote. If men would confine their
conversation to such subjects as they under-
stand, how much better it would be for both
speaJcer and hearer. Halhj, the great ma-
thematician, dabbled not a little in infidelity;
he was rather too load of introducing tHis
subject in his social intercourse ; and once,
when he had descanted somewhat /reeZj? on
it, in the presence of his- friend. Sir Isaac
Newton, the. latter cut him short with this
observation. " I always attend to you, Dr.
Hally, with the greatest deference, when
you do us the honor to converse on astro-
nomy, or the mathematics ; because, t/iese
are subjects that you have industriously m-
vestigated, and which you well understakd :
but religion — is a subject on which I hear
you with great pain ; for this is a subject
which you have not serionsly examined, and
do not understand ; you despise it, because
you have not stiidied it ; and you will not
study it, because you despise it.
Xiaconics. In the scale of pleasure, the
lowest are sejisucU delights, which are suc-
ceeded by the more enlarged views and gay
portraitures of a lively imagi?iation ; and
these give way to the suhliTner pleasures of
reason, which discover the causes and de-
signs, the form, connection, and symmetry
of things, and fill the mind with the "contem-
plation of intellectual beauty, order, and
trutJi.
Varieties. 1. The greatest learning — is
to be seen in the greatest simplicity. 2,
Prefer the happiness and independence of a
private station, to the trouble and vexation
of a pullic one. 3. It is very foolish — for
any one, to suppose, that he excels all others
— in understanding. 4. Never take thtj
humble, nor the proud, at their own valu-
ation ; the estimate of the former — is too
little, and that of the latter — too much. 5.
Every order of good — is found by an order
of truth, agreemg with it. 6. As there is
much to enjoy in the world,- so is there much
to endure ; and wise are they, who enjoy
gratefully, and endure patiently. 7. What
is the meaning of the expression, in the first
chapter of Genesis, — " Let us make man,
in our image, and after our likeness ?"
All farewells — should be sudden, when forever ,
Else, they make an eternity — of moments, —
And clog the last— sad sands of life— with tears
66
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
184. In teaching spelling to chUdren, ex-
ercise them on the forty-four sounds of the
letters; then in speaking in concert, after the
preceptor, and also individually, interspers-
ing the exercises with analyzing words, by
givmg tlie various sounds of which they are
composed. At first, let them give each sound
in a syllable by itself, (after you ;) then let
them give all the sounds in a syllable be-
fore pronouncing it; and finaUy, let them
give all the sounds in a word, and then pro-
noimce it: thus, there are three modes of
spelling by ear; easy, difficulty and more dif-
cult. Those, however, taught in the old way,
must expect that their younger pupils, espe-
cially, will 'soon get ahead of them; unless
they apply themselves very closely to their
work.
185. The second division of the Conso-
nants is into SIMPLE, and coMPotrifi) ; or
single and double : of the former, there are
twenty, including the duplicates : viz .• c, in
city; c, cab; d, do; d, pip'd; /, fifty; g,
gull; h, hope; k, make ; I, biU; m, mUe; n,
no ; p, pop ; q, quote ; r, corn ; s, see ; t,
tune; ch, chyle; gh, tough; gh, ghastly;
and ph, epha: omitting the duplicate repre-
eentatives, there are but eleven ; viz : c, (cy-
press;) c, (ac-me;) d, (day;) d, (tripp'd;)
/, (foe;) g, (give;) I, (lay;) m, (mote;)
«, (nine;) p, (passed;) r, (more:) com-
pare, and see.
186. Origin of Language. Plato says,
that language — is of Divine institution ; that
human reason, from a defect in the knowl-
edge of natures and qualities, which are in-
dicated by names, could hot dqtermine the
cog-nom-i-na of things. He also maintains,
that names are tiie vehicles of substances .•
that a fixed analogy, or correspondence, ex-
ists between the name and thing ; that lan-
guagCf therefore, is not arbitrary in its ori-
gin, but fixed by the laws of analogy ; and
that God alone, who knows the nature of
things, originally imposed names, strictly
expressive of their qualities. Zeno, Cle-a«-
thes, Chry-stp-pus, and others, were of the
same opinion.
Notes. I, This work is not designed to exnibit the whole
mbject of Oratory ; which is at boundless and profound as are the
thouehts and fedinss of the human mind ; but to present in a plain
And familiar form, the e«entialj of this God-like art ; in the hopes
of bein? useful* m this day and generation. In the course of a^oth.
cr twelve years, there may bei nearer approach to tmth and rui-
tvre. 2. Observe the difference between the sounds, heard in spel-
ling the following words, by Uie names o( the letters, and those
•aoundf, heard in the words after being spelt : a,-g,-e ; if the
»nnd9 heard in calling the letters by name, are pronounced, the
void is ay-je-ee; t,-», in like manner, spell eye-ess; c,-o,.r,-n,
ipell, see o-or-en ; oo,-2,-«, spell doub-Je-o-ze-ee ; a,-l,-m;s, spell,
Oj-d-fm-ess ; o,-n, spell— oio-en ; ic. 3. The common arrange-
mant of words in columns, without meanmg, seems at variance
wMi common sense ; but this mode is perfectly mathematical, as
wdl u philosophical , and of course, in 'accordance with nature,
KiaDee,and theitrueture of mind. 4. The proper formation of
tcprdt, o»t of Utters, or lounds, is word-making. 6. Abcdari-ans
tliciild first be taught ihe $owvU of letters, and then their uses, and
then their shapes, and names, Ifgether with their uses ; »he mnw
course should be pursued in teaching music, the eor, alwayt
predominating; and then there will be ecuse, grace, and powei
combined.
Proverbs. 1. Virtue — grows under every
weight imposed on it. 2. He, who enviea the
lot of another, must be discontented witti his
own. 3. When fortune fails us, the supposed
friends of our prosperous days — vanish. 4. The
love of rMZiw^g^— is the most powerful affection of
the human mind. 5. A quarrelsome man — mnsK
expect many wounds. 6. Many condemn, what
they do not understand. 7. Property, dishone^tlf
acquired, seldom descends to the third genera-
tion. 3. He, who has well begun, has hc^ dene
his task. 9. The difference between hi^ocrisy
and sincerity— is infinite. 10. When our atten-
ytion is directed to two objects, we rarely succeed
in either. 11. Recompence every one for his la-
bor. 12. Zealously pursue the right path.
Anecdote. Fatience. The priest of a
certain village, observing a man, (who had
just lost his vnfe,) very much oppressed
with grief, told him, — *' he must have Pa-
tience ;'''' whereupon, the mourner replied,
" I have been trying her sir, but she will
not consent to have me."
The range of knoAvledge- is divided
into three classes, corresponding to the scie7i-
tjfic, rational and affectuous faculties of man
The first, is knowledge of the outward
creation, — ^involving every thing material,
— all that is addressed to our five se?ises ;
the second, is knowledge of human e.\ist-
ences, as it respects man's spiritual, ox :m-
mortal nature : and the third, knowledge of
the Divine Being, including his nature, anfi
laws, and their modes of operation. There
is a certain point where matter — ends, and
spirit — begins : i. e. a boundary, where they
come in contact, where spirit — operates on
matter : there is a state, where finite spirit-
ual existences — receive life and light — from
the Infinite, who is the Lord of all ; that
Spirit,
" That warms— \:i the sun ; refreshes— in the breeze ;
Glows— in the stars} and blossoms — in the trees."
The omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent
Being, that
" Lives— through all life, extends thro' all extent.
Spreads — undivided — ojierates — unsjient :
Whose body nature is, — and God— the jouZ."
Varieties. 1. Are mo7iopoUes — consist-
ent with republican institutions ? 2. Love
— often makes the most clever persons act
like /ooZ«, and the most foolish, act like wise
ones. 3. Patience is the surest remedv
against column 1/ : time, sooner or later, will
disclose the truth. 4. The fickleness of
fortune — is felt all over the world- 5. It is
easy to criticise the productions of art, tho'
it is difficult to make them. 6. Do not de-
fer till to-morrow, what ought to be don**
to-day. 7. The precepts and truths of the
word of God, — are the very laws of divine
order ; and so far as our minds are receptive
of them, we are so far in the divine order,
and the divine order in us, if in a life agree'
ing with them.
Guard well thy thought* ;-^\a thoughts are bean' in '
PRINCIPLES uy ELOCUTION
C7
IST. The method, here recommended, of
giving the sounds, of spelling, and of teach-
ing childrtn to read u xthout a book, and then
with a book, will save three-fourths of the la-
bor of both teacher and pupil; and, in addir
tio7i to these important considerations, there
will be an immense amount of time and ex-
pense saved, and the young prevented from
contracting the common had habits of read-
mg unnaturally; which not only obstructs
the proper development of body and mind,
but sows the seeds of sickness and premature
death. Our motto should be, " cease to do
evil, and learn to do ivell.^'
188. Modes of Spelling. In the old, or
common mode of spelling, there are many
more sounds introduced, than the words con-
tain : this always perplexes new beginners,
vvliose ear — has had much more practice, in
reference to language, than their eye. The
great difficulty seems to be — to dispose of the
parts, which amount to more than the whole :
for, in philosophy, it is an acknowledged
principle, that the parts — are only equal to
the whole. Hence, spelling by sounds of
letters, instead of by names is vastly prefera-
ble : the former being perfectly philosophical,
involving orderly, analysis and synthesis, and
it is also mathematical, because the parts —
are just equal to the whole : while the latter
mode is the very reverse of all this ; and in-
stead of aiding, essentially, in the develop-
ment of hody and mind, tends directly to
prevent both.
189. Of the compound, or diphthongal and
triphthongal consonants, we have twenty-
three ; viz : c, (z,) discern ; c, (sh,) social ; /,
(v,) thereo/,- g, (dg,) ^ibe ; g, (zh,) badinage ;
J, (dg,) judgre; n, (ng,) bank; r, (burr'd,)
trill ; s, (z,) was ; s, (sh,) sure ; s, (zh,) leisure ;
t, (sh,) rational ; v, vivacity ; w, wist ; x, (ks,)
ox ; X, (z,) Zcnia ; y, youth ; z, zigzag ; ch,
(tch,) such ; ch, (sh,) chagrin ; ph, (v,) neph-
ew; th, thick', th, tho^; wh, why: deduct-
ing the duplicates, we have but twelve ; c,
(z,) c, (sh,)/, (v,) g, (zh,) n, (ng,) r, (triU'd,)
X, (ks,) X, (gz,) ch, (tch,) th, (think,) th,
(that,) and wh, (when:) let them be exem-
plified.
190. It has previously been remarked,
that, strictly speaking, a, in far, is the only
natural vowel sound in our language ; and
tliat the other ffteen are modifications of it ;
also, that on the same principle, the aspirate,
or breath sound, heard in pronouncing the
sound of h, {huh, in a whisper,) is the mate-
rial, out of which all sounds are made ; for
it is by condensing the breath, in the larynx,
through the agency of the vocal chords, that
the voice sound, of grave a is made ; and, by
the peculiar modification, at certain points
ef interception, that any aspirate consonant
sound is produced : hence, it may be said.
that a, in far, is tlje original element of all
the vowel and vocal consonant sounds, and
the aspirate h, is ♦he original element, out
which all the aspirate consonant sounds are
made, as well as the vocal sounds ; thus, that
which the letter h represents, seems to in-
volve something of infinity in variety, so
far as sounds, and their corresponding affec-
tions are concerned ; for breath — is air : and
without air, there can be no sound. Why
was the letter A, added to the names of Ahram
and Sarai ?
Proverbs. 1. He, who reckons without h;«
host, must reckon again. 2. When we despise
danger, it often overtakes us the sooner. 3.
They, who cross the ocean, may change climate,
but their minds are still the same. 4. The cor-
ruption, or perversion of the best things — pro-
duces the worst. 5. We must not judge of persona
by their clothing, or by the sanctity of their ap-
pearance. 6. If we indulge our passions, they
will daily become more violent. 7. Light grief-
may find utterance ; but deeper sorrow can find
none. 8. The difference is great — between words
and deeds. 9. Poverty — wants mamj things;
avarice— every thing. 10. Let us avoid having
too many irons in the fire. 11. Faithfully per-
form every duty, small and great. 12. Govern
your thoughts, when alone, and your tongue^
when in company. 13. Ill got,— ill spent.
Anecdote. Finishing our Studies. Sev-
eral young physicians were conversing, in
the hearing of Dr. Rush, and one of them
observed, " When I have finished my stu-
dies,'''' " When you have finished your
studies .'" said the doctor, abruptly ; " why,
you must be a happy man, to have finished
them so young : 1 do not expect to finish
mine while I live.''''
Ijaconics. The kindnesses, which most
men receive from others, are like traces
drawn in the sand. The breath of every
passion sweeps them au)ay, and they are re-
membered no more. But injuries are like
inscriptions on monuments of brass, or pil-
lars of marble, which endure, unimpaired,
the revolutions of time.
Varieties. 1. We rarely regret — having
spoken too little ; but often — of saying too
much. 2. Which is the more extensively
useful,— fire, or water ? 3. A speaker, who
expresses himself with fluency and discre-
tion, will always have attentive Hr^eners.
4. The spirit of party, sometimes leads even
the greatest men — to descend to the mean-
ness of the vulgar. 5. Without virtue, hap-
piness— can never be real, or permanent.
6. When we are convinced that our opinions
are erroneous, it is always right to acknow-
ledge it, and exchange them for truths. 7.
Every love — contains its own trut?i.
Serve Ood before the world ! let him not go^
Until thou hast a blessing ; then, resign
The whole unto him, and remember who
Prevailed by wrestling— ere the sun did shine
Pour oil upon the stones, weep for thy sin.
Then journey on, and have an eye to Aeai*eit.
tf8
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCTjTION.
191. Here a new field is open for the clas-
sification of our letters, involving the struc-
ture of all languages, and presenting us
with an infinite variety, terminating in uni-
ty^— all languages being merely dialects of
tiie original one ; but in this work, nothing
more is attempted, tlian an abridgment of
the subject As every effect must have an
adequate cause, and as in material things,
such as we see, hear, taste, smell, and feel,
there can be no primary, but only secondary
causes, we must look to the mind for the
*'eelings and thoughts, that have given rise to
all the peculiarities and modifications of lan-
guage; being assured, that in the original
language, each state of the tvill and the un-
derstanding, had its external sign, as a medi-
um of manifestation.
193. Uses of Spelling. The object of sj^e^-
ling, in the manner here recommended, is
two-fold ; to spell by soujid, in order to be
able to distinguish the sounds, of which
words are composed, and to pronounce
them correctly : thus developing and train-
ing the voice and ear to the highest pitch
of perfection. The use of spelling by the
names of letters is, to make us acquain-
ted wfth them, and the order in which they
are placed in the words, so as to be able, not
only to read, but to ivrite the language:
hence, we must become acquainted with both
our spoken and ivritten language, if we
would avail ourselves of their wonderful ca-
pabilities, and the treasures of which they
are possessed.
193. In partially applying this doctrine,
we may say, B, (bib,) represents a gutteral
labial sound; \st. c, (cent,) a dental aspi-
rate : 2d. c, (clock,) a gulteral aspirate : Sd.
c, (sacrifice,) a dental vocal consonant : 4th,
c, (ocean,) a dental aspirate : Istf (if,) a sub-
labial and super-dental aspirate : 2df, (of,) a
sub-labial super-dental, vocal : 1 st g, (gem,)
a posterior lingual dental vocal, terminating
in an aspirate; 2d g, (go,) a glottal vocal
consonant: 3d g, (rouge,) a. vocal dental as-
pirate : h, a pure aspirate, with open mouth
and throat; I, a lingual dental; and so onto
the en'1 of our sounds, of analysis and syn-
thesis, of which a volume might be written ;
and although the writer has practiced on
them many tlwusands of times, he never has
done it once, without learning something
new.
Notes. 1. Don't forget to understand and mcu^ter every
\\an% that relatat to the subject of study and practice; the only
royal hiehway to trath is the straight way. 2. Become as familiar
with the sounds of out langua^ as yoa are with the alphabet H.
Am you proceed, acnuire inor« «ase and grace in reading and
speaking
An honest man— is still an unmoved rock,
Wash'd whiter, but not shaken— wi'h the shock;
Whose *eart— conceives no sinister device ;
Fear/esa— he p ays with /ames, and treads on ice.
Proverbs. 1. Do as much good as you can
and make but little noise about it. 2. The Bibl&,
is a book of laws, to show us what 's riffht, and
what is wrong. 3. What maintains one vice,
would bring up two children. 4. A little wrong
— done to another, is a great wrong done to our-
selves. 5. Sermons — should be steeped in tha
heart — before they are delivered. G. A life of
attractive industry is always a happy one. 7.
Drive your business before you, and it will gt
easily. 8. Good fences — make good neighbors.
9. Pride wishes not to owe; self-love — wishes not
to pay. 10. The rotten apple injures its compan-
ion. 11. Make a virtue of necessity. 12. You
can't make an auger hole with a gimblet.
Anecdote Mathematical Honor. A sth,
de7it — of a certain college, gave his fellow
student the lie ; and a challenge followed.
The mathematical tutor — heard of the diffi-
culty, and sent for the young man that gave
the challenge, who insisted, that he must
fight — to shield his honor. " Why,'''' said
the tutor? *•' Because he gave me the Zte.'
"Very well; let him prove it: if he prove
it, — yon did lie ; but iihe does not prove it,
then he lies. Why should you shoot one
another? Will that make a lie — any more
ho7iorablp 7^''
CiCEKO says, the poet — is horn such ; the
orator is made such. B ut reading boohs of
rhetoric, and eloquent extracts — choice mor-
sels of poetry and eloque?ice — will nevet
make one an orator : these are only the ef-
fects of oratory. The ca7ise of eloquence
is to be sought for, only in the depths of the
human mind — the true philosophy of man, and
the practice of unadulterated goodness and
truth. You must/eeZ rightly, think wisely,
and act accordingly : then gracefulness of
style and eloquence w'lWfit you; otherwise,
you -will be like the ass, clothed with the
lio7i\ skin. Accomplishment should not be
an end, but a means. Seek, then, for the
philosophy of oratory, where it is to be found,
in the study oi geometry, la7iguage, physics,
theology, and the human mijid profound, if
you would attain that suavity of graceful
periods, engaging looks and gestures, which
steal from men their hearts, and reason, and
make them, for the time being, your willing
captives.
Varieties. 1. Is there any lifle of de
marcation between temperance and mtem-
perance ? 2. We rarely repent — of eating
too little ; but often — of eating too much.
3. Truth — is clothed in v)hite ; but a lie —
comes forth in all the colors of a rainbow.
4. St. Augusti7i says, "Love God ; and then
do what you wish.'''' 5. We must not do
^vil, that good may come of it ; the means — •
mui5t answer, and correspond to — the end.
6. Assumed qualities — may catch the fancy
of some, but we must possess those that are
good, to fix the heart. 7. When a thing is
doubtful, refer it to the Word in sincerity ; \\
it is not clear to you, let it alone, for the pro
sent, at least, till it is made so.
Mind, not money — makes the irwn
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
I
194. Accent- -means either stress, or
quantity of vpice, on a certain letter, or let-
ters in a word : it is made by concentrating
the voice, on that particular place in the
word, heavy, at first, then gliding into silence.
There are two ways of rnakinf^ \i\ first,
by STUEss, when it occurs on short vowels ,
as, i/ifc-stand : secondly, by auAixTiTT, when
it occurs on long ones ; as, o-ver : i. e. when
the word is short, we pronounce it with
force; and when it is long,vi\\h auAxxi-
TY, and a little force too : thus, what we lack
m length of sound, we make up by stress, or
force, according to circumstances. These en-
gravings present to the eye an idea of accent
by stress, or a concentration of voice, with
more or less abruptness.
The first — indicates that the accented vow-
el is near the beginning of the word ; as in
ac-cent, em-pha-sis, in-dus-try, ori-ward, up-
ward : the second, that it is at, or near the*
eyid: as in ap-pre-Aewrf, su-per-in-/end, in-di-
vis-i-6iZ-i-ty. In music, the first represents
the diminish; the second — the swell of the
voice.
195. Theirs/ use of accent — is to convert
letters, or syllables — into words, expressive
of our ideas ; i. e. to fasten the letters to-
gether, so as to make a word-medium for
manifesting our /eeZwg-s and thoughts: and
the second use is — to aid us in acquiring a
distinct articulation, and melody of speech,
and song. Exs. 1. Accent by stress of
VOICE. He am-pli-fies his ad-t-gr-tise-ment,
di-mi/z-ish-es its im-pe-tus, and oj9-e-rates on
the tfZ-ti-mates. 2. The «c-cu-ra-cy of the
csr-e-mo-ny is j^o--u-ra-tive of the com-pe-
ten-cy of his wj9-riglit-ness : 3. The cat-e-
pil-lar fox-gets the no-&i/-i-ty of or-a-to-ry
un-^u^My; 4. The math-e-mo^-ics are su-
per-in-^KWrZ-ed with af-fa-tiZ-i-ty, cor-res-
pond^ent to in-sZntc-tions.
Notes. 1. Observe, tliere are but FIVE SHORT vowels in
our language ; the examples above contain illustrations of all of
them, in their alphabetical order; they are also found in these
words — at, et, it, ot, ut; and to give them with purity, make as
though you were going to pronounce the whole word, but leave off
it the t. 2. This is a very important point in our subject; if you
(ail in understanding accent, you cannot succeed in emphasis.
Anecdote. Holding One^s Oivn. A very
fat man was one day met by a person whom
he mved, and accosted with—" How do you
do V Mr. Adipose replied, " Pretty well ;
[ hold my own ;''"' — "and mine too, to my
sorrow,'''' — rejoined the creditor.
Hail, to ihee, filial love, source of delight,
Of everlasting joy / Heaven's grace supreme
Shines in the duteous homage, of a child I
Religion, manifested, stands aloft,
Superior — to the storms of wayward fate.
When children — suffer in a parent's cause,
And glory — in the lovely sacrifice,
' 'T"s heavenly inspiration fills the breast —
And an/ref«— waft their incense to the skies.
196. Some persons may wish for more
specific directions, as to the method of bring-
ing the lower muscles into use, for producing
sounds, and breathing .• the following will
suffice. Take the proper position, as above
recommended, and place the hands on the
hips, witli the thumbs on the small of the
back, and the fingers on the abdominal mus-
cles before ; grasp them tightly ; i. e. try to
press in the abdomen, and, at the same time^_
to burst off the hands, by an internal effort,
in the use of the muscles to produce the vow-
el sounds of the following words, at, et, it, oty
ut; then leave off the Z, giving the vowels
the same sound as before : or imagine that
you have a belt tied around you, just above
the hip bones, and make such an effort as
would be required to burst it off; do the
same in breathing, perseveve, and you will
succeed : but do not make too much effort.
Proverljs. 1. A man under the influence
of anger — is beside himself. 2. Poverty, with
Aonesfy, is preferable to ricAes,* acquired by dis-
honest means. 3. The wolf casts his hair, but
never changes his ferocious disposition. 4. To
ictcAed persons— the virtue of others — is always a
subject of eratjy. 5. Flies — cannot enter a mouth
that is shut. 6. No plea of expediency — should
reconcile us to the commi'ssion of a base act. 7.
Power, unjustly obtained, is of short duration.
8. Every 7/iod-man — believes all other men mad.
9. The avaricious man— is kind ionone ; but least
kind to himself. 10. The beginning of knowledge
—is the fear of God. 11. Of aZZ poverty, that of
the mind — is the most deplorable. 12. He only is
porcerful, who governs himself.
Varieties. I. What was it — that made
man miserable, and vjhat — alone can make
him happy ? 2. Diffidence — is the mother of
safety; while self-confidence — often involves
us in serious difficulties. 3. He is not rich,
who has much, but he who has enough, and
is contented. 4. It is absurd — for parents to
preach sohriety to their children, and yet in-
dulge in all kinds of excess. 5. Nature —
never says, what vrisdom contradicts ; for
they are always in harmony. 6. Save some-
thing— against a day of iroMftZe. 7. With
such as repent, and turn from their evils^
aud surrender their wills to the Lord^s will,
all things they ever saw, knew, or exfe-
RiENCED, shall be made, m some way or
other, to serve for good.
I do remember an apothecary,—
And hereabouts he dwells, — whom late I noted
In tatter'd weeds, with overwhelming brows.
Culling of simples ; meagre were his looks.
And in his needy shop— a. tortoise hung.
Sharp misery — had worn him to the bones :
An alligator stuff'd, and other skins
Of ill-shap'd fishes ; and about his shelves
A beggarly account of empty boxes.
Green earthen pots, bladders, and musty seeds
Remnants of packthread, and old cakes of rowo,
Were thinly scatter'd, to make up a show.
70
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION
197. Accent— is made, secondly, by
quantity; or prolongation of soimd, with
expvilsive fo7-ce, on lo7is accented vowels ;
which may be represented either by this en-
indicative of a
or,
graving
continuous equal movement of the voice
by this one, — ^"^^^^^B*""
which shows the swell, continuous and di-
minish in combination ; or, the unequal con-
tinuous. Exs. 1. The a-gent, with ar-dent
r/»/>-ful e-go-tism,i-dol-i-zed the o-di-ous oo-zy
t<-ni-tbrm, which was /rwi/-ful in ot-li-ness,
from the oi^-ter-mosts. 2. The 6ase-ment of
the ar-mo-ry, aiyfc-ward-ly e-qual to the i-ro-
ny of the o-li-o, was, to the moo/i-shine of the
T*-ni-verse, as an un-ob-/m-sive moi-e-iy of a
wun-cet-box.
198. Prolo7igation of Sound. Let the pu-
pil take a lesson of the ferryman. A travel-
er arrives at the brink of a wide river,
which he wishes to cross; owe ferry-man is
on the other side, and, by chance, one is on
this side: the traveler halloos, in the com-
mon speaking voice, using principally the
chest ; of course his voice soon becomes dis-
sipated. He is informed that his call cannot
he heard: listen to me, says this son of na-
ture; "0 ver, 0 ver, 0
ver:" making each accented vowel two sec-
onds long : try it and see ; extending your
e.yeand mind at a distance; which will aid
the prolongation.
199. In exercising on accent, for a time
at least, go to extremes, and make the ac-
cented vowels as prominent to the ear, as
the following ones are to the eye ; a-bAse-
ment. im-pE-ri-ous, I-dol-ize, 0-ver-throw,
be«TJ-ti-ful, Oil-mill, OU-ter-most. Ex.
1. The Ztt-na-tic 2i-hode at the ca-f^e-dral,
till the an-nun-ci-M-tion, that the an-te-di-
/zi-vi-ans — had cor\-vey^d the hy-dro-n/to-bia
to Di-o-na of the E-p/je-sians, 2. 1 he pa-
tri-ots and ma-trons of the rev-o-Za-tion, by
their har-mo-ni-oas co-op-e-ra-tion, de-
thron''d the ty-rants that were rw-ling our
peo-ple with an un-/to-ly rod of i-ron.
Anecdote. Raising Bent. " Sir, I in-
tend to raise your rent," — said a land-holder
— io one of his tena7i.ts : to which he replied,
— " I am very much obliged to you, — for I
cannot raise it myself.''''
Notes. 1. As vowels are either long or short, different de-
grees of leriylh do not affect any one of the long ones, so far as
t'ae qTiality of the sound is concerned ; the e in de-uue, and the o,
in do-mtttn— are the same as to length, (net force.) as they are in
efe-cent, rfo-tard ; thus we have long oc-cented vowels, and long
unaccented ones. 2. We make accent by quantity, when the
jicc«Mtpd voweb are long, and by si. >ss when they are short. 3.
Th« iki/rt vowels are of the same length, but not so the long cvws.
" Blessed is the man,
Wlio hears the voice of nature; who, retired
From bustling life, can feel thejladdening beam.
The hope, that breathes of Paradise. Thy deeds,
Sweet Peace, are music— to the exulting mind ;
Thy prayer, like incense — wafted on the gale
Of morning sprrads ambrosia,, as the cloud
Of spicy noee/i— perfumes the whispering breeze,
That »cents t^'aWa'* wild,"
Proverbs. 1. Men of ftmtterf attainniejits-
generally coniiemn every thing, they cannot
comprehend. 2. Wit — should flow spontaneously^
it cannot be produced by study. 3. Buoyancy of
spirit — greatly diminishes the pressuie of jnw/or-
tune. 4. The swresf method of being deceived is
— to consider ourselves — more cunning than
others. 5. Envious persons— always view, with
an evil eye, the prosperity of others. 6. It is si
proof of mediocrity o{intelle,ct — to be addicted to
it ory -telling. 7. When we give way to passion^
we do every thing amiss. 6. Truth — needs no
disguise, nor does she want embellishment. 9. A
mind diseased — cannot bear any thing harsh.
10. Never utter what is false, nor hesitate to
speak what is true. 11. 7Vi/Zes— often discover
a character — more than actions of importance.
12. The Bible— \s a perfect body of divinity.
Body and Mind. The science of hu-
man nature — is valuable, as an introduction
to the science of the Divine nature; for
man — was made " in the image, and after
Ahe likeness, ^^ of his Maker : a knowledge
of (he former — facilitates that of the latter ;
and to knov), revere, and humbly adore, is
ihe first duty of man. To obtain ^'as^ and
impartial views of human nature, we must
not disconnect the object of our study, and
consider the mind, body, and actions, each
by itself, but the whole man together ; which
may be contemplated under two different
aspects, — of spirit and of matter ; on the
body — shines the sun of nature, and on the
MIND — that better light, which is the true
light : here, is a real man, having essence,
form, and use, which is clad in the habili-
ments of beauty, and majesty ; meeting tig
now, and which will meet us hereafter, as a
purely spiritual being, in every possible
stage of his future existc7ice.
Varieties. 1. Can we be a /newtf, and
an enemy — at the same time ? 2. Every one
should be considered innocent, till he is
proved guilty. 3. It is not sufficient that you
are heard, yoii must be heard with pleasure.
4. There is a great difference between poetry
and rhymetry ; the former grows, the latter
— is made. 5. If your money is your God,
it will plague you like the Devil. 6. Order
— is one, in revelation, man, creation, and
the universe; each — respects the other, and
is a resemblance of it.
Man — is dear to man ; the poorest poor
Long for some momenta, in a weary life.
When they can know, and/eeZ, that they have been
Themselves — the fathers, and the dealers out
Of some small blessings— have been kind to sutli
As needed kindness ; — for this single cause,
That we have all of us — a human heart.
Such pleasure— is to one kind being known,
My neighbor, when, with punctual care, each wccK
Duly as Friday comes, though press'd herself
By her own wants, she, from her store of meai.
Takes one unsparing liandful for the scrip
Of this old mendicant ; and, from her daor.
Returning with exhilarated heart,
Sits by bcr^re, and builds her hopes in heaven
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
7i
200. Aecent. The intentions of the
mind — are manifested by the accent of the
voice, as are those of a tailor, when he makes
a gentleman's coat; or of a mantuamaker,
when she makes a lady's gown ; there is a
meaning, an end, in all. The three great
categories of knowledge are end, cause and
cffhct ; reflection and experience will convince
those who would be wise, that the end or pur-
pose, is the^^rs"^ thing, — the cause or medium,
the second, and the effect, or ultimation of
the co-operation of end and cause, the third
thing. Now the feeling, or affection, is the
first thing ; the tliought — is the' second thing :
and \\\Q action — the third thing : the affection
and the vowel sound are connected, the
thought and the consonant, and aZ/ become
manifest, when the word is properly made,
by the application of accent, and enuncia-
ibm..
301. Now, as the affectuous part of the
mind operates, csptcially, on those lower
nerves and muscles, that are combined to
produce ihevowel sounds, and the intellectual
part of the mind co-operates with the lungs,
to form the consonant sounds, and the two
unite — to make the word, by the use of the
accent, through the agency of which, feelings
and thoughts are conveyed, — it will be per-
ceived, that whenever there is a change of the
seat of accent, there may be a corresponding
change of the meaning of the word: or
rather, a change 6^ feeling produces a change
Oi thought, and the two produce a correspon-
ding change in the seat of accent : as — au-
gust, Q.w.-gust ; prod-nce, ^ro-duce ,- gal-
lant, gal-to«/.
aoa. Change of the seat of accent accord-
ing to sense. They hom-bard the town, with
bom-b3.rds, and ce-ment their cannon with
cem-ent, and call upon their coZ-leagues to
col-teague together, col-/ec^ their soldiers, and
offer up their collects. He com-ments upon
their com-ments, while they com-merce about
the cow-merce, and com-mon-ptoce their com-
mon-place business. The co;w-pact was en-
tered into in a corn-pact manner, while the
soldiers corn-plot together in a corn-plot, and
zom-port themselves with a becoming com-
port. The farmer corn-posts his fields with
excellent corn-post, and out of the com-pound
he corn-pounds a fruitful soil ; which, when
com-press^d, makes a very fine corn-press for
the grain.
My birthday what a different sound
That word hid — in my youthful ears !
And how, each time— the day came round,
Less, and less white — its mark appears !
When first — our scanty years are told,
It seems like pastime — to grow old.
And as youth — taunts the shining links,
That time— aroMnd him binds so fast,
Pleased with the task, he little thinks.
How hard that chain vill press— al last.
Anecdote. When Lieuteiianc 0 Brien
was blown up, in the Edgar, and thrc vvnon
board the Admiral, all black and wet, he
said to the commander, with pleasantry, " I
hope sir, you will excuse my dirty appear-
ance ; for I left the ship in so great a hurry,
that I had not time to change my dress.''''
Proverbs. 1. Every thing great— is com-
posed of minute particles. 2. JN'othing — bears a
stronger resemblance to a mad-md^n. than a drun-
kard. 3. Pleasure, purchased by pain, is always
injurious. 4. The act is to be judged of, by tliTJ
intention of the person, who does it. 5. Theonj,
without practice, however plausible, seldom
tends to a successful issue. 6. Reflect uiell, be
fore you say yes, or no. 7. Be cautious — in giv-
ing advice, and considei — before ynu follow it.
8. A man, fond of disputing, will, in time, have
few friends to dispute with. 9. Young peop'e
are apt to think themselves wise enough ; a^
drunkards — think themselves sober enough. 10.
Injustice — cannot exist without agents. 11. No
great loss, but some small gain. 12. No smoke,
without some^re.
Readings Discourses. As the reading
of written discourses is so common, it is very
desirable, that the speaker should unite the
advantages of wriiteii, or printed composi-
tion, with extemporaneous speaking ; which
can be done by mastering the principles of
this system ; then, though the essay be a
month, or a year old, the orator may give it
all the appearance and freshness of oral dis-
course. Many public men have injured
their Jiealth by slavishly reading their dis-
courses, instead of speaking them ; there
being such an inseparable connection be-
tween thinki7ig and breathi?ig, that the effort
to read, especially from a manuscript, tends
to the use of the thorax, or lungs. If we
were taught to read by ear, instead of by
sight, there would be no difficulty in this
exercise : there must be a revolution — in
regard to teaching and learning this impor-
tant art, or sad will continue to be the con-
sequences.
Varieties. 1. Were the Texians right,
in rebelling against Mexico ? 2. If woman
taught the philosophy of love, who would
not learn ? 3. Do not yield to misfortunes ;
but resist them, with unceasing firmness.
4. Procrastination — is the thief of time. 5.
No one is qualified to command, who has
not learned to obey. 6. A laugh — costs too
much, if purchased at the expense of proh-
priety. 7. Words, fitly spoken from a life
of love, are exceedingly sweet, and profitable
to all.
Beware, ye slaves of vice and infamy, '
Beware — choose not religion's «acred nanoe,
To sanctify your crimes— your falsehood shield.
Profane not your Creator'i boundieos power,
Or lest his vengeance— fall upon, and crush ye.
It is an awful height— of human pride.
When we dare— robe ourselves in sanctity^
While all is dark impiety within!
This, surely, is the aggregate of sin.
The last— to be forgiven— by heaven, or man.
72
PRINCIPLES 01' ELOCUTION
a03. The subject of accent, being of pri-
mary importance, should be dwelt upon, till
Its pj-inciples and their applicatwn, are per-
fectly familia r. Remember, it is the principal
external means, of malcing words — out of let-
ters and syllables: comparatively, it is the
thread with which we make tlie garments
for oui thougtits, and thus manifest the ob-
jects wliich the mind has in view in clothing
them in diflferent ways, and making them
alive with feeling. The mental power of ac-
cent, is in the will, or voluntary principle,
and the physical force is from the combined
action of the lower muscles, in connection
with the diaphragm ; hence, it may be per-
ceived, that in simply expelling vowel sounds,
as always insisted upon, we at the same time,
acquire the power of making the accent; for
expulsion — is accent, radical, or stress. If
you do not master accent, you cannot suc-
ceed in becoming an elocutionist.
804. Change of the seat of accent. On
her en-trance, she was en-tranced at being
es-cor^-ed by a grand es-cort: I essay to
make an cs-say to ex-ile the ea:-iles : ex-port
the ca;-ports, with-out ex-tract-ing the ex-
tracts for the ex-tract-oxs : the fl&-ject fel-lowe
ah-Ject the gifts, and the a&-sent minded ab-
sent themselves from the party : he abstracts
the a&-stracts and at-^rife-utes the a^-tri-butes
to others: I lay the ac-cent on the ac-cen^-ed
vowel, and af-fix the af-fix to the final sylla-
ble, and make aw^-ment in the right place
and ang-ment the word in ^w-gust, and thus
make the idea au-gtist.
Notes* 1. Be careful in placing the accent on the right
syllable : ad-oer-tise-ment, al-to», com-pen-sate, m-qui-ry, de-co-nis,
or-tho-e-py, ar-is-ioc ra-cy, ac-cep<-a-ble, Ar-e-op-a-gus, ac-ces-so-
ry, «p-right-ly : forif you place the accent on the wrong vowel,
>-ou partially pervert the meaning, or render it ridiculous : as, I
Baw'an au-gust spectacle in Au-gust. 2. In singing, accent is al-
ways made byttress: and the first note of each full measure ac-
ce7it-ed.
liAconics. Labor is honorable in all. from
the king on the throne to the mendicant in
the street ; and let him or her, who is a-
shamed to toil for themselves, or the benefit
of their race, be more ashamed to consume
the industry and lahor of others, for which
they do not render an equivalent.
The rose had been washed, just washed in a shower.
Which Mary— to Amia — conveyed ;
The plentiful moisture — encumbered the flousfr.
And weighfd '1')wd Us beautiful head.
I'he cttpwit a.l\ filled, and the leaves were all wet,
And it seemed, xo a. JancifiU view,
To weep for the buds— it had left with regret,
On the flourishing bush— where it grew.
I hastily seized it, unfit as it was
Fora nosegay,so dripping and drowned
And swinging it r%tdely, too rudely, alai !
I mapped it,— it fell to the ground.
And luch, I exclaimed, is the pitiless part,
Some act— by the delicate mind.
Regardless of wringing— and breaking a heart,
Already to torrow resigned.
This elegant rose, had I shaken it Itss,
Might have bloomed with its owner awhile :
And ths tear, that is wiped, with a little addras.
Ma? oe followed, perhaps, by a rmile.
Proverbs. 1. Beware of reading, v\il louJ
thinking of the subject. 2. A man rarely deceivee
another but 07ice. 3. A good paymaster is lord of
another man's purse. 4. He is most secure frori
danger, who, even when conscious of safety, i^
on his guard. 5. The pitcher may go often to the
well, and be broken at last. 6. A good companion,
makes good company. 7. Let every one choote,
according to his own /ancy. h K comparison — is
no reason. 9. Your looking-g\a.ss — will tell you
what none of your friends will. 10. The human
heart wants something to be kind to. 11. Many
hands make light work. 12. Ask your purse -
what you shall buy.
Anecdote. Blundering on the Truth.
An ignorant fellow, who was about to be
married, resolved to make h.\mse\{ perfect in
the responses of the marriage service ; but,
by mistake, he committed the office of bap-
tism for those of riper years : so, when the
clergyman asked him, in the church, —
" Wilt thou have this woman to thy wedded
wife V The bridegroom answered, in a
very solemn tone ; " I renounce them all."^
The astonished minister said — " I think you
are a fool ;" — to which he replied, " All this
I steadfastly believe.''''
Analogies. As, in the succession of the
seasons, each, by the invariable laws of na-
ture, affects the productions of what is next
in course ; so, in human life, every period
of our age, — according as it is well or ill
spent, influences the happiness of that which
is to follow. Virtuous youth — generally
brings forward accomplished and flourishing
manhood; and such manhood passes off,
without uneasiness, into respectable and
tranquil old age. When nature — is turned
out of its regular course, disorder takes
place — in the moral, yist as in the vegetable
world. If the spring — put forth no blossoms,
in summer — there will be no beauty, and in
the autumn — no fruit. If youth — be trifled
away without improvement, manhood will be
contemptible — and old age — miserable. If
the beginnings of life — have been vanity, —
its latter end can be no other than vexation
of spirit.
Varieties. 1. Is there any such thing as
time and space, in the world of mi7id ? 2.
Any book that is worth reading once, is
worth reading twice. 3. Most misfortunes
— may be turned into blessings, by watching
the tide of affairs. 4. When the wicked are
in power, innocence and integrity are sure
to be persecuted. 5. Give people proper
books, and teach them how to read them,
and they will educate themselves. 6. ZJ?*-
limited powers — should not be trusted in the
hands oi any one, who is not endowed with
perfection, — more than human. 7. The
truths of the Bible are the seeds of order ;
and as is the reception, such will be the
produce.
Faults — in the life, breed errors in the brain^
And these, reciprocally, those again :
The mind, and conduct— mntnaWy imprint.
And stamp their image— m each other's minU
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTIO^.
a05. To accomplish the objects in view,
the development and perfection of the voice
for reading, speaking and singing, a great
variety of exercises and examples, are intro-
duced, containing sense and nonsense ; and
attention can be given to both icinds, accord-
ing to their uses. Let it be remembered, that
the forty-four sounds of the language are the
fountains, from which are to flow every stream
of elocution and music : and these are con-
tinually before us. No one can succeed in
silently TOB^dlng, or thinking over the sub-
jects: p7'actice is the great thing; therefore,
frequently repeat the sounds, read by vowels,
spell by sounds, and exercise in accent and
emphasis, with all the other modifications.
a06. They con-cert a plan to get up a con-
cert, and as they con-cord the con-cords of the
notes, they con-crete the con-crete tones with
such admirable con-duct, as to con-duct the
whole to the satisfaction of the audience. He
con-fects f he sugar with delicious con-fects,
although he con-fines his efforts to the co7i.
fines of the room ; and without con^^ic-ting
m any serious con- flict, he con-serves the con-
serves in such a way as to con-sor^ with his
con-sort without con-^cs/-ing with any seri-
ous con-test. I will con-text the con-text, so
as to con-tract the co7i-tract-ing in a strong
con-tract, the con-vent, so as to con-zjcn^ its
inmates, while they con-verse in familiar con-
verse.
aor. Among the more difficult acquisi-
tions, is the ability to prolong sounds in
strongly marked accented and emphatic
words, involving the kindlier feelings of our
nature ; to succeed in which, practice single
long vowel sounds in separate words, and al-
so in short and long phrases; as a ^le;
a re; a ^11; ee 1; i le ; o
Id ; 00 ze ; mu te ; pu ss ; oi 1 ;
ou r; also, old armed chair; wheel to the
right ; roll the flames and join ^he muse ;
glowing hope ; praise the lofty dome.
Notes. 1. The attempt is not made any where, to give a
perfect notation of the manner in which one is to read ; and •omc
■words are more or less emphatic, that are printed in common
type ; while certain words, which are not very important as to
meaning, are printed in italics. 2. Never mind the rough appa^
a^nxe of the exaimples j but make them smooth in your deliver)'.
Anecdote. Self-love. The first consid-
eration of a knave is — how to help AmseZ/;
and the second, how to do it with an appear-
ance of helping others. Dionysius. the ty-
rant, stripped the statue of Jupiter Olympus,
of a robe of massy gold, and substituted a
cloak oiwool, saying-—" Gold is too cold in
winter, and too heavy in the summer — it be-
hooves us to take care of Jupiter.''
When was public virtue to be found,
Where private was not ?
Can he love the whole,
Who loves no part ?
He— he a nation's friend.
Who, in truth, is the friend of no mar there ?
10
Proverbs. l.Insteadof saying "I can'*,' ray
"I will." 2. Acquire knowledge that may Le
useful. 3. If ;?ossJ6Ze, remove your own d'^^cu/-
ties. 4. Husband your time, and waste neither
that, nor your luoney. 5. Try to .exert a good
iTi/iuence, wherever you are. 6. A little stone can
make a great bruise. 7. Unwearied diligeitce
the point will gain. 8. Cultivate good domestic
habits. 9. Some rather reflect truth than practice
it. 10. Man is a iwi-cro-cosm, or little world.
11. Winter finds wh^i Summer conceals. 12. Twc
of a trade seldom agree.
Imiiortant. Let the orator consider him-
self the comiecting hnk, or medium, between
the mental and natural world:, i. e. that the
spiritual world is progressmg down into the
material world; and that all his muscles md
vocal powers are the proper organs, thro'
which it is to flow. Hence, the necessity of
developing and traming, perfectly, those me-
diums of communication, that every thing in
the matter, may tell, effectually, in the man-
ner. Much, very much depends upon the
state of his own mind; for, according to that
— will be the infiuence shed abroad on ihe
minds of oi/iers. Conceive yourself the rep-
resentative of a vast concourse of associated
minds, and be the true representative of your
constituents.
Varieties. 1 . Are fictitious writings bene-
ficial.2 2. -E-go-tism(orselfTeommendation,)
is always disgusting, and should be carefully
avoided. 3. A man cannot call a 6e^/er phy-
sician than himself, if be Win take all the
good advice he gives to others. 4. Why is the
human mind like a garden ? because you can
sow what seeds you please in it. 5. Good
and bad fortune are nccessar.' , to prepare us
to meet the contingencies of Ife. 6. Be not
too much afraid oi offending others, by telling
the truth : nor stoop to fiattery nor mean-
ness, to gain their favor. 7. The whole out-
ward creation, with its every particular and
movement, is but a theatre and scene of ef'
feds, brouglit forth into existence, and mov-
ed by interior spiritual causes, proper to tht
spiritual world.
To the curious eye
A little monttor— presents her pa^
Of choice i-nstructimi, with her snowy Ijells—
The lily of the vale. She, not affects
The puWic walk, nor gaze of inid-d.-iy suns
She — to no state or dignity aspires,
But, silent anu alone, puts on her suit,
And sheds her lasting per-fnme, but for which
We had not known— there was a thing — so sweet
Hid— in the gloomy shade. So, when the blast
Her sister trities confounds, and, to tlie earth
Stoops their high heads, that vainly were exposed,
She feels it not, but flourishes anew,
still sheltered and secure. And so the storm,
That makes the huge elm couch, and rends the on*,
The humble lily sp.ares. A thousand blow^
That shake the lofty rruntareh, on his throne.
We lesser folks /cei not. Kea\ are the pjJns
.SdvancefmentofXexihvinga. To be trfurs.
Be humble ; to be hayptf, be contttU.
74
PxvINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
a08. The question is often asked — which
receives the accent, the vowel or the conso-
nant ? The reply is, sometimes one, and at
others, both, when tliey are connected. 'In a-
ble, the accent is all on a; in no-hle, the n
and 0 receive the accent, but principally the
0; in jyre-sume, the accent is mostly on w;
and is imparted to 5 and m, terminating on
the m. Although this fact is perfectly obvi-
ous, yet one book that purports to have pass-
ed through seven editions, insists that vowels
ate never accented. I would ask that author,
what letter receives the accent of the proper
name A-i in the Bible, since it has two sylla-
bles, and yet there are no consonants. Let
us beware of wrong guides as well as blind
ones.
309. Half accented vowel sounds. There
is an inferixn; or half accent, on certain words
of three or more syllables, which should be
obsers'ed; and, although given distinctly,
must be kept within the vanish of the accent-
ed ones. The (Zem-o-ciiAT-ic co?z-ver-SA-tion
vQ-spect-in^ the tPx-xa. was A^/-e-ro-GE-ne-us
to a rfem-on-STiiA-tion ; a me/-a-pnis-i-cal
/^7/^o-ciiox-dria is rec-om-MEK-da-to-ry of su-
l>er-a-BU>r-dant27rorf-i-fiAL-i-ty : the in-covo.-
pre-HEN-si-ble jy/en-i-po-TEx-ti-a-ry isan«m-
pli-fi-CA-tion of A//-dro-PHo-bi-a ; the ^er-pen-
dic-u-LAR-i-ty of the g:e7i-er-al-is-si-mlr, and
tfie mcg--na-KiM-i-ty of thejftti/-an-THROP-i-
cal re-ca-pit-u-LA-tion was c^r-ac-ter-is-tic
of the irt-cor-rup-ti-BiL-i-ty of his in-con-
s I D -er-a-ble-ness.
a 1 0. The mere mention of Oratory, reminds
ua of the early times of Egypt, Greece, and
Rome ; when there flourished a Levite, who
was an important instrument in delivering an
ancient people from captivity ; one of whose
qualifications for his high office, was, tliat he
could "■speak well;'' — a DemosVienes, the
magic, music, and witchery of whose ele-
quence, it is impossible to translate or de-
scribe ; — a Cicero, whose oratory was copious,
correct, ornate, and magnificent ; — each of
whom was pre-eminent in his own style and
manner, — the Grecian — carrying the citadel
by storm, and the Roman taking it after a
regular and most beautifully conducted siege ;
— of a Peter, and Paul, pleading in the
cause of Heaven, and holding vast multitudes
in breathless silence, making even Judges
treml)le in their high places ; — of more mod-
im times, whose history presents us the name
of a Chatham, a Burke, and a Fox, in tlie as-
nembly ; and those of a Buurdaloue, Massil-
lon, Bridane, and Whitfield, in the pulpit;
also the orators of our own time and land;
some of whom, in many respects, will not
Buffer by a compaHson with any of their il-
lustrious predecessors.
Praisin<r— what is lost.
Makes the 7 emerrbrance — dear.
Proverbs. 1. Shaw me & "iar, and I will
show you a thief. ■ 2. The best mode of instruc
tion is — to practice what we teach. 3. Vain glo-
ry blossoms, but never bears. 4. Well to judge,
depends on well to hear. 5. He who is wicked
in the country, will be wicked in the town. 6,
He who preaches war, is the devil's chaplain.
7. You will never have a friend, if you must
have one without failings. 8. A bad man in of-
fice, is a public calamity. 9. That war only io
just, which is necessary. 10. The worst of law
is, that one suit breeds twenty. U. Be not ruin-
ed by your neglect. 12. Ignorance is a misfortune
Anecdote. An Unwelcome Visitor. A
person, who often intruded himself in a read-
ing-rooTO. and library, to which he was not a
subscriber, had his pet dog turned out by the
crusty old sexton ; who gave him a kick, say-
ing— ''you are not a fubscribar at any rate."
The intruder took the hint; and never ap-
peared again in the establishment, till he be-
came a patron. »
Horace, a celebrated Roman poet, relates,
that a countryman, who wanted to pass a
river, stood loitering on the banks of it, in the
foohsh expectation, that a current so rapid
would soon discharge its waters. But the
stream still flowed, (increased perhaps by
fresh torrents from the mountains,) and it
must forever flow ; because the source from
which it is derived, is inexhaustible. Thus,
the idle and irresolute youth, trifles over his
books, or squanders, in childish pursuits, his
precious moments, deferring the business o:
improvement, (which dX first might be render-
ed easy and agreeable, but which, by delayy
becomes more and more difficult,) until the
golden sands of opportunity have all run, and
he is called to action, without possessing the
requisite ability.
Varieties. 1 . Has the invention cfgunpoiv-
der been beneficial to the world ] The 77iind,
like the soil, rises in value, according to the
nature and degree — of its cultivation. 3.
Labor and prudence, relieve us from three
great evils, — vice, want, and indolence. 4.
A wise man reflects, before he speaks; a
foolish one speaks, and then reflects on what he
has said. 6. Our happiness does not consist
in being without passions, but in having
command of them. 6. Good — is never more
effectually accomplished, than when produced
by slow degrees. 7. True charity— cannot
be conjoined to a persuasion ot falsity, flow-
ing from evil.
There's quiet — in the deep : —
Above, let titUs — and tempests rave,
And earth-born whirlwinds — wake the wave;
Move, let care — and Jear contend
With jm and torrow — to the end:
Here, far beneath the tainted foani,
That frets — above our peaceful /loirid,
We dream in joy, and wake in love.
Nor know tl>e raje— mat yells above t
There's quitt in the deiep !
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
75
211. Unaccented Vowels. There is great
beauty in pronunciation, where each letter,
that is not silent, tells upon the ear its true
character, and all contribute to produce the
desired effiect : hence, the great necessity of
giving to all letters, syllables, and words,
their proper sounds; especially, the vowels,
whether long or short, accented or unaccent-
ed : as, — on the pres-eni oc-ca-sion I shall not
a.t4empt to ^^'-u-dice your o-pm-ions or e-
//io4ions to ac-co/7i-plish my oh-jects ; is it
pos-si-ble, the ^er-ri-ble oi-fence of the gen-er-
al, in rf/-er-ence to the man-u-scnpts, is par-
^ic-u-lar-ly con-spic-u-ous in the re^i-o-lent
ca/i-o-py of heav-en ! the <te/-e-gate re-quests
me to give an oc-cu-lar erZ-u-ca-tion to his del-
i-cate child, and be par-^ic-u-lar in its e-nun-
ci-a-tion and ^ro-nun-ci-a-tion.
313. A co?i-vert is one, who is con-yer/-ed
from one side to another, and a co w-vict is one
who has been con-ric-ted of some crime. The
con-voy con-voyed the king to his throne, and
placed a cor-o-nal on his co-ro-nal brow. I
will coun-ter-&«Z-ance that coz^w-ter-bal-ance,
and coun-ter-&u;^ the enemy's couw-ter-buff.
They wUl coun-ter-cAcrr^-e the cotiw-ter-charge
on England, and coun-ter-c^arm the broker's
cown-ter-charm, while we coun-ter-c/^ec* the
private's cown-ter-check. The general coun-
ter-mantis his officer's couw-ter-mand, as
we coun-ter-Twarc^ our coi^n-ter-march. We
will coun-ter-pto^ your cown-ter-plots, and
coun-ter-mifie your cow?i-ter-mines. He coun-
ter-poised their coz^n-ter-poise, and coun-ter-
vailed their coun-ter-vail. ,
Notes. 1. Different words, as well as the same wordt,
vvij oe iccented on ditferent vowels, according to thie object con-
templated ; thus— i)i-brate, yiro-pose, brig-ode, hus-hiud, au-gust,
vi-giist., corn-pound. 2. The accent is generally on the root, or
tfume of the word ; but gonmetimes on the subordinate part. 3.
la reading poetry, the accent may be ditferent from what it would
be in prose, for the sake of the melody of the verse. 4. Remem-
ber, vowels must be prolonged on their radical parts, not on their
vanishing movements. 5. Observe how lively, varied and inter-
esting a passage is, when pronounced with proper accentual force ;
and see how inripid and monotonous without it. 6. Always let
your accent be well marked and sustained ; then your delivery will
be brilliant, sprightly and effective.
Anecdote. Undergoing a great hard-
ship. During a trial in Court, where judge
Parsons presided, a lawyer desired to know
what a witness meant by keel-hauling. " Do
jou not know?" rephed the judge; "he
means that it^^'s undergoing a great hard
ship, to be sure!"
Fare thee irell / the ship is ready,
And the breeze — is fresh and steady.
Hands are fast the anchor weighing ;
High in air — the streamer's playing.
Spread the sails — the waves are swelling
Proudly round thy buoyant dwelling;
Fare thee well ! and when at sea,
Think of those who sigh for thee.
Acrjuaintance jrew ; the acquaintance they improved
to friendsht" friendship — ripenend int« love.
Proverbs. 1. Our *e?J security consists in
innocence, and the cheering influence of approv-
ing conscience. 2. Tardiness and precipitation
are extremes equally to be avoided. 3. Th<»
brave way fall, but never yield. 4. Books alone
can never teach the use of books. 5. Common
fame — is often a common liar. 6. Words — are
leaves ; deeds are fruits. 7. Deserve success, and
you shall comviand it. 8. False friends are
worse than open enemies. 9. Goodness alone,
enriches the possessor. 10. He who avoids the
temptation, avoids tl^e sin. 11. Knowledge ia no
burden. 12. JJfaw proposes, and God disposej.
Woman. What a consoler is woman!
None but her presence can so win a man
tVom his sorrow, make placid the knit brow,
and wreathe the stem lip into a smile. The
soldier — becomes a hghtsome borj at her feet ;
the anxious statesman — smiles himself back
to free-hearted youth beside her ; and the still
and shaded countenance of care — brightens
beneath her influence, as the closed ^ow'ifr
blooms in the sunshine.
Varieties. 1 . What is truth ? Heaven and
earth, are interested in'this momentous ques-
tion. 2. Flee from sloth ; for the indolence
of the soul, is the decay of the body. 3. Elo-
quence is of two kinds, — that of the heart
which is called divine ; and that of the head^
which is made up of conceit and sophistry.
4. It is no small grief to one's good nature,
to try his friends. 5. Talk not of the love
that outlives adversity ; the love, that remains
with it, is a thousand times more rare. 6
Deliberate with caution, and act with preci
sion ; yield with grace, and oppose with
firmness. 7. The internal man is formed in
the body, as a tree in the ground, or a seed in
the fruit.
AUTUMN EVENING.
Behold — the western evening liglit !
y melts — in deepening g-Zoow ;
So calmly — Christians sink away,
Descending — to the tomb.
The tmnrfj— breathe Uno, the withering leaj
Scarce whispers — from the tree ;
So gently — flows the parting breath.
When good men — cease to be.
How beautiful — on all the hills,
The crimson light is shed !
'Tis like the peace— the Christian gives
To mourners— round his led.
How mildly — on the wandering cloud,
The sunset beam — is cast !
'Tis like the nicmon/— left behind.
When loved ones — breathe their last.
And now, above the dews of n^ht,
The yellow xtor— appears ;
So— faith springs in the heart of those,
Whose eyes — are bathed in tears.
But sooji — the moming-s happier ligh
Its ^Zon/ shall restore ;
And eyelids, that are sealed in death
Shall loaic— to close no more.
True religion-
Is always mild, propitious, and humane.
Plays not the tyrant, plants no faith in blood;
But stoops to succor, polish, and redress.
And builds her grandeur — on the public ^ood.
76
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
313. A too frequent recAirrence of accent-
ed vowels, occasions a heavy utterance, in
consequence of the almost continual succes-
sion of vocal efforts: it is seen and felt in
words, particularly tlie monosyllables, and in
sentences, or members of sentences, and is tlie
cause of the slow rate in the movement of the
voice. Exs. " And ten low words oft creep in
one dull hne. O'er hills, o'er dales, o'er crags,
o'er rocks, they go. Up the high hill he heaves
a huge round stone." Whenever accent oc-
curs frequently, there is always a predomi-
nance of quantity ; and the delivery, of neces-
sity, is much slower. Now here we have posi-
tive evidence that monosyllables have accent.
\ Our best autlwrs use the shortest icords,
.which are usually of Saxon Origin; hence,
the charm, the witchery of certain speakers
and writers.
314. He Aes-cants upon tlie des-cani of
the preacher, who deserts his post, and goes
into the des-ert, to live on spicy desserts.
I will di-gest the di-gest, although I dis-cord
every thing like discord; I will also dis-
coiint Hie note for a reasonable rfi^-count, be-
' cause he asked me down-rig A/, in a down-
right manner.
315. Education means the development,
perfection, and proper use of the body and
mind : it relates to the training and guardi-
ansliip of youth, from infancy to mature age
— to the influencing of the character and
prospects, not only of individuals, but of
nations. The highest powers and noblest
sentiments of our nature might remain for-
ever dormant, were they not developed and
matured by the instruction and example of
the wise and good. In a still wider sense,
education may mean the whole training of
the thoughts and affections by inward reflec-
tion and outward events and actions, by in-
tercourse with men, " by the spirits of the
just made perfect" — by instruction from the
worh, and the training the whole man for
life and immortality.
Notes. 1. It woulJ be extremely difficult, considering the
partially developetl and cultivated state of the ootce, ear, and lan-
pjLOge, to give definite ruleg for pronouncing the unaccented vovr-
els, in consequence of their verging towards each other in many
r/OTds ; of course, we must avoid too much •tiffnest on the one
hand, and vulgarity on me other ; tlie time will come, however,
when every thing with regard to elocution will be as fixed and cer-
tain aa in the science of music ; which is as perfect as the science
of numbers. 2. Never forget that without a good articulation, no
»r.a can become a correct reader, or spealter; and whatever other
Jefocts one may have, if he possess thu eiceiience, he will be lie-
tened to with pleasure and profit : there is something very attrac-
tive and winning, in a clear, distinct and correct enunciation,
which del^hts and captivates the sou!. Let no one excuse himself
Iiom becoming perfect in this essential requisite.
What— cannot patience do ?
A great design — is seldom match'd t once :
Tis patience heaves It on.
From savage nature,
Tis patience, lliat has built up human life,
The nurse of arts; and Rome exalts herA^ad,
An everlasting rnonumerU to j)atleiice.
Pi-ovei"lJs. 1. Make provision »or want in
time of plenty. 2 Live and let live — is a good
motto. 3. Of all flatterers, self-love is the
greatest. 4. Perspicuity is inseparable from elo-
quence. 5. Restraint from ill is lie best kind ci
freedom. 6. Sin and sorrow are inseparable
companions. 7. Speech \s the giii oi all ; thougki
of hut few. 8. That which opposes riff lit, must
be wrong. 9. Undutiful children — make wretch-
ed parentis: 10. No one can tell how much he can
accomplish, till he tries. 11. The hand of the
diligent maketh rich. 12. Ill^o( — ill spent.
Anecdote. Dangerous Biting. Dioge-
nes, of old, being one day asked, the biting of
what beasts is the mo.st dangerous, replied, —
" If you mean wild beasts, it is that of the
slanderer; if tame ones, of the Jiatterer.^'
True Empire. It is pleasant to be virtu-
ous and good ,- because, that is to excel many
others; — it is pleasant to grow better; be-
cause that is to excel ourselves ; it is pleas-
ant to mortify and subdue our lusts, because
that is victoi-y ; — it is pleasant to command
our appetites and passions, and to keep them
in due order, witliin the bounds of reason and
religion, — ^because — that is empire.
. Varieties. 1. Are Rail-Roads and Ca-
nals^ benefit to the country 1 2. He, who
is slowest in making a promise, is generally
the most faithful in performing it. 3. When
a teacher is to be hired, there is generally a
terrible pressure in the money market. 4.
ZJn-educated mind is ed-ucated vice. 5.
They, who love fiattery, are in a fair way to
repent of their vjeakness ; yet how few are
proof against its attacks. 6. If others attrib-
ute more to us than is our due, they are
either designing or mistaken ; ajid, if they
allow us le.'is, they are envious or igiiorant ;
and, in both cases should be disregarded,
7. The Lord is ever present in the human
soul, and we are tried every moment in all
we will, think, do, hear, or say.
CURRAN'S DAUGHTER-EMMET-3 BETROTHED.
She is /or from the /a»irf— where her young hero sleeps,
And lovers — around her are sighing ;
But coldly she turns from tlieir gaze, and weeps,
For her heart — in his grave — is lying.
She sings the wild songs— of her dear native plain?,
Every note, which he lov'd — awaking,—
Ah '. little they think, who delight in hers^ratjw,
How the Iieart of lh» minstrel— is lireaki7tg.
He had h'oV— for his Zoue— for his country— he dua
They were all — that to life had intwiii'd him —
Nor soon— shall the t«ars of his country biplricd,
Nor long — will his love stay behind him
Oh ! make her a p-ace- where the sunkeanu rest.
When they promise a glorious morrow :
They'll shine o'er her sleep — lil^e a smile from the vecst,
From her own lov'd inland of sorrow
Oft I hear,
t/pon the silence of the midnight tir,
Celestial noices — swell in holy choivs '
That bears the soul — to heaven.
Impartial — as the grave.
Sleep, — rcbs the cruel tyrant — of liis pnwer.
Gives rest and freedom to the o'erwrought ilavet
And steals the wretched beggar— t'rcm hia team
PRINCIPLED OF ELOCUTION.
77
a 16. A too uw-frequent occurrence of ac-
cent, produces indistinctness ; because of the
rapidity with which the unaccented sounds
must be pronounced ; depending, as they do,
on the radical or accented vowels: in pro-
nouncing such words, be particular to con-
centrate the voice, strongly, on the accented
vowels ; and that will give you sufficient im-
pelling power, to carry you easily tlirough
the word. Ex. His dis-in-ter-est-ed-ness and
in-tel-li-gi-&i^-i-ty are a&-so-lute-ly in-ca'-pli-
ca-ble ; I un-Aes-i-ta-ting-ly say, that the un-
rea-son-a-ble-ness of tliat tri-per-son-al-ist's
scheme is an ir-re/-ra-ga-ble proof of lat-i-tu-
di-wa-ri-an-ism ; he spoke com-mw-ni-ca-tive-
ly of his in-rfis-so-lu-ble sZoy-en-li-ness, which
he, lii-e-ro-g-Z2/P^-i-cal-ly and per-em^-to-ri-ly
declared, was neither an-ti-pes-ti-Ze?i-tial, con-
graZ-u-la-to-ry, nor in-con-tro-?;ef-ti-ble.
a 17. Pay particular attention, not only to
the errors of foreigners, in pronunciation, but
also to those of o\ir own countrymen: let
nothing of importance escape your critical
observation: in this way, your voice, taste,
and ear, will be cultivated, and you will be
saved from such defects as would, if indulged
in, impede your progress in these arts, and
prevent you from being extensively useful in
your day and generation.
ais. He in-lay s the table with silver in-
lays. J;?.stinct is the power derived from
above, that determines the will of the brute
creation, while all nature is instinct with life
IVom the same source. The in-suLt returned
in-stUts the man, as it inter-dicts the mter-
cliange which invalids inter-chang'd for an
in-val-id wi-terdict. His mi-nute mis-corz-duct
every mm-ute that he miscon-ducts, mi-nute-
ly affects the lady min-utely.
319. Laughing Scientifically. The fol-
lowing suggestions are given for the forma-
, tionrof laughing glee clubs; in the hope that
this remarkably healthful and anti-melan-
choly exercise, may aid in accompUshing its
very beneficial effects in old and young, male
and female. Let a number of persons, say
six, or eight, form a circle, sitting, or stand-
ing, erectly, with the shoxilders throvm back,
and tlie leader commence, by giving one
laugh, in the use of tlie syllable huh : then, let
the one at his right hand repeat it, which is
to be reiterated by each one till it comes
round then, without any loss of time, let the
loader repeat tlie word, adding another, (huh,
h^-ih,) which is to be taken up as before by
the club ; and, as it comes to him the third
time, let him add anotlier, (huh^ huh, huh,)
and so on, till there follows a complete round
of shouts, and rosjrs of laughter.
Again— I feel my bosom bound,
My heart sits lightly on its seat;
My cares — are all in raphtre drown'd,
In every pulse — new pleasures bcal .
Proverbs. 1. Want of punctuality is a spe-
cies of falsehood. 2 Youth— is the best season <br
improvement. 3. No confidence can be placed in
those, who are in the habit of telling lies. i. Good,
and bad habits, formed during youth, generally go
with us during Ife. 5. Our best friends are those,
who tell us OUT faults, and teach us to correct them.
G. A kind word, or even a kind look, often affords
great comfort to the afflicted. 7. 'Tis not those
who read the rr.ost, that know xhe most; but, those
who refect and practice the most. 8. The sun—ii
never the worse for shining on a dunghill. 9. Trut
valor — is fire; bullying — is smoke. 10. Wealtli is
not his, who gets it; but his who enjoys it. 11. Dy
ing — is as natural as living. 12. All covet — all lose.
Anecdote. Sea-Laivyers. A member of
the bar, on his passage to Europe in a
steam vessel, observed a shark near them ;
and not knowing what it was, asked one of
the sailors ; who replied, with much gravity,
" Here, we csfll 'em sea-lawyers.^^
'K.jkowTk Tby our Fruits. A man — is
known by his words — as a tree — by its fruit;
and if we would be apprised of the nature
and qualities of any one, let him but dis-
course, and he will speak them to us, better'
than another can describe them. We may
therefore perceive hew proper it is — for those
to hold their ^wrgwes, who would not discover
the shallowness of their understandings.
Empty vessels — make the greatest sound, and
the deepest rivers — are most silent. It is a
true observation, that those who are weakest
in understanding, and slowest of apprehen
sion, are, generally, the most precipitate — ir.
uttering their crude conceptions.
Varieties. 1. Why is an egg — un-done,
hke an egg over-done'l Because, both are
hardly done. 2. A prying disposition — into
what doQS not cmicern one, and a tat] ing
tongue — are two very common evils. 3. The
bones of birds are hollow, and filled with air,
instead of marrow ; hence their power of
making sound. 4. Unprofitable speech — is like
the cypress, which is great and tall, yet bears
no fruit. 5. Nature, in too many instances,
is pushed from her throne; the world havinii
lost its relish for her tynith and punty. 6.
Swift — dedicated one volume of his works to
^'Prince Posterity;''' and tliere is wawZmess in
the act. 7. Every advancement in good, is a
delivery from evil influences; and every fall
in evil, is a victory, obtained by them ovei
the soul.
If we are wise—arA Indge aright, there's scarce
An ill of life (however keen or hard
To bear), but good may be extracted thence '.
Tis so by Providence ordained, to those
Who seek for light— nmld tlie shade of gloom.
It is, indeed, a sombre sky, where not
One cheerful speck appears. Wiy gaze alone
On that, which doth appal tlie soul, and pass
The cheering ray, which, constant gazing on,
Might so expand, to chase the sombre cloud?
78
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTIONS.
aao. There are words, as we have seen,
tliat are spelt alike, but pronounced different-
ly, by changing tlie seat of accent : because
the meaning is different : and there are words,
spelt nearly alike, and pronounced by some
alike, though incorrectly ; and the conse-
quence often is, a complete perversion of the
sense. A minister took for his text, the fol-
lowing very comprehensive words ; " He that
feareth God, and worketh righteousness, is
accepted of liim." But instead of reading it
as contained in the Bible, he perverted it, by
saying : " He that feareth God, and worketh
righteousness, is fa:-cepted of him :" that is
left out s excluded.
3-il. Practice on the following, and simi-
lar words, and distinguish tlie voV)el sounds
by their appropriate pronunciation. The ab-
o-/i-tion niove-ment is ac-cep^-ed by some,
and ex-cepi-eA by others. 2. Being con-fi-
dent of his con-fi-dant, the j»er-son-age work-
ed the ^-na-ry, by the par-son-age of his
^-na-ry. 3. The rarf-ish pen-daxii, looking
red-ish, was pen-deni in tlie nose of the
bar-on whose lands were bar-ren. 4. His
sal-a.-ry was cel-e-ry, because he hved under
the cap-i-iol in the cflp-i-tal of the state, op-
posite the office that was op-po-site to his
purpose.
ii'i^. Telling Stories. Who has not ob-
served the intense interest, manifested by
children, in hearing one another tell stories?
They will sit up tiU midnight, without being
sleepy; and are generally driven to their
homes, or their bed. How readily they re-
member, and relate interesting stories to their
companions, days, weeks, and months, and
even years, after first hearing tliem : the rea-
son is, they not only see and understand these
tales, but feel them intensely ; and hence,
they easily get them by heart, as it is called.
Why have not teachers long since taken a
hint of the mode, in which to communicate
all the varieties of scientific, and useful knowl-
edge to their pupils ? Let them take turns in
telling stories after their teachers ; and if their
exercises are judiciously managed, as they
may be, they will be found exceedingly amus-
ing, and promotive of a very rapid devel-
opment of mind.
Anecdote. BoiChle Meaning. An illiter-
ate personage, who always volunteered — to
go round with liis hat, was suspected of spa-
ring his own pocket. Overhearing, one day
a remark, to that effect, he made the follow-
ing reply : " Other gentlemen puts down
what they think proper, and so do I. Chari-
ty's a private concern, and what I give is
nothing to nobody.^^
Dost thou knowtl\e fate of soldiers?
They're but ambitioti's tools— to cut a way
To her unlawful ends; and when they're worn,
Hacked, hnen — with co)istant service^ thrown aside,
To rust -It. peace, or rot— in hospitals.
Proverbs. 1 . Be puntlua. — m a J your ap
pointments, and honest — in all your dealings. 2.
Always live so that the world may be the betur, foi
your living in it. 3. Never make sport of an in-
sane, or intoxicated person. 4. Let the law of
kindness — be ever on your tongue. 5. In comer-
sation, seek out acceptable words. 6. Never re-
quire favors, but ask for them. 7. Avoid doing
things, that are calculated to excite attention. S.
liCarn to practice self -denial, when it will promote
the happiness of others. 9. Kindly and faithfuUy
remind your friends and companions, of their
faults. 10. Be accurate in every thing. 11. No
rose without a thorn. 12. Pride— will have a/a/J.
Discovery of Glass. Pliny informs us,
that the art of making glass — was acciden-
tally discovered by some merchants, who
were travehng with nitre, and stopped near a
river, issuing from Mount Carmel. Not find
ing anything to rest tlieir kettles on, tlie>
used some pieces of nitre for that purpose
The nitre gradually dissolving by the heat,
mixed with the sand, and a transparent mat-
ter flowed, which was in feet glass. It is cer-
tain that we are often more indebted to appa-
rent chance, than genius — for many of the
most valuable discoveries: therefore every
one should keep his eyes and ears open, — his
thoughts and feelings awake and active.
Varieties. 1. fTAy should any one think
it a disgrace — to work for his living 1 2. In-
vestigate every subject, with which you be-
come acquainted, until you understand i1
thoroughly. 3. "I'll try," is a plant, that
would flourish in the f7-igid zone ; " I can't,'
would be barren any where. 4. Never con-
demn another, for not knowing- what yott
have just learned ; or perhaps do not clearly
understand. 5. No tongue can tell, or intel-
lect perceive, the full import of the word
HOME. 6. The trtce christian religion — is a
divine wardrobe, containing garments for all
kind^ and orders of wearers. 7. As the soul
advances in true resignation of its own will,
to the will of God, every principle andfacul^
ty of mind — ^becomes sanctified, even down
into the life of the senses.
Weep not, that Time
Is passing on, — it will— ere long, reveal
A brighter era to the nations. Hark!
Along the vales— and mountains of the earth
There is a deep, portentous m%irmuring,
Like the swift rush — of subterranean streams ;
Or like the mingled sounds of ear«A and air,
When the fierce Tempest, with sonorous wing,
Heaves his deep folds upon the rushing winds,
And hurries onward— WiXh. his niglit of c&m<fc
Against the eternal mountains. 'Tis the voice
Of infant Freedom, — and her stirring call
Is heard — and ansioered — in a thousand tones,
From every hill-lop of her Western hom^, —
And lo, it breaks across old Ocean's flood,— [shout
And '^'^ Freedom! Freedom!" is the answering
Of nations, starting from the spell of years
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
7fi
!133. When accented and unaccented syl-
lables are agreeably Interspersed through the
words, neither a heavy utterance, nor indis-
tinctness occurs. Ex. "Not so, when swift
Camilla scours the plain, Flies o'er the un-
bending com, and skims along the main."
Now, compare the movement of the voice in
this, with the following, and see and feel the
difference : " And ten low words oft creep in
one dull line." The former is like a nag, that
gallops off in fine style ; the latter, one that
creeps, like a snaiL The reason is, as you
perceive, in one case, there is life and light ;
in the other, nothing but words.
aa*. Neither teachers nor parents, can be
too wisely careful of the influence, exerted
upon their pwptZs and children: for principles
apply to both matter and spirit. " Just as
the twig is bent, the tree's inclined." Again,
since thoughts are imperishable existences,
we should be careful in entertaining and
cherishing any other, than such as we are
willing to have for our companions on earth,
and during our eternal state of being in the
future world. Here, then, is something for
all of us to attend to; and unspeakable con-
sequences are depending on the performance
of duty. Are we of the number of those, who
turn back in the day of battle 1 or, of those
who gird on their armor, to do, or die ?
aas. Position in Bed. There is no doubt,
that the habit of forming round or hump'd
shoulders, (which is rarely, if ever, natural,)
is contracted in infancy, end childhood. The
incautious mother, not understanding the
principles of physiology, lays the infant on a
pillow of feathers, instead of on a good mat-
tress, or straw bed, without pillows; thus,
elevating the head far too much above the le-
vel of the body ; and this practice is continued
in after-liffe, very much to the detriment of
health, and beauty of form. If necessary,
raise the Aead-posts of the bedstead a few
inches, instead of using pillows.
Notes. 1. Observe, tliat when the accent h at, or ntar, the
^tginnins; of the word, it materially aids the expulsive stress of
voice, carrying us more easily through the word, than when it is
placed near the last end : the genius of our language is in favor of
the former ; hence, the tendency is to place the acceat at the be-
finnins ; which makes language more powerful and effective. 2.
In Yunniiig, the impetus of preceding efforts carries us on after
Ibc^e efforts have ceased.
Anecdote. A Tough Animal. " The con-
stitution of our females must be excellentr
says a celebrated physician; "for, take an
ox, or a horse, and enclose his sides with cor-
sets,— and he would labor indeed, — but it
would be for breath:'
Nothing— li lasting— on the world's wide stage,
As mng, and wisely sung, the Grecian sage ;
And man, who, through the globe — extends his sway
Reigns — but the sovereign creature — of a iay ;
One generation comes, aiiother — goes.
Time— blends the happy— yrxVn the man of VKt;
A different /ace of things — each age appears,
And all thiae;--a2(er -in a course oiyeart.
Proverbs. 1. He iv ho mar* .es for weiUh, sells
hxs liberty. 2. A/rtend, which you buy with pre-
smts, may be boicght from you. 3. Ladies — will
soonei pardon want of sense, than want of good
manners. 4. The remedy for love is — land between.
5. You may know a foolish woman— by her fin-
ery. 6. Temperance, employment, and » cheerful
spirit — are great preservers and restorers of health.
7. Many a one digs his grave with his teeth 8
The epicure — puts his purse in his stomach; aivS
the m.iser — his stomach in his purse. 9. Change ot
weat/ier is the discourse o( fools. 10. "We hate do
lay; but it often makes us wiser. 11. Talking—
does no work. 12. Fast labor is pleasavJ.
liaconics. Never mystify science; but,
if 2>ossible, always ehicidate it. Knowledgo
— is too important — to be made the subject
of a silly yofee.
Varieties. 1. If content does not remove
the disquietudes of life, it will at least alleviate
them. 2. Can matter ever be annihilated ?
3. Every sentence we read under standingly,
is like a cast of the weavers shuttle, adding
another thread to the web of life. 4. They,
who are governed by reason, need no other
motive than the goodness of an act, to excite
them to practice it. 6. A reading people wik
become a thinking people ; and then, they
are capable of becoming a great people. 6.
A diligent pen supplies many thoughts. 7.
Nothing but divine Inve, and divine wisdom,
can proceed ft-om God, the centre of all beings
BEATH OF A HHAKT-FRIEND.
If I had thought — thou couldst have died,
I might not weep for thee ;
But I forgot, when by thy side,
That thou couldst mortal be.
It never through my mind had passed,
The time would e'er be o'er,
And I on tlue — should look my last,
And thou shouldst smile — no more !
And still — upon that /ace I look,
And think — Hwill smile again ;
And still the thought— I loill not brook
That I must look in vain!
But when I speak, — thou dost not say,
What thou ne'er !eft'.st unsaid ;
And now I feel, as well I may.
Sweet Mary I thou art dead !
If thou wouldst stay, e'en as thou art.
All coZd— and all serene, —
I still might press thy silent heart,
And where thy smiles have been !
While e'en thy chill, bleak corse I have
Thou seemest still my own ;
But there I lay thee— in thy grave,—
And I am now — alone!
I do not think, where''er thou art,
Thou hast forgotten me ;
And Z, perhaps, may soothe this heart
In iVinking, too, of thee.
Yet there was round thee — such a dawL
Of light, ne'er seen before,
As fancy -never could have drawn^
And never can restore !
80
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
3SI6. Revisions. The great practical im-
portance of this subject, demands a passing
remark. In revisiyig, we not only gather up
thefragmetits, but refresh our minds with a
reproduction of what we previously had
learned. By reviewing our studies, we often
find the matej-ials, with which we can over-
come difficulties, that seem sdmost insur-
mountable ; hence, revisions frequently serve
as a Jcey, to unlock the casket, that contains
invaluable treasures. And we must guard
against thinking of the principles, as being
jXMitained in the book ; unless they are un-
derstood and felt in the mind, and by the
mind, and through the body are reduced to
practice, they are, so far as we are concerned,
talueless and dead. Seeing food, or think-
vig of it, will impart no nourishment to tlie
body; it must be eaten, digested, and appro-
priated.
337. Now repeat all the sounds of tlie let-
ters, in their alphabetical order, as found on
page 63 ; omitting those that are dujdicates ;
then give the vowels and consonants, by them-
selves; afterwards, give the short vowels,
and the long ones by tliemselves, and read
several paragraphs by vowel sounds; after
which, give the vocal consonants, and aspi-
rates, by themselves: then tlie single, dou-
ble, and triple ones, and analyze words,
spelling them by their sounds; also, raise
and fall the eight vowels, according to the di-
atonic scale, in article 64; then revise the
two modes of making accent; practice on
tlie changes of its seat, and reahze the impor-
tant use of every exercise.
33S. The pre-con-tract ^re-con-tracts the
pre-fix which is Y>^e-Jixed to the prel-Mde,
with which the speaker ipTe-ludes the pres-
ent pres-age, that he pre-sog-'d the man would
r>re-sent. The prod-\ice of the land was such
as to i)TO-duce a pro-ject to iiro-test against
the man who pro-Jects the infamous jyrot-est
against the reb-el that re-bels against the
law. I re-fuse to re-cord either the ref-use or
*he rcc-ord, or re-tail them by wholesale or
n'-tail.
339. A Dandy of some use. Let the pu-
pil impress on his mind tlie absolute necessi-
ty, for awhile, of keeping his shoulders
thrown back, so as to make the breast as
round and prominent as possible : and then,
after a few days, or weeks at fartliest, he will
feel very uncomfortal)le to sit, stand, or labor,
in a bent position. But, says one, " I should
look so much like a dandy." Never mind
that, provided it be right} and if you can
make this much use of so superfluous an ar-
ticle, it may serve to show you, that nothing
exlics in vain : think of the wisdom and in-
dusirj' of the bee.
TThis smooth dhcourse,— and mild behavior, oft
Conceals — a traitor.
Proverbs. 1 . Never repulse an associate witfc
unkindness. 2. Love one another with a pun
heart fervently. 3. Tlie morality of the christian
religion, is not national, but universal. 4. Pru-
dence says— take time by the foretop. 5. A bird in
the hand, is worth two in the bicsh. C. The dili-
gent soul, shall be made rich. 7. Knowledge— -is.
power; ignorance— is weakness. 8. An egg to
day, is better than a hen to-morrow. 9. Worldly
reputation and sengnal pleasure, are destructive lo
virtue. 10. The history and wisdom of the world,
can only be known by reading. 11. We are to be
saved from our sins, not in our sins. 12. What-
ever is worth reading at all, is worth reading weU.
Anecdote. Afraid of Work. A person
once said to a father, whose son was noted
for his laziness, that he thought his son was
very much afraid of work. "Afraid qf
work .?" replied the father, " not at all, — he
will li£ down, and go to sleep close by the
side of it."
RiSbt Views. The more we ascribe all
goodness and truth — to the Lord, the more
— will the interiors of the mind, be open to-
wards heaven, the only source of happiness :
for by thus doing, we acknowledge tliat notli-
ing good and true is from ourselves ; and, in
proportion as this is heartily confessed, the
love of self — departs, and with it — the thick
darkness, which arises from that which is
false and evil : thus it is evident, how one —
becomes wiser than another. As the exhala-
tions from the earth — rise and form clouds,
more or less dense, thus obscuring the atmos-
phere, and preventing the clear light of the
sun ; so, do the exhalations of se^-love — arise
and obscure the light of Divine truth, — of
that Sun, which rules the world of mind.
Varieties; 1. Does pain or pleasure-
predominate in human hfe ] 2. WeddedUfe
says a happy husband, is a perpetual /ow/?-
tain of domestic sweets. 3. Drinking watei
— neither malces a man sick, nor runs him in
debt, nor makes his wife a ividow : can a>
much be said of ardent spirits ? 4. He, who
peeps through a keyhole, may see something
to vex him. 5. That gentleness, which if
characteristic of a good man, like every other
virtue, has its seat in the heart : and nothing
but whatjioivs from the heart — can render
even external manners, truly pleasing. 6.
The Lord came to seek and save those wlio
arc lost : and he saves all who are willing to
be saved. 7. Love - principles and genuine
truth, respect each other according to degrees
of affinity : and the greater the affinity, tli«
greater is the attraction between them.
Morning — hath her songs of gladness,
Sultry nooti — its ferved glare,
Evening hours, their gentle sadness,
Night — its dream.s, and rest from ca'e;
But the pensive twilight — ever
Gives its oivn sweet fancies birth,
Waking visions, that may never
Know realitv — on enrth.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
81
330. Orthography — relates to the right
placing of the letters in words, and Orthoepy
-to the right prononncing of words, accord-
ing to the sounds of the letters, — the former
— ^respects written language, and is addressed
to the eye ; and the latter, spoken language,
and is addressed to tlie ear; the first supposes
the second We may infer the perfection,
uliich the ancient Greeks attained, in or-tho-
e-py, from this fact, that when a public spea-
Jcer — even pronounced a word incorrectly, the
whole audience simultaneously hissed him.
Whence did they acquire such accuracy of
ear] Doubtless, in spelling by the sounds
of their letters, instead of by their names.
When we adopt this method, which nature
and science dictate, we shall attain like excel-
lency in pronvmciation, and our language
will then be found to contain more power and
svjeetness than any other in the world.
831. Pronunciation — is orthoepy, or the
right utterance of words ; i. e. pronouncing
words according to euphony, analogy and
custom, which constitute the standard. The
principal rule is, pronounce in the easiest and
most effectual manner : and, when words are
introduced from other languages, they should
be pronounced according to the principles of
our language ; that is, they must conform to
the genius of tlie English language, as for-
eigners do to that of our constitution, when
they become naturalized, — abjuring /oreigw,
uncongenial influences and principles, and
submitting to ours.
233. Our Orthography and Orthoepy.
Many foreigners and natives find it difficult
to speak our language, in consequence of the
great difference between its spelling and its
pro7iu7idation, and the various sounds given
to tlie same letters in similar, and in different
combinations ; and, although, for the last two
centuries, our orthography has remained
nearly stationary, yet our ortheopy has been
very much changed ; which may be seen in
comparing the Bible, translated under James
I., with the common edition. Different per-
sons have proposed different means, for over-
coming these difficulties, and nearly all
without much success; wJiich is the less to
i)V. regret-ted, when we consider how little the
viiice and ear have been developed and culti-
vated, and thereby prepared to meet the exi-
gencies of the case. It is now seen, on a
foithful analysis and synthesis of their labors
to revolutionize our language in these re-
spects, that each reformer's system is found
to be very imperfect ; but the good work is
going on slowly ; and, in process of time,
it will be accomplished; very much to the
disappointment of fcoofe-worms, and to the
gratification of that spirit of the age, which
looha more to the uses of things, than to their
looks.
BRONSON. G
Proverbs. 1. Reprove mildly, and correci
with caution. 2. Let us creep before we walk, and
walk before -we fly. 3. One book, w«ll read, is
worth twenty skimmed over. 4. The greatest
wealth— is contentment with a little. 5. A letter-
is half a meeting. 6. We may read mucli, witli-
out understanding much. 7. Presence of mind.
is necessary at all times. 8. Little boats sliould
keep near shore; great ones — may venture more
9. I confide, and am at rest. 10. While tliere is
life, tliere is hope. 11. He attains whatever he
aims at. 12. A good story, is none the worse <b\
being twice told.
Anecdote. Dying hut Once. When Ce«
sar was advised, by some of his friends, to be
more cautious as to the security of liis per-
son, and not to walk among the people with-
out arms, or any one to protect him; he
replied, — " He, who lives in the /ear of death,
every moment feels its tarture; I will die
but once."
liaconlos. A life of deceit — is one of un-
mitigated torture — a living hell, which should
deserve our pity for the unhappy beings wh 3
submit to it.
Varieties. 1 . Are not the unity and trin-
ity of God, the elemental and fundamental
principles of christian theology ? 2. Charac-
ter, based on goodness and truth, is a source
of eternal happiness. 3. We are made what
we are, by what is from above, within, and
around us. 4. God gives to all, the power
of becoming what they ought to be. 5. A
fuU persuasion of our ability to do V}ell, is i\
powerful motive to excellence, and a sure
pledge of success. 6. It is our duty, and our
Iiappiness, to feel for others, and take an in-
terest in their welfare. 7. The action of life,
is desire ; as is the desire and delight, with its
consequent actions, such is the life.
THE GOODNESS OF PROVIDENCE
The Lord — my pasture shall prepare,
AnA feed me — with a shepherd''s care ;
His presence — shall my wants supply,
And guard me — with a watchful eye;
My noon-day walks — he shall attend,
And all my midnight hours — defend.
When, in the sultry glebe— I faint,
. Or, on the thirsty mountains pant ;
To fertile vales, and dewy meads^
My weary, wand''ring steps he leads,
Where peaceful rivers, soft and slow,
Amid the verdant landscape flow.
Though— in the paths of death— I tread,
With gloomy horrors — overspread,
My steadfast heart—shall fear no ill ;
For thou, O Lord, art with me still :
Thy friendly crook — shall give me aid.
And guide me— through the diieadful $fiade.
Though in a bare— and rugged way,
Through devioMs— lonely wilds I stray,
Thy bounty— shall my pains beguile;
The barren wilderness — shall smile.
With sudden greens— and herbage crowne<l,
And Btreams— shall murmur all around.
82
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
$S33. Pronunciation — should be so sys-
tematic, as to render it capable of being stu-
died from its elementary priiicij)les, and be-
come an object of methodical acquirement.
Every thing involved in producing sounds,
in the conformation of the organs in articu-
lation, the application of all that belongs to
accented, /m//-accented, and wn-accented
vowels, and every principle of melody and
euphony — are included in pronunciation,
and tends to its perfection : but the ancients
included also Emphasis, Intonation, Inflec-
tion, Circumfiexes and tlie other essentials of
delivery.
234. If the great object of pronimciation
be, to produce the designed effect, in the best
manner, we shall find it necessary to attend
not only to the preceding principles, and
iheir application, but to watch over useless
innovations, and inclinations to senseless
changes, — desires to be what is called fash-
ionable— regardless of reason, and ambitious
to shine as a leader in some pecuUar pronim-
ciation : then, our language will bear a rigid
comparison with any other, either ancient or
modem, when ends, causes and ejfects are ta-
ken into consideration. Let us not, then, de-
viate from established principles, and rules,
without good and satisfactory reasons.
^t35» Action and Reaction. Have you
ever particularly noticed, the reciprocal ac-
tion between the voice and the mind, the
tongue and the heart ? Well might the apos-
tle exclaim, "How great a matter a little
fixe kindleth !" The tongue is full of pow-
er for weal, or for wo, according to the state
of the heart, that impels it to action. What
is there, that cannot be talked up, or talked
down by itl It is full of blessing, or curs-
ing— Ume or hatred; and oh! how it can
sting the soul, when it has been dipped in
the gall and wormwood of hell ; and how lift
it to heaven, when fired with celestial love.
ZVoteS. Always infill, perfectly, the accented vcnod, and
mart so, in proportion as the word is important ; i. e. shape the
Towe] sound completely, by the appropriate organs, and give it all
its necessary power, filling it full of the influence of the mind, in
the proportion as you wish your ideas to be impressive and abiding.
Mind possesses a magnifying power over words, making them
mean more than they naturally do : which will be perfectly obvi-
ous m the specific practice of the principles which we are gradu-
ally approaching.
Anecdote. "I suppose," (said an arrant
quack, while feeling the pulse of his patient,)
»' that you think me a. fool.'' " Su-," (replied
the sick man,) " I perceive you can discover
a man's thoughts by his pulse."
If all our hopes and all om fears,
Were prisoned in life's narrow bound;
If, travders through this vale of tears,
We saw no better world beyond ;
■Oh! what could check the rising 5tg&.'
What earthly thing, could pleasures give?
tOh! who would venture then, to die,
■Or who would venture then, to live *
Proverbs. 1. The eotiduct of men is an in-
dex to their hearts ; for by iheirfruits ye shall hnow
them. 2. In arduous and trying circumstancee
preserve equanimity; and in prosperous hours,
restrain the ebullitions of excessive joy. 3. Those
things that belong to others generally please ms ;
while those that are our own are more valued by
others. 4. Attach yourself to good company aail
you will be respected as one of them. 5 Tine
most distinguished men, of all ages, have hod
their imperfections. 6. Ct/Jfrng-^ests, when the sa-
tire is true, niflicts a wound that is not soon forgoU
ten. 7. Nothing is more dingusting, than a low-
bred /eZ^w, when he suddenly attains an elevated
station. 8. Either never attempt a thing, or aceotft-
pUsh it. 9. Fortune — favors the bold, and aband-
ons the timid. 10. Acts of kindness, shown to
good men, are never thrown away. 11. War — is
death's jest. 12. Of two evils— choose the least.
Varieties. 1. If you make a present,
give what wUl be useful. 2. Do not the
wings, that form the butterfly, lie folded in
the worm 1 3. Language — should first be
learned by imitation. 4. One of the greatest
obstacles, in the road to excellence, is indo-
lence. 5. Humility — is that low, sweet root,
from which all heavenly virtues shoot. 6.
Acquire a thorough knowledge of all your
duties. 7. God — is an infinite abyss of wis-
dom: which is not comprehensible — either
by men or angels, as to one millionth of ita
parts: of its infinite store, they are to receive
fresh supplies to all eternity.
THE mother's injunction, ON PBIESENTINO HEB EOB
WITH A BIBLE.
Remember love, who gave thee this,
When other A&ys shall come ;
When she, who had thy earliest kiss,
Sleeps— \n her narrow home.
Remember, 'twas a wofAer— gave
The gift to one— she'd die to save.
That mother— sought a pledge oilave.
The holiest— (ox her son ;
And, from the gifts of God above,
She chose a goodly one
She chose, for her beloved boy,
The source of light, and life, and joy,
And bade him keep the gift, — that, whiKi
The parting hour would come,
They might have hope — to meet again.
In an eternal home.
She said — his {aithin that — would be
Sweet incense— to her memory.
And should the scoffer, in his pride,
Laugh that fond faith to scorn.
And bid him cast the pledge aside,
That— he from youth had borne;
She bade him pause, and ask his breast,
If he, OTshe, had loved him bist?
A parenfs blessing on her son
Goes with this hqjy thing;
The love, that would retain the one.
Must to the other cling.
Remember! 'tis no idle toy,
A morter's gift, Bemember, boy/
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
83
336. The only way that provincialisms,
foreign accents and brogues, can be removed,
is by individual attention to the first princi-
vles of our language, as here exhibited, and.
At the same time, following- a teacher who
can give the true English pronunciation ,-
for sounds can only be learned by imitation ;
and this is the way in which Elocution and
Music must be taught. Our language has
Buffered, and is suffering, greatly, oy being
improperly taught hy foreigners, wlao can-
not pronounce one half of our words with
propriety. But a teacher may be able to pro-
nounce single words with a good degree of
correctness, and yet be unable to deliver se7i-
tences, in a proper manner. A few minutes
every day, for a few weeks, devoted to the
study and practice of these principles, will
enable almost any one to discover and amend
his errors and defects in articulating our for-
ty-four sounds, and pronouncing correctly,
the words in common use ,- and if spelling by
sounds and by sight, be faithfully practiced,
one may secure another rare excellence, —
that of writing our words with correctness
and despatch.
837. Every thing in the universe, both of
mind and oi matter, exists in reference to cer-
tain fixed pi-inciples, which are called laws
of order, originating in tlie Great First
Cause, and thence emanating throughout all
creation, animate and inanimate: and so
long and so far, as these Isiws are obeyed, we
are shielded from all evils, physical and spiri-
tual : hence, if a man suffers, either in mind,
or body, from within, or without, the cause
of the suffering is an infringement of the
Laws of Life. Such, then, are our constitu-
tions, and relations, that we cannot will,
think, or act, without obeying, or violating,
these laws of Life, of Being, of God. Oh the
fengths, the breadths, the heighths, and the
depths of the wisdom and love of God, as
aianifested in the creation, redemption, and
^ALVATIOir or MAX.
Anecdote. Pity. A would-be orator, of
"ery moderate abilities, after a long- ha-
angue, asked a real friend, if he did not ex-
nte much compassion. He replied, "most
'.ertainly, you did sir ; every one of the au-
Hence pitied you most heartily.^^
•' The way was long, the wind was cold,
The minstrel — was infirm, and old ;
His wither' d cheek — and tresses gray,
Seem'd to have known a better day.
The harp, his sole remaining joy.
Was carried— by an orphan boy."
Ve- -'et the tender office long engage,
fo rock the cradle of reponiiig age ;
tVith lenient arts — extend a mother's breath.
Make languor smile, and smooth the bed of death ;
Explore the thought, explain the asking eye,
And keep, a while, one parent from the sky I
Proverbs. 1. Neither great p&nerty nor
great riches will hear reason. 2. Wine — is a turn-
coat ; first a. friend, then an enemy. 3. Diet and
exercise are the two physicians of nature. 4.
There is many a good Aow«e-wife that can't sing,
or dance. 5. Love — can neither be bought, n»»r
sold. 6. He, that is a wise man, by day, is i.o
fool by night. 7. The society of ladies— \9 a
school of politeness. 8. An enemy to beauty is
a. foe to nature. 9. When a man's coat is thread-
bare, it is easy to pick a hole in it. 10. The study
of vain things— is laborious idleness. 11. No
mine equal to saving. 12. Dependence is a poor
trade. 13. All is good that is useful.
CoKTEXTMKNT — ^produces, in some meas-
ure, all those effects, which the alchymist
usually ascribes to what he calls the philoso-
pher's stone ; and if it does not bring riches,
it does the same thing, by banishing the de-
sire of them. If it cannot remove the dis-
quietudes, arising from a man's mind, body
or fortune, it makes him easy under them.
It has indeed, a kindly influence on the soul
of man, in respect of every be;ng to whom he
stands related. It extinguishes all murmur,
repining, and ingratitude, towards that Be-
ing, who has allotted him his part to act in
this world. It destroys all inordinate ambi-
tion, and every tendency to corruption, with
regard to the community wherein he is plac-
ed. It gives sweetness to his conversation,
and a perpetual serenity — to aU his thoughts.
Varieties. Is it not strange, that nations
of men could ever have admitted into their
creed, the idea of a plurality of Gods ; when
the whole of Nature bears on it so distinctly
the impress of one mind 1 2. He is not the
best reader, who speaks his words most rapid-
ly ,- but he who does justice to them, by pro-
nouncing them correctly, and effectively. 3.
If a person delights in telling you the faults
of others, be sure he intends to tell others
your faults. 4. Never be a minute too late.
5. Avoid loud talking and laughing in the
streets. 6. The moral and intellectual man,
seems to mould and modify the physical
man. 7. We are filled with the life of heaven,
just so far as we are emptied of our oum, and
find m us an utter inability to do good, with-
out divine assistance.
A cloud lay cradled— near the setting sun—
A gleam of crimson — tinged ita braided snow;
Long had I watched the glory — moving on,
O'er the still radiance — of the lake below.
Tranquil its spirit seemed— and floated slow;
Ee'n in its very motion— there was rsst.
While every breath of cue, that chanced to blow.
Wafted the traveler— to the beauteous west-'
Emblem, methought, of the departed soul.
To whose white robe, the gleam of bliss is given,
And by the breath of mercy— made to roll
Right onward— to the golden gates of heavenf
Where, to the eye of faith, it peaceful lies,
And tella to man— his glorious destiniti.
84
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
338. Pronundaiion, as has been observed,
had a very comprehensive meaning among
the ancients, taking in the whole compass of
delivery, and involving every thing we see
and hear in modern elocution : it is now con-
fined within narrower limits, and has refer-
ence only to the manner of sounding words.
It is much to be regretted, that there is not
•iiore agreement, even among hterary and
•cientific men, with regard to this important
oranch of our subject : but when we reflect,
♦hat not one m a hundred, takes it up syste-
matically, and masters its principles, it is not
su .-prising that there is so much discrepancy.
This consideration of inattention to the sub-
ject should put us on our guard against fol-
lowmg their examples in every respect, and
of yielding implicit obedience to their whims
and oddities. There is so much self-love and
pride of intelligence, as well as passion for
novelty, prevalent in the world, that the stu-
dent in elocution, as well as in every thing
else, should cleave to acknowledged and well
estabUshed principles; and regard what is
most useful instead of what is new.
339. There are general as well as specific
rules, for pronunciation: a partial idea of
which, may be obtained IVom this manual of
Elocution. The author has been engaged,
for many years, in compihng a Dictionary,
on an entirely neiu plan, so arranged, that
when one has learned the definitions of a few
hundred words, he can accurately define as
many thousands^ and with the use of his
perfect alphabet, he will know the sound of
every letter, the instant he sees it, and how
to pronounce each word, withoiit re-spelling,
with the same facility. All things are gov-
erned by fixed principles, when they are in
true order; and when the principles of Pro-
nunciation are properly developed, and ap-
plied, they will be found as simple and eff'ec-
iive, as those of Elocution and Music.
Notes. 1. As the voice is often affected, by a derangement
of the respiratory and artictUaiing organs : a few observations are
made on tome of their causes and remedies. 2. Colds and Coughs
—are tlie eBects of sudden exposure to a cold atmosphere, by
wliich tlie pore* of the skin, (which is an exhaUnt surface,) be-
comes constringed and obstructed ; which obstructions may be re-
moved, by restoring to the sltin, (which is the ra/eiy-valve of the
tystein,) its usual offices. When one has taken cold, the mncus
nieinbrane of the lungs, and air passages, (vrhich are also exha-
lunts.) emit a new fluid— to compensate for the interruption in the
ofiRcfj of the surface of the body ; and, as this new secretion con-
cists of humors, which can be of no further use to the system, it
excit'se a muscular effort, called a Cough ; by which it is detached
from the surface o' this inner skin, and expectorated. One of the
bert lemedies is a Vapor Bath, with an application of cold water,
aud friction tmmediately after.
Anecdote. A parish clerli. having, accor-
ding to custom, published the banns of matri-
mony, between a loving couple, was followed
by the minister, who gave out the hymn,
commencing with these words — ^'■Mistaken
souls! that dream of Heaven.''^
Ricson gains all men —by compelling— none.
Proverbs. 1. Endeavoj to Improve in con-
versation. 2. He who is wise i.n small malt«i>i,
will be wise in larffe ones. 3. Never say a. fool-
ish thing. 4. None can speak so feehnsly of an
advantage, as he who has suffered by neglecting
it. 5. Let not the sun go down on your wrath.
6. Our minds are moulded and fashioned by the
books we read. 7. Better be good, and not aeeiR
so, than seem good, and not be so. 8. A pleasant
journey is dearly bought, with the loss of koma.
9. He, only, is a man, who governs himself. 10.
Ml have power to distinguish between right,
and wrong. 11. Turn a deaf ear to obscene
words 12. ./fH things are proven by contrast.
Good Sense. It will preserve us from cert-
soriousness; will lead us to distinguish dV'
cumstances; keep us from looking after vis-
ionary perfection, and make us see things u)
their proper light. It will lead us to study
dispositions, peculiarities, accommodations;
to weigh consequences; to determine what
to observe and what to pass by; when to be
immoveable, and when to yield. It will pro-
duce good manners, keep us from taking
freedoins, and handhng things roughly; will
never agitate claims of superiority, but teach
us to submit ourselves one to another. Good
sense — will lead persons to regard their own
duties, rather than to recommend those of
others.
Varieties. 1. Is not a true knowledge of
the Divine Being, the foundation of religion,
and the corner-stone of the church? 2.
Every improper indulgence of the passions,
increases their strength for evil. 3 Few
seem to be aware, how much depends on the
culture of our social nature. 4. It is a great
happiness — to be free from suspicion; but a
greater, to be free from offence. 5. To be
without passion, is worse than a beast; and
to be without reason, is worse than a man.
6. The refined pleasures of a truly pious
mind, are far superior to the coarse gratifica-
tions of sense. 7. God gave no faculty of
mind, or body, to men, but those which he
meant slaould be exerted, and hoiior him in
his design; the perversion of those faculties,
and acting from, in, and by them, contrary
to God's design, makes the evil, disease, and
death.
THE DAY OF LIFE.
The morning hours— of cheerful light.
Of all the day— are best ;
But, as they speed their hasty flight,
If every hour— be spent aright.
We sweetly sink— to sleep— at night.,
And pleasant— is our rest.
And life— ia like a summer^s day.
It seems so quickly past :
Youth — ia the morning, bright, and gay ,
And, if 'tis spent in wisdom^s way,
Wa meet old age — without dismay.
And death— is sweet— at last.
Oft, the cloud, that wraps the present hour.
Lives— hnt to brighten— all out future days.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
86
840. Pauses, aie indications of silence;
rhey were introduced with the art of printing ;
and it is questionable, whether they have aid-
ed us much in learning to read or speak : for
if there were no pauses, we should be com-
pelled to exercise the mind, so far as neces-
sary to understand the author. Pauses in
speech, are analagous to rests in music ; and
there are seven different kinds in each art ; all
of which must be thoroughly understood, in
their essence, to read, write, or sing correctly.
The true principles of notation, or pauses,
are found only in the measure of speech,
which is based on the philosophy of mind,
involving the exercise of thinking and feel-
in?;. The use of pauses is to aid in making
the seme clearer, and should be only just long
enough to answer their end.
ail. There are two kixds of pauses, —
Grammatical and Rhetorical. Grammatical
pauses are distinguished by characters, and
are addressed to the eye, as well as to the ear.
The shortest pause is called a comma, (»)
which indicates a silence of one second. The,
teacher is recommended to count, at every
pause, while the pupil reads ; the same as is
done at the rests in music ; this exercise, is
the surest to accomplish the object. Ex. 1.
Do to others, as you would they should do to
you. 2. None can be a disciple of the graces,
but in the school of virtue. 3. Be armed
with courage, against thyself, against thy
passions, and against ihy flatterers. 4. Every
leaf, every twig, and every drop of water,
teems with life. 5. The colors of the rairv-
bow SiTe — violety indigo, blue, green, yellow,
orange and red.
»4:3. Examples to Illustrate the Pauses.
The three grand degrees of all existences are
— what is natural, humax and DIVINE.
The three grand divisions of all natural
things are — earths, waters and atmospheres.
The three kingdoms of nature axe — the min-
eral, the vegetable, and the animal. The
three divisions of the mineral kingdom are —
the soils, the rocks, and the precious stones.
The tliree divisions of the vegetable kingdom
are — grasses, plants and shrubs, and trees.
The three divisions of \he animal kingdom
ere — into those that creep and walk on the
earth, those that swim, and those that fly.
Each of these divisions is divided in trines ,•
according to which, all things exist, and sub-
sist.
Anecdote. An agent, soliciting subscri-
bers for a book, showed the prospectus to a
man, who, after reading- — "one dollar in
boards, and one dollar and twenty-five cents
in shjeep," — declined subscribing, as he might
not have boards or sheep on hand, when call-
ed upon for payment.
The humble man, when he receives a wrong,
R«f«ro revenge—to vyhom it doth belong.
Proverbs., 1. A bird it known by his nots
—and a man by his talk. 2. There are nuiny,
who glory in their shame. 3. A good character-
is a badge of excellence, that cannot long be ettn-
cealed. 4. Never more, or less, than enough. 5
Some — ralher imitate greatness, than goodnose.
6. There is misery in want, and danger in excess.
7. Good sai/mg-s, belong to all; eyil actions only '
to their authors. 8. A knowledge of the way, is a
good part of the journey. 9. If we go wrong, tho
farther we go, the farther we are from horns. 10
Reform yourself first, and then, others. 11. The
fool — wanders; the wise— travel. 12 Words arc
wind ; seeing is believing.
Inadequacy of lianguage. Words —
are poor weapons. The most beautiful verses
— are those which we cannot express. The
diction of every language is iasufficient ; and
every day, the heart of man finds, in the de-
licacy of his sentiments, and the imagination
discovers — in the impressions of visible nor
ture,thvigs, which the mouth cannot embody
for want of words. The heart, and the
thought of man — are Uke a musician — driven
to play infinitely varied music — on an organ,
which has but few notes. It is sometimes
more advisable to be silent than to speak.
Silence — is felt by the soul, and appreciated
by God ; and that is enough.
Varieties. 1. Is not the doctrine of the
divinity, and humanity — of the Lord Jesus
Christ, the touch-stone, by which the chris-
tian church is to.be tried. ^ 2. The life of a
ch)-istian — is his walk; Christ is his way,
and heaven — his home. 3. A coward in the
field, is like a wise man's fool ; he does not
know what he professes ; but a coward in the
faifh, is like a/rx>/, in his wisdom, he does not
profess wliat he knows. 4. Virtue — consists
in the faithful performance of our duty, from
love to God, and love to 7nan ; and vice — in
the neglect of our duty from a love of self
and a love of the loorld. 5. The heart of a
worthless man — is as unfixed, ^nd. change
able, as the fitful wind. 6. The tongue may
speak the loudest ; but the heart — the truest.
7. Look at the form, consider tlie desire, and
act, and mark the end; for thereby you mav
know the nature of all created beings.
This world's not " all a fleeting show.
For man's illusion given ;" —
He that hath sooth'd a tvidow''t wo.
Or wip'd an orphan^s tear, doth Know
There's something here of Heaven.
And he, that walks life's thorny way.
With feelings calm and eiicr,
Whose path is lit, from day to day,
By virtues bright and steady ray,
Hath something felt of Heaven.
He, that the christian's course hath ran,
And all his foes forgiven,
Who measures out life's little span
In love to God— and love to man^
On earth, hath tasted Heaven.
86
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
343. The Semicolon — is an indication that
we should pause long enough to count two,
dehberately ; and while we are thus resting,
from physical effort, we can carry on our
mental effort, for the purpose of producing
the desired eff'ect: for it is of the first impor-
.tance, in reading and speaking, to keep the
mmd employed with the thoughts and feel-
ings; even when there is no external act;
except it may be the play of the facial mus-
cles. 1. Envy not the appearance of happi-
uess in any one ; for you know not his secret
grief, 2. The sign without the substance, is
nothing; the substance without the sign, is
all things. 3. None are so innocent, as not
to be evil spoken of; none so wicked, as to
want all commendation. 4. We may kn'^w
what we will not utter ; but we should nevw
utter, what we do not know.
344. The foUowmg lines afford a good ex
ercise, in the placing and use of the gram-
matical pause.
I saw a peacock with a fiery tail
I saw a blazing star that dropt down hail
I saw a cloud begirt with ivy round
I saw a sturdy oak creep on the ground
I saw a pismire swallow up a whale
I saw the brackish sea brim full of ale
I saw a phial glass sixteen yards deep
I saw a tvell full of men's tears to weep
I saw man's eyes all on a flame of fire
I saw a house high as the moon or higher
I saw the radiant sun at deep midnight
I saw the man, who saw this dreadful sight.
343. Natural History — involves the
study of all the productions of nature, ani-
mal, vegetable and mineral; their qualities,
relations and origin. It is divided into tluree
kingdoms, giving rise to the corresponding
sciences of Zoology, Botany and Mineralogy ;
which are divided into classes, orders, genera,
and species, founded on prominent distinc-
tions; in which, what most resembles the
earth, are placed nearest in relation to it.
Anecdote. " How do you know," (said a
traveler to a poor wandering Arab of the des-
ert,) " That there is a God .?" " In the same
manner" (he replied,) " that I trace the/oo/-
nteps of an animal, — by the prints it leaves
upon the sand."
Nor let soft slumber — close your eyes,
Before you've recollected thrice
The train of actions— through the day ;
Where have my /ee<— chose out the way ?
What have I learned, where'er I've been,
From all I've h«ard, from all I've seen ?
What know I more, that's worth the knowing f
Wnat nave I done, that's worth the doing?
What have I sought, that I should shun?
What duty— have I left undone ?
Or into what new follies run?
These %elf. inquiries— are the road,
That leads to virtue— and to God,
Proverbs. 1. P. asperity — engenders sto''".
2. Laziness — grows on people ; it begins vn cob-
webs, and ends in chains. 3. Many have done a
wise thing ; more a cunning thing ; but very/ew—
a generous thing. 4. What camiot be toW, had
better not be done. 5. No patience, no true wis-
dom. 6. Those that are careless of themselves, cmt
hardly be mindful of others. 7. Contentment givee
a crown, where fortune hath denied it. 6. Ha,
who lives disorderly one year, does not enjoy hin>
self for ^t'e. 9. Public men, should have pub.ic
minds : or private ends will be served, at the puly-
lie cost. 10. ilfi/tZness— governs belter than ange>.
11. While there is life, there is hope. 12. Good
men — are a public good.
Importance of Observation. The ex-
ternal world is designed, by its Creator, to
aid essentially in developing the human
mind. Ten thousand objects appeal to our
observation ; and each one is a book — of the
most interesting character, which can be had
without nnoney, and without price. But we
must attend to the animate, as well as to the
in-animate world, — to men, as well as to
things. We should not be ashamed to ask
for intbrmation, when we do not understand
the whys and wherefores ; nor fail of con-
versing with every one, who can impart to us
useful knowledge.
Varieties. 1. Are christians prohibited
the proper use of any natural good! 2.
When the honor and interest of truth are
concerned, it is our duty to use all lawful
means — for its support and defence. 3. Tol-
eration— is odious to the intolerant ; free-
dom— to oppressors; property to robbers;
and all kinds of ptvsperity to the envious.
4. General Washington was born, Feb. 22nd,
(0. S.) 1732; and died, Dec. 14th, 1797, aged
67; 21 years after the Declaration of Inde-
pendence. 5. What is the most perfect Gov-
ernment'.' that, where an injury done the
meanest citizen, is considered an insult upon
the constitution. 6. Grammar — speaks ; Di-
alectics— teach truth ; Rhetoric — gives color-
ing to our speech ; Music — sings ; Arithme'
tic — numbers : Geometry — weighs ; and As-
tronomy — teaches us to know the stars. 7.
As the Apostle saith, so it is, viz: The in-
visible things of God, and Divine Order,
may be seen, and understood by those things
which are made, in outward creation ; even
( his eternal power and God-head.
Words are like leaves ; and where they most abound^
Much fruit of sense beneath— is rarely found.
False eloquence, like the prismatic glass,
Its gaudy colors spreads-on ev''ry place ;
The face of Nature— we no more survey ;
All glares alike, without distinction— g-ni/ :
But true expression, like th' unchanging sun^
Clears, and improves, whate'er it shines upon :
It gilds — all objects, but it alters — nor^i.
Expression — is the dress of thought, and stiU
Appears more decent — as more suUai^
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
87
846. A Colon, (:) marks a pause of thre^
Boconds; or while one can count three, delib-
erately. Principles — are tested by their ap-
plication ; but even then, we must think, as
well as feel, and ascertain the whys and
wherefores, 1. Read the sacred Scriptures:
they are the dictates of divine wisdom. 2.
Harbor no malice in thy heart: it will be a
viper in thy bosom. 3. Do not insult a poor
man • his situation entitles him to our jnty.
L He, that studies only man, will get the
body without the soul : he that studies only
books, will get the soul, without the body :
wudom says, study both. 5. Partially deaf
persons, more easily hear a moderately loud
voice witli a clear articulation, tJian a very
loud one, that is rapid and indistinct : so it
IS with a weali voice, in addressing a large
assembly.
347. CoijfciDEiircE. Washington — was
bom, Feb. 22d, 1732, was inaugurated,
1789 and his term of service expired in the
66th year of his age : John Adams was born,
Oct 19, 1735; inaugurated, 1797; term ex-
pired in the 66th year of his age: Thomas
Jefferson was born, April 2d, 1743; inaugu-
rated, 1801 ; term expired in the66tli year of
his age: Madison wd.s born, March 5th, 1751 ;
inaugurated, 1809; term expired in the 66th
year of liis age : Monroe was born, April 2d,
1759; inaugurated, 1817; term expired in
tJie 66th year of his age : all these five presi-
dents were men of the Revolution, and ended
their term of service in the 66th year of theibr
age.
348. Breathing. When we sit at our
case, and are not exercising the voice, our
breathing is slow and regular; and the more
we speak, work, or sing, the more frequently
must we inhale fresh air ; because the expenr-
diture is greater at such times : many persons
fall victims to this neglect ; and little is our
primary instruction in reading calculated to
aid us in appropriate breathing ; the results
of which are, exceedingly bad habits, induc-
ing impediments in vocal efforts, disease and
death. Oh, when shall we be wise, and un-
derstand these things 1 How hard to learn,
even by experience.'
Anecdote. A Mutual Mistake. Two
gentlemen were riding in a stage-cosich ; when
wieof them, missing his handkerchief, rashly
accused the other of having stolen it; but
soon finding it, had the good manners to beg
pardon for the affront; saying it was a mis-
take : to which the other replied, with great
readiness, and kind feeling, " Don't be \m-
easy; it was a mutual mistake: you took
me for a thief ^ and I took you, for a gentle-
man."
It is a vam attempt
To bind the an:!:T'tiotis and unjust, by treaties ;
Thcsfi — they elu-xe — a thousand specious ways.
Proverbs. 1. Ltlgion ssy» — \ovQdU; and
hate none. 2. Observe all those rules oi politeness
at home, that you would airong strangers. 3. At
the close of each day, carefully review your con-
duct. 4. Avoid unpleasant looks. 5. Be not over
anxious for money. 6. Acquire the useful— first :
the brilliant — afterwards. 7. A virtuous youth^
will make a happy old age. 8 One ill example—
spoils many good precepts. 9. It costs more to re-
venge injuries, than to bear them. 10. For Ilia
evidence of truth, look at the truth itself. 11. A
friend is known, when needed. 12. Who robe i
scholar, robs the public.
ESxperience. In early youth, whUe yet
we live among those we love, we love without
restraint, and our hearts overflow in every
look, word and action. But when we enter
the vjorld, and are repulsed by strangers,
and forgotten hy friends, we grow more and
more timid in our approaches, even to those
we love best. How delightful to us, then^
are the caresses of children ! All sincerity,
all affection, they fly into our arms,- and
then only, we feel the renewal of our ffrst
confidence, and first pleasure.
Varieties. 1. What is more revoltirig —
tlian the idea of a plurality of Gods ? 2. An
evil habit, in the beginning, is easUy sub-
dued ; but being often repeated, it acquires
strength, and becomes inveterate. 3. The
bee and the serpent — often extract the samo
juices ; but, by the serpent, they are conver-
ted into poison ; whde by the bee, tJiey are
converted into honey. 4. He, that aims at the
sun, will not hit it, — ^but his arrow will fly
higher, than if he aimed at an object on a le-
vel with himself. 6. Is there not a place and
state, for every one, and should not every one
be in his proper state and place ? 6. Those
little words, " fry," and " begin,^' have been
great in their results: ^'Ican^f^ — ne^er did
anything, and never will: "III try'' — haa
done wonders. " The ministry of a??g-eZs —
is that of supplying us with spiritual reason.%
truths, and /(we-principles, whensoever we
stand in need of them.
Gold— many hunted, sweat— and bled for gold ;
Waked all the night, and labored all the day :
And what was this allurement, dost thou ask ?
A dust, dug from the bowels of the earth,
Which, being cast into X\iefire, came out
A shining thing, that /oo& admired, and called- •
A god ; and, in devout and humble plight.
Before it kneeled, the greater— to the less.
And on its altar — sacrificed ease, peace.
Truth, faith, integrity; good conscience, friends,
Love, chanty, benevolence, and all
The sweet and tender sympathies of life;
And to complete the horrid— murderous rite.
And signalize iheir foUy, offered up
Their souls, and an eternity of bliss,
To gain them—ichat? an hour of dreamm^^ joy i
A feverish hour— that hasted to be done^
And ended— in the bitterness of iro.
88
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
3*9, A Period, (.) shows that we should
pause four seconds; or while we can count
four, deliberately. 1. Envy no man. 2.
Knovr thyself. 3. Guard against idtewess. 4.
Vilify no person's reputation. 5. Abhor a
falsehood. 6. Blessed are the poor in spint.
l.Jesnawept. 8. Hurt not thyself. 9. Cher-
ish the spirit of benevolence. 10. Perform
y OUT daty faithfully. 11. Make a proper
use of time. 12. Cultivate the affections.
13. Do good to all. 14. Be punctual in
your engagements. 15. Love humanity.
6. Obey the commandments. 17. Live the
Lord's Frayer. 18. Be holy oxiAjust. 19.
^e perfect. 20. Live for immortality.
250. Pytliagorus, about five hundred
years before the Christian era, called the visi-
ble universe — ^by the very expressive Greek
name, ho kosmos — the order, which we
translate — the world. The Platonic school,
afterwards, withdrawing attention from gen-
eral nature, and fixing it on the epitome —
Man — ^began to call Aim — homikros kosmos,
the miniature world ; or, order in miniature.
How much useful and instructive history
♦here is in the origin of v)ords! and it is
gratifying to know, that these same subjects
employed such minds as Plato's, more than
two thousand years ago.
351. The intellectual physiognomy of
Chatham — was of a severe, and commanding
order ; his genius — ^was eminently practical :
and while no person — ever surpassed him,
in tlie lofty aspiration and generous enthusi-
asm of patriotism, few have equalled him, in
their calm and christian application. His
■private character, — shone with a lustre, very
different from the unhealthy glare of political
fame. His correspondence — presents him im-
,1er an engaging aspect, and enables the rea-
der to admire the husband and father, not
less than the statesman and the orator.
Anecdote. The Far Weft. "Pray sir,
said one gentleman to another, " Is not In-
diana—the Far West?'' "Oh no sir," was
the reply. " Well, is not Illinois P'' " Very
far from it." " Surely then, when we cross
the Mississippi, you are in the Far West /"
"No, not exactly." " PFAertf, then, w the Far
West !" " Why sir, it is about a half a mile
this side of sunset.'^
Beware, proud man, the frst approach to crime.
Indulgence — is most dangerotis — hby, fatal, —
Resist, or soon resistance is in vain.
The^rsfr— leads to the second, then to the third
'The. fourth succeeds, until,/omi7iar grown
With vice, we start not— at our own misdeeds.
Temptation comes, so clothed in speciousness,
So full of seeming, we behold her not
With apprehension, till her baneful pow^r
Hub wrestled with our virtue : dreadful state!
When vice steals in, and, like a lurking thitf,
€ap6—l\ifi foundation of inUgrity.
Proverbs. 1. Put jot off repentatiee—li'i an-
other day. 2. Rashness — is the fruitful parent of
misfortune. 3. Se^/'-exaUation — is the fooPs para-
dise. 4. Sweet is the memory — of departed worth.
5. The covetous man — is his own tormentor. 6
Avail yourself of the wisdom, and experience of
others. 7. Be ambitious of excelling, that you
may do and get the greater good. 8. The frst step
to greatness is — to be honest. 9. Truth — is the bch
sis of all excellence. 10. Unlaicful love — general-
ly ends in bitterness. 11. They ttiat hide, can find.
12. A penny spared, is twice got.
The Gentleman and liis Tenant.
A COUNTRY gentleman — had an estate of
two hundred pounds a year, which he kept
in his own hands, tiU he found himself so
much in debt, that he was obliged to sell one
half to satisfy his creditors, and let the re-
mainder to a farmer for one and twenty
years. Before the expiration of his lease, the
farmer asked the gentleman, when he came
one day to pay his rent, whether he would
sell the land he occupied. " Why, will you
purchase itl" said the gentleman. " If you
will part with it, and we can agree,'' rephed
the farmer. "That is exceeding strange,'"
said the gentleman. " Pray, tell me how it
happens, that I could not live upon twice as
much land, for which 1 paid no rent, and thai
you, after regularly paying me a himdred s
year for the half, are able, so soon, to pur-
chase it." " The reason is plain," answered
the farmer. " You sat still, and said, Go. 1
stood up, and said, Come. You lay in bed
and enjoyed your ease, /rose in the morn
ing, and minded my business."
Varieties. 1. Who should be more vir
tuous and intelligent, than the Teacher, who
is to educate, and form characters — for timt
and eternity? 2. The happiness of every
one — depends more on the state of his ow7i
paind, ihan any external circumstance: nay
more than all external things put together.
8. Borrowed money — manes time short. 4.
The lowest condition of life, with prudence,
is better than the most exalted station, with-
out it. 5. How absurd, to be complaining
and tormenting ourselves, for what it is im-
possible to avoid, or attain. 6. Pause, awliile,
ye travelers on earth, and candidates for e!er-
nity, and contemplate the universe, and the
Wisdom and Leve of Him who made it. 7
Where there is no tmison with God, the oy\ly
source of order, love and light, there b nev
ther order, or Inve, or li%ht, but their op}M>
sites. S. Art — is long, life — is short.
How terrible — is passion ! how our reason
Falls down before it; while the lorturea/ram«,
Like a ihtp — dashed by fierce encountering tides-
And of her ytiat spoil'd, drives round and roM'id.
The sport of ivind — and wave.
Our passions— sXvf&ys fatal counsel give ;
Through Sl fallacious glass — our wrongs — appear
Still gr«oter— than they art.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION
89
asa. The Interrogation, (?) indicates a
pause, equal to the Colon, or Period, accord-
ing to circumstances. It is generally used as
a sign of asking ^wes^tOTW.- though sometimes,
it is one of the strongest modes of affirniation.
1. Can you see? 2. Coxi yo\x hear? 3. Can
you taste ? 4. Can you &mell ? 5. Can you
feel? 6. Who are you? 7. What are you
doin^? 8. Where a.Te you going ? 9. What
is your destiny? 10. Who made you] 11.
Of what are you thinking? 12. Whom do
'■•ou love?
853. Among the examples above, are, the
first five questions, that are direct : because
diey admit the answer, yes, or no ; all such
interrogations require the voice to gUde up-
vjard, in asking them ; the la^t seven questions
are indirect ; because they do not admit the
answer yes, or no ; all such interrogations re-
quire the voice to glide downward,in asking
them. You can test the theory thus: Can
you see? Yes,- or no. Who are you 1 Yes,-
or no. The former — makes sense ; the latter
nonsense. Can you hear? Yes. Can you
taste? No. What are you doing? Yes.
Where are you going? No. However, it
will be seen hereafter, that the sHdes of ftie
voice, up, or down, may be reversed — in every
instance, and yet make good sense.
a54r. Direct Question in reference to our
Living Temples. Is not the house, in which
we live, a very curious building 7 Can we
conceive of any form — more beautiful than
the human form, when it has not been per-
verted, or deformed? Who knows best, we,
or our Creator, what is tlie proper shape in
which we should bel Can we mend his
works 1 Is any thing beautiful — that is not
useful ? Were we not made right, and have
we not, in a measure, unmade ourselves ? Is
not OUR HOUSE a very convenient one, and
its furniture admirably adapted to the wants
of its occupant ? Would it not be well — fre-
quently to take a view of the form, covering,
apartments, furniture, employments, uses
and abuses of this wonderful house of ours ]
Anecdote. A Challenge. After the battle
of Actium, Mark Antony — challenged Au-
gustus,— who disarmed him in the following
words. " If Antony — is weary of his hfe,
there are other ways of despatch, besides
fighting him ; and for my part, I shall not
trouble myself to be his executioner.^^
There are some — Aeart-entwining hours in life,
With sweet seraphic inspiration rife;
When mellowing thoughts, like music on the ear,
Melt through the soul, and revel in a tear ;
A.nd such are they, when, tranquil and alone,
We sit — and ponder — on long periods flown ;
And, charmed by fancy's retrospective gaze,
liive in an atmosphere — of other days;
Till friends and faces, flashing on the min '.,
Cofueal tlie havoc— (tme has left behind
12
Proverl>8. 1. Manifest noerciiemmt, when a
mistake is made. 2. Be shicere — in your profes-
sions o{ friendship. 3. Cultivate a pure heart, a'ld
you will have a pleasant countenance. 4. Nevei
speak to the disadvanUif^e of any one, unless duty
— requires it. 5. Avoid i ght and trifling conversa-
tion. 6. A civil answer, to a rude speech — costs but
littk, and is worth a good deal. 7. Dispel corrod-
ing care; and consider it sinful—Xo give way lo
passion. 8. C/iarwis— strike the sig,ht; but tTieritr-
wins the soul. 9. Persons are to be estimated, ac-
cording to their goodness, — not according to their
dress. 10. The sincere and candid man, — has no-
thing to conceal; for he speaks nothing but the
truth. 11. Turn a deaf ear to angry words. 12.
He who promises — runs in debt.
liaconics. We esteem most things according
to their intrinsic merit; it is strange man should be
an exception. We prize a.horse for his stretigth and
courage, — not for his furniture. We prize a man
for his sumptuous palace, his great train, his vas*
revenue; yet these are his furniture, not his mind.
Varieties. 1. Which is the more impor-
tant — and useful discovery, the balloon, oi
the telegraph? 2. What is the cause of sea-
currents 1 3. Will it take ages — to discover
the truth ; or ages — to ackiwwledge it, when
it is discovered! 4. What is meant by the
words, a pure state of nature ? Do they not
mean that state, in which the condition, cir-
cumstances, and habits of men — are in strict
accordance with the laws of his nature ? 5.
Is not Hip-j90c-rartes called the Father of
Medicine ? 6. If we are not happy, is it be-
cause our Creator has not endowed us with
the capability of becoming so f 7 What ia
the difference — in reasoning from facts and
experience, and reasoning from a mixture of
truth and false flood ? Do not many — reason
from the latter, instead of from the former?
THE BEACON.
The scene — was more beautiful— ^/or to my eye
Than if day — in its pride — had arrayed it;
The ^and-breeze blew mild, and the azure arch'd sky
Look'd pure — as the Spirit that made i*
The murmur rose soft, as I silently gaz'd
On the shadowy wave'^s playful motion,
From the dim distant hill, till thebeacon-fire blaz'fl
Liko a star — in the midst of the ocean.
No longer the joy of the sailor boy's breast
Was heard in his wildly breath'd numbers,
The seo-bird— had flown to her wat-e-girdled nest,
The fisherman — sunk to his slumbers.
One moment I look'd— from the hill's gentle slope^
All AwA'd— was the billow^s commotion,
And thought— that the beacon look'd lovdy as iop«,
That star — on life's tremulous ocean.
The time— is long past, and the scene— is q/ow,
Yet, when my head— rests on its pillow
Will memory — sometimes — rekindle the st?ii
That blazedr-on the breast of the billow.
In life's closing hour, when the trembling soul flie^
And death— stills the heart's— last emotion,
O then— may the seraph ofTnerey arise I
liike a star— on Eternity^s ocean.
90
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION
a55. The exclamation Point (!) indicates
about the same length of silence, as the In-
terrogation: but the shde of the voice, is gen-
erally dowmvard, from the 6th or Sth note,
because tliere is a kind of an outflowing, and
then an indraitnng of the mind, — an inflow-
ing of the affections, that give rise to this man^
\festatio7i. 1. What a beautiful iafee/ 2. How
delightful the music is ! 3. What a splendid
piece of U)orkmanshi.p ! 4. How charming
IS the prospect .' 5. What a majestic scene I
6. How inimitable those strains are! 7.
What a piece of work is man ! 8. How glo-
rious ai-e all the works of God.' 9. What
splendid views of heaven ! 10. How majes-
tically— the Sun — wheels his mig\\ty round !
35G. Examples of Exclamation. 1. Fcv-
thers! Senators of Borne / the arbiters of wa-
twns ! to you I fly for refuge ! 2. Eternity !
thou pleasing, dreadful thought ! 3. Behold
the daughter of innocence .' what a look I
what beauty! what sweetness! 4. Behold
— a great, a good man ! wliat majesty ! how
graceful ! how commanding ! 5. 0, vener-
able shade ! O, illustrious hero ! 6. Fare-
well ! a lo7ig fareweU — to all my greatness !
7. It stands — solid and entire ! but it stands
alone — and it stands amidst ruins ! 8. I am
stripped of all ray hmior ! I lie prostrate on
the eai'th! 9. Leave me! oh! leave me to
repose ! 1 0. Hear me, 0 Lord ! for thy lov-
ing kindness is great !
257. Natural Tlieolog^y* From the ex-
ternal andiniemal evidences afforded us, from
creation, and the modes of existence, we as-
sume, that man — is naturally a religious be-
ing: the stamp of the Deity is upon him
even before his birth ; and in every subse-
quent stage of his existence, no matter what
may be his social, moral or civil condition,
that stamp — remains with him. It is not to
be found on the Jew and Christian only, but
on all men, in all ages, climes, and conditions
of life.
Anecdote. A Lawyer and Physician,
having a dispute about precedence, referred
the case to Di-og-e-nes, the old philosopher}
who gave judgment in favor of the Lawyer,
in these words: " Let the thief go before, and
I'^t the executioner follow after.**
The rill— IS timeless— to his ear, who feels
No liarmony within ; the south wmd— steals
As silent — as unseen — among the leaves.
Who has no inward beauty, none perceives,
Though all around is beautiful. Nay, more—
In nature's calmest hour— he hears the roar
Of winds, and flinging wares— put out the light,
When high — and angry passwns meet in fight ;
And, his own spirit into tumuk hurled.
He makes a turmoil — of a quiet world :
The fiends of his own bosom — people air
W.Ji kir^Ared fiends, that hunt him— to despair.
Not rural sighu alone— but rural sounds
Exhilors'e the spirits.
Proverbs. 1. Great designs, and small
mea^is- have been tl e ruin of many. 2. He, is
a slave to the greatest slave, who serves none but
himself. 3. Correct the errc/rs of others, wh«n you
can, and inspire them with the love of goodncs
and truth. 4. It is the act of a base mind, to de-
ceive, by telling a lie. 5. Liberality — consists *cs8
in giving profusely, than in giving judiciously. 6.
The head and/e«< coot ; the rest will take little harm.
7. We know well, only what has cost us trouble to
learn. 8. " Haste not, rest not ;" was the motto on
Goethe's ring. 9. Keep your thoughts— close, and
your couji-tenace — open, and you may go safely
through the world. 10. With the humbk, there ia
perpetual peace. 11. Long is the arm of the needy
12. Poverty is an evil counsellor. 13. Delay — oflen
makes one wise.
War and Truth.. A wise minister would
rather preserve peace, than gain a victory ;
because he loiows that even the most success-
ful war leaves a nation poor, and always more
profligate, than before it. There are real evilf
that cannot be brought into a list of indemn-
ties, and the demoralizing influence of war ;
not among the least of them. The triumphs
of truth are the more glorious, chiefly, be-
cause they are the most bloodless of all victo-
ries, deriving their highest lustre from the
saved, not from the slain.
Tarieties. 1. It is the nature of truthy
— never to force. 2. Is not the science of
human nature, very comprehensive, as well
as complicated and pi^ofound? 3. How can
the mere knowledge of historical events-
avail to the salvation of the soul? 4. What
is meant by the maityr Stephen, seeing the
HEAVENS oPENEu ; and, John's being in the
spirit, on the Lord^s day ? 5. To see spirit-
ual existences, must not the eyes of the un-
derstanding be opened "J 6. There is but
one law in being, which the Lord fulfilled,
and went through, in the world : He passed
through the whole circle — of both spiritual
and natural ordeis and assumed all states,
possible for man to be in, when in progression
from the state of nature, — to that of perfecl
grace; and by virtue thereof, can touch its —
in all states of trial, we can possibly be in.
'Tis the quiet hour — of feeling,
Now — the busy day is past,
And the tivilight shadows — stealing,
O'er the world — their mantle cast ;
Now, the spirit, worn and saddened,
Which the cares of day had bowed,
By its gentle influence — gladdened,
Forth emerge.' from the cloud;
While, on Memory''s magic pages.
Rise our long ]ost joys to light.
Like shadowy forms — of other ages,
From the oblivious breast of night;
And the loved — and lost — revisit
Our fond hearts, their place of yore.
Till we long with them to inherit
Realms above — to part — no more.
The patient mind, by yielding, overcomc4
PRINCIPLES OF TLOCUTION.
91
S5 8. The Parenthesis ( — ) shows, that the
words included within it, must be read, or
spoken, on a lower pitch, and with a quicker
movement, than the other parts of the sen-
tence ; as though anxious to get through with
the explanation, or illustrative matter — con-
tained in it; and the parenthetical clause,
generally, has the same slide, or injlexion of
voice, as the last word of the sentence, imme-
diately preceding it. 1. An honest man,
(says Mr. Pope,) is the noblest work of God.
2. Fride, (as the Scripture saith,) was not
made for man. 3. The Tyrians were the
first, (if we are to believe — what is told us by
writers of the highest authority,) who learned
the art of navigation. 4. Know ye not,
brethren, (for X speak to them that know the
law,) how that the law — hath dominion over
a man — as long as he liveth ?
359. That strong, hyperbolical manner,
which we have long been accustomed to call
the Oriental style of poetry, (because some
of the earliest poetical productions — came to
us from the East,) is, in truth, no more On-
ental, than Oc-cirden-tal ,- it is characteristic
of an age, rather than of a country, and be-
longs, in some manner, to all nations, at that
period, which gave rise to music and song.
aeo. Mineralogy — treats of minerals,-
their properties, composition, classification,
and M5C5. A mineral — is an organic natural
substance, either gaseous, as air; liquid, as
water ; or solid, as earth and stones : it is in-
separably connected with Geologt, which
treats of the structure of the earth, and the
masses that compose it ; also, of the changes
it has undergone, and to which it is still ex-
posed ; while its practical importance is re-
cognized in Agriculture, Mining, and En-
gineering, it ranks with Botany and Chemis-
try in its recondite developments, and with
Astronomy — in the sublimity of its themes
and results, »s one of the most profound and
interesting of the sciences.
Anecdote. Fashion's Sake. Lord Mans-
field, being willing to save a man, who had
stolen a watch, directed the jury — to bring it
'a value — ten pence. " Ten pence, my Lord !"
,6ad the prosecutor ; " why, the yeiy fashion
of it cost fifty shillings.'" His lordship re-
[Aied, '^ Pej-haps so; but we cannot har>- a.
•"oan for fashion's sake."
I f;erwr2ic — ihe pilgrim's cause,
Yet, for the red man — dare to plead :
We — bow to Heaven's recorded laws,
He — turu'd to Nature — for a creed ;
Beneath the pillar'd dome^
We — seek our God in -prayer ;
Through boundless woods — he loved to roam,
And the Great Spirit — worshiped there.
But one, one fellow-throb with its he felt ;
To ofM Divinity — with tLS he knelt —
Freedom! the self-same freedom — tve adore,
Be<Je him — defend his violated shore.
Proverbs. 1. Dtjcor^— reduces strength— v^
weakness. 2. No sweet, without some sweat : no
pains, without some gains. 3. Whatever you do,
do it to some purpose; whether conquering, or
conquered. 4. We are inclined to believe thosewe
do not know, because they have never deceived us.
5. Gentleness — often disarms the fierce, and mt ta
the stubborn. 6. Stake eve^i life, if necessary, ill
the support of truth. 7. LisUn — to the vcice of
experimental truth, and confide— in her opinioru
ft. A good appetite — gives relish to tlie mo.st huvi'
bit fare. 0. Tliere is no secret in the heart, thai
our actions do not disclose. 10. AVhere there is a
will, there is a way. 11. True valor — is fire;
boasting — is smoke.
Tlie Telescope. A spectacle-maker's boy,
amusing himself in his fathers shop,hy hold-
ing two glasses between \ns finger and thumb,
and varying the distance, tlie weathercock of
the church spire, {opposite them,) seemed
to be much longer than ordinary, and appa-
rently much nearer, and turned upside down.
This excited the wonder of the father, and led
him to additional experiments; and thence
resulted that astonishing instrument, the tel-
escope, as invented by Gal-i-Ze-o, and per-
fected by Herschell. This is only o^ie instance,
among thousands, that show great effects may
result from small causes.
Varieties. 1. Is not prejudice — invete-
rate, in proportion to its irrationality.^ 2.
The most delicate, and the most sensible, <yf
all pleasures — consists in promoting the hap-
piness of others. 3. Wit — sparkles as a me-
tear, and like it, is transient; but genius —
shines like a splendid luminary, marking
its course in traces that are immortal.
4. Men can have no principles, unlese they
are revealed to them by Betty. 5. Is there "
anything that melts — and conquers — hke
l&ve? 6. Confessing a foUy, or crime, is
an act of judgment: a compliment — we
rarely pa^s on ourselves. 7. Spiritual truth,
is the light of heaven : tlie good— proper to it,
is the heat, or love thereof; to be filled with
both, is the perfection of life, and true salva-
tion; conferable, only, by the Lord Jesus
Christ, the giver of eternal life, and our JRj^.-
deemer and Savior.
Besides,scAoo/-friend8hips are not always to be foun4
Though fair in promise, permanent and sound;
The most disinVrested and virtuou fm'mds,
In early years connected, time unbinds :
New situations— give a diff 'rent cast
Of habit, inclination, temper, taste;
And he, that seem'd our counUrjiari &\ first.
Soon show.s the strong similitude rei-ersW.
Young heads are giddy, and young hearts are warffs
And make mistakes— i'or manhood to reform
Boys are at best, but pretty finds unblown, [known'
Whose scent and AMe.^— are rallier guess'd thai-
EacA— dreams that eac/i— is just what he«j»i?mrj
But learns his error— \n maturer years.
When disposition, like a sail vinfurl'd.
Shows all its rents and pauhts to the umta.
92
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
261. The Rhetorical Pause— is dictated
hy the thought and feeling, and is usually
addressed only to the ear; it is here indicated
generally, by a dash {—,) and its length —
must be determined by the subject, and occa-
sion; it is usually, however, about the length
of a Semicolon, or Colon: and one thing
must be distinctly observed, tliat the reader
and speaker — is always to inhale breath — at
every Rhetorical Pause, and generally, at
each Grammatical Pause ; if the system be re-
laxed, inhalation will be almost sure to take
place. Indeed, one of the great secrets of
reading, speaking and singing — for hours in
succession, with effect, and without injurious
exhaustion, consists in the proper manage-
ment of the breath: not that there should be
anything s^ijf and mechanical in the act; for
all must be tlie result of the perfect freedom
of nature.
26*. The Rhetorical Pause always occurs
either before or cfter — the important word,
or words, of a sentence : if the significant
word or phrase, is at the beginning, this
pause is made immediately after it; but if
such word or phrase, is at the end of the
sentence, the pause occurs before it. The
design of the pause is, in the first instance,
to produce a retrospection of mind; and in
the second, to excite attention and expecta-
tion. Ex. L Industry — is the guardian of
innocence. 2. Imagery — is the garb of poe-
try. 3. To err — [& human; io forgive — Di-
vine. 4. Prosperity — gains friends ; adver-
sity— irks them. 6. Feelings — generate
thoughts', and thoughts — reciprocate feel-
ings. 6. Vanity — is pleased with admira-
tion; Pride — -with, self-esteem. 7. Dancing
— is the poetry of motion. 8. Some — place
the bliss in action; some — in ease; Those
call it pleasure ; and contentment, these. 9.
To hope for perfect happiness — is vain. 10.
And now — abideth Faith, Hope, Charity;
these three; but the greatest of these is —
Charity.
263. Individuals of both sexes, often com-
plain of a very unpleasant sensation at the
pit of the stomach ; some call it a " death-like
feeling ;" others speak of it as if " the bottom
had fallen out :" one of the principal causes is
a want of the proper action of the breathing
«ooaratus: the abdominal and dorsal mus-
cles become relaxed, by wrong positions and
want of appropriate exercise and food ; when
their contents fall by their own weight, and
the diaphragm does not, consequently, act in
a healthy m inner. The remedy is a return
to the laws 3f hfe and being, as nere exhi-
bited
Contnerue — distasteful truths may tell,
But inark her sacred dictau — well ;
Whoever — with her — lives at strife,
their better friend — for life.
Proverbs. 1. Pride- js the ■ ffsping oC folly
and the plague oC fools. &. A bad mairs dislike^
is an honor. 3 The censure — of some persons —
is praise; and their praise, condemnation — in
the eyes of the world. 4. It is a base thing — to lie ;
truth — alone, becomes the ingenuous rniiid. 5.
Riches — either serve or rule, every one who posses
ses them ; and thus, they are either blessings, or
curses. 6. In cases where doubt exists, always
lean to the side of mercy. 7. Poets — are born such ;
orators — are made such. 8. Blalice — is a mean,
and deceitful engine of mischief. 9. Nature — is
superior to Art : have faith in her, and success is
yours. 10. All rules and principles, to be of use,
must be understood, and practiced. 11. The offen-
der— rarely pardons. 12. Might too often makes
right. 13. Truth has a good basis.
Anecdote. Wl.en tlie painter, Lco-nar-
di da Vinci, lay upon his death-hed, the king
came to see .n.jn ; and out of respect, he rais-
ed himself from the pillow ; but the eftbrt
being too great, he fell back ; when the king
caught him, and he expired in his arms.
The king was much affected with the event,
and left the chamber in tears; when his 7io-
bles — endeavored to soothe him, saying, —
" Consider, he was only a painier^^ " Yes,
yes," replied the monarch, " I do ; and though
I could make a tlxousand — such as you, yet
God alone can make such a painter, as Leo-
nardi."
Justice. How many tediout ana ruinous
law-suits — might have been avoided, had the
parties concerned — patiently examined the
facts, with coolness and deliberation; in-
stead of giving way to the blindness oi inter-
est and to passion, by which mutual hatreds
have been generated, or blood spilled, — when
a generous search after ti-uth, and a love of
justice — would have prevented all the evil.
Varieties. 1. ,What is requisite — for the
right formation of character ? 2. The true
disciples of nature — are regardless whx) ac-
companies them, provided she be the leader :
for nature, like truth, is immutable. 3.
There is no pride — equal to theirs, who rise
from poverty — to riches ; for some — have
even forgotten their own. relations. 4. That
form of government is best, which is best
adapted to the state of the people, and best
administered. 5. Cyrus, when young, be-
ing asked — what was the first thing to be
learned; replied, — To speak tlie truth. 6.
The orator^s field — is the universe of mind
— and matter : and his subjects — all that is
— and can bo known — of God — and man,
7. Every aspv-ation, desire, and thought — is
heard and accepted — in heaven, when we sur-
render our whole life to the Lord's goverrt
ment and providence.
Gather the rose-buds— while ye may,
Old Tim£ — is still a-flying ;
And that sximefoioer, that blooms to-day^
To-»nort5it»— shall l/e dyin^.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
93
a«4:. Miscellaneous Examples of all
THE Pauses. The pupil must not rely too
much on these external indications of silence ;
for they are only general rules : hence the
necessity of being governed by the prompt-
ings and guidance of his own feelings and
thoughts, after bringing them in subjection
to goodness and truth ; of which reason —
always approves. 1. The ostestatious , fee-
ble, harsh, or obscure style, is always faulty;
and perspicuity, strength, neatness, and sim-
plicity—are beauties — ever to be aimed at.
2. Be wise to-day, 'tis madness to defer ;
next day — the fatal precedent will plead.
"^I'hus on, till wisdom — is pushed out of life.
3. How noble 'tis, to own a fault ; how e;e-
iierous, — and divine — to forgive itl 4. Who
can forbear to smile witn nature ? Can the
stormy passions— in the bosom roll, while eve-
ry gale — is peace, and ev'ry grove — is melody ?
865. 1. The evidence — that truth carries
with it, is superior to all argument, and mira-
cles : and it wants neither the support, nor
dreads the opposition, of the greatest abil-
ities. 2. True modesty is ashamed to do
what is repugnant to reason, and common
sense ; false modesty — to do what is oppos-
ed to the humor of the company ; true mo-
desty avoids whatever is criminal ; false
modesty — whatever is unfashionable. 3.
Some — live within their means ; some live up
to their means — and some — live beyond their
means. 4. "To what party do you be-
long?" sasda noisy politician, to one whose
soul — grasped the interests of his whole coun-
try, " To what party do I belong ?*' repUed
the patriot; "I belong to no party, but my
country's party."
Punctuate the following, by reading it correctly.
There is a lady in this land
Has twenty fingers on each hand
Five and twenty on hands and feet
All this is true wiihoui deceit.
266. Botany — treats of plants — their
structure, growth, classification, description,
localities and uses. They are organized bo-
dies, and endowed with life; but they dif-
fier from animals, in wanting sensation and
voluntary OToffon : they differ from minerals,
in possessing life; and they contain organs,
by which they assimilate new matter to in-
crease their substance, and promote their
growth. The study of botany is highly in-
teresting and useful ; not only on account
of the beauty and variety of plants, but of the
important purposes to which they may be
applied in sustaining life and curing disease:
it is necessary to aid in the development of
body and mind.
Anecdote. One day, when the moon
was under an eclipse, she complained thus
to the sun for the discontinuance of his fa-
vor; "My dearest friend," said she, "why do
you not shine upon me as you used to do ?"
"Do I not shine upon thee V said the sun ;
'*! am very sure I intend it." " O no," re-
plied the moon : " but now I se« the reason;
Ihat dirty planet, the earth, has got between
rs"
Proverbs. 1. By deferring our repentance —
we accumulate our sorrows. 2. Complaisance-—
renders a superior — amiable, an equal — tigrtea-
ble, and an inferior — acceptable. 3. A wound giv-
en by a word, is often harder to be cured, than one
made by the sword. 4. The human form is the
noblest, and most perfect, of which we can cotV'
ceive. 5. Intentions, as well as actions, must be
good, to be acceptable. 6. Every scene iu life, is a
picture; of which some part is worthy of atiert,.
tion. 7. Receive instruction with gratitude. 8. To
such as are opposed to truth, it seems hursh and
severe. 9. Never reproach another for doing wrov^;
unless you are sure he has done it. 10. Knowledge,
to be a good thing, must be rightly applied. 11. Be-
plies — are not always answers. 12. A chaste ey^.
— ^banishes evil desires. 13. Respect and contempt,
spoil many a one.
Reftnement. It is a doubt, whether the
refinements of modern times have, or have
not, been a drawback upon our happiness:
for plainness and simplicity of manners have
given way to etiquette, formality, and de-
ceit; whilst the ancient hospitality has no\*
almost deserted our land ; and what we ap
pear to have gained in head, we seem to
have lost in heart,
Varletien. 1 What is the difference be-
tween the mternal and eajternal man? be-
tween an mternal and external state of mind ?
2. Love to God and love to man, — is the
life and soul, of all sound philosophy; con-
sequently, no one can become a philosopher,
who is not a good man. 3. jRiches, and
cares, are generally inseparable; and whoevei
would get rid of one, must become divested
of the other. 4. The acquirement of usefuJ
knowledge, — is often difficult and trouble
some ; but perseverance — will reward us foi
our toil. 5. If we regard our present views
— as an infallible test of truth, whatever
does not conform to them, we set down as
false, and reject it. 6. Ignorance of a fact
— may excuse; but not ignorance of the law
— which every one is supposed to be ac-
quainted with. 7. Man's will, and under-
standing,— are receptacles of life, not life
itself; as is the reception, such is the persua-
sion, faith, wisdom, light, and love.
I ccLre not, Fortune ! what you me deny ;
You cannot rob me of free nature's grace;
You cannot shut the windows of the sky,
Thro' which Aurora shows her Uright'ning face :
You cannot bar my constant feet — to trace
The wood and lawns, by living stream at eve:
Let health my nerves and fiw&x fibres brace,
And I their toys— lo the great children leave :
OC fancy, reason, %irtue— nought can me bereave.
Another day— is added lo the mass
Of buried ages. l/O ! the beauteous »noon,
Like a fair shepherdess, now comes abroad,
With her full flock of stars, that roam around
The azure meads of heaven. And O how charnwd^
Beneath her loveliness, creation looks !
Far-gleaming hills, and light-inweaving streams,
And sleeping boughs, with dewy lustre clothed,
And green-haired valleys— a.U in glory dressed,—
Make up the pageantry oini^ht
a4
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
aei. Delcvery and Painting. There
J8 a striking analogy or correspondence, be-
tween painting and delivery. We have, what
are called, seven primary colors, and seven
pitches of sou7id— though strictly speaking,
but<Ar<5eofeach, Letters are un-conipound-
ed paints; words like paints, prepared for use;
aixl, when these words are arranged into pro-
per sentences, they form pictures on the
canvas of the imagination. Let the follow-
ing beautiful landscape be sketched out in
the mind: " On a mountain, (stretched be-
neath a hoary willow) lay a shepherd swain,
— anu view'd the rolling billow." Now
rsoiew it; and see every thing as it is — the
mountain covered with trees ; the shepherd,
recUning under the willow tree, with his
flock nearby, some feeding, and some lying
down; and what is he doing ? Looking out
upon the ocean, covered with pleasure boats,
vessels, &c. In this way, you may behold,
with the mind's eye, (for the mind has its
eye, as well as the body,) the ideas of the au-
thor ; and then picture out whatever you
hear and read, and give to it life, habitation,
and a name; thus you will see the thoughts,
receive the light, and catch, or draw out their
latent heat; and having enlightened and warm-
ed your own mind, you will read and speak
from your own thoughts andfeeli7igs, — and
transfer the living, breathing landscapes of
your mind to others, and leave a perfect
daguerreotype likeness on the retina of their
mind's eye : you fed and think, and there-
fore speak ; and thus you can memorize, so
as not to forget : for you will have it by
heart.
»68. La Fayfette. I see the marshals
of Napoleon (gorged with the plunder of Eu-
rope, and stained with its blood) borne on their
flashing chariot-wheels — through the streets
of Paris. I see the ministers of Napoleon
filling the highest posts of trust and honor —
under Louis the XVIIL ; and I see the friend
of Washington, {La Fayette,) glorious in his
noble poverty, looking down from the calm
and placid height of his consistency and his,
principles, — on their paltry ambition, and its
more paltry rewards.
Anecdote. Means of Happiness. Socra-
tes, when asked his opinion of the king of
Persia, and whether he judged him happy, —
replied, " he could not tell what to think
of him ; because, he knew not how much he
was furnished with virtue and learning.''''
Magic, wonder-beaming eye ;
In thy narrow circle — lie
All our varied hopes — and fears,
Sportive smiles — and graceful tears;
Eager wishes, — ^wild alarms,
Rap'id feelings, — potent charms,
frit and genius, taste and sense,
S ltd through thee — their influence.
When lovers meet — in adverse hour,
Tislike the sttn-glimpse— through the shower,
A watery ray — an instant seen,
The darkly charging clouds — between.
Pi'overbs. 1. The act — does not ccnalitutf.
guilt in the eye of the law so much as the design. 2.
A certain degree of modesty and reserve, in young
persons, is a sure passport to the good will of their
superiors. 3. The diligent and industriouB — ge-
nerally prosper; while the indolent — pine in want.
4. Keep your passions in subjection ; for unless
they obey you, they will govern you. 5. In in>
parting to a friend— a. knowledlge of our mitfor
tunes, wc5 often feel them lightened. 6. The body
may be enslaved ; but no human power -lan con-
trol the mind, without its consent ^ A flowery
path— is not that which conducts us to glory. 8,
Let us use, not aAuie — the good things of life. 9.
A good reputation — is preferable to a girdle of gold,
10. Lofty towers— tumble with a tremendous crosA.
11. Dig not your grave with the teet/i. 12. April
showers, make M&y flowers.
Snjoyment. When I walk the streets, 1
use the following natural maxim, viz. that he
is the true possessor of a thing who enjoys it
and not he that owns it without the enjoy -
ment of it ; to convince myself that I have a
property in the gay part of all the gilt chari-
ots that I meet, which I regard as amuse-
ments, designed to delight my eyes, and the
imagination of those kind of people, who sit
in them, gaily attired, only to please me. 1
have a real, and they only an imaginary, plea-
sure from their exterior embellishments.
Upon the same principle, I have discovered
that I am the natural proprietor of all the
diamond necklaces, the crosses, stars, bro-
cades, and embroidered clothes, which I see
at a play or 6?r«^-night, as giving more natu-
ral delight to the spectator, than to those that
wear them. And I look on the beaux and
ladies, as so many paroquets in anaviary, or
tulips in a garden, designed purely for my
diversion. A gallery of pictures, a. cabinet f
or library, that I have free access 16, I think
my own. In a word, all that I desire is the
use of things, let who will have the keep
ing of them. By which maxim I am grown
one of the richest men in the world ; with
this difference, that I am not a prey to my
own cares, or the envy of others.
Varieties. 1. Can we be responsible,
without being endowed v/\thfreedom, and ra
tionality ? 2. Perfect freedom is the birth-
right of man, and heaven forbid that any hu-
man authority should infringe upon it ; but
in the Exercise of this right, let us be humble
and discreet, and never do wrong. 3. If the
roots be left, the grass will grow again. 4.
Brutes — have a language peculiar to them-
selves ; so have deaf and dumb persons. 5.
There are merchants— with the sentiments,
and abilities, oi statesmen; and there are \\er-
sons in the ranks of statesmen, with the con-
ceptions and characters of pedlars. 6. The
natural world is a world of dreams; for no
thing is — as it appears ; but the spiritual
world — is a yvorldo^ realities, where we shall
see as we are seen, and know — as we are
known. 7. The granary^of all heavenltf
seed, is the Word of God; the ground — is
our will, in which that seed must be sown.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
95
360. This Word - Painting, being a sub-
ject of such great importance, and one that
is inseparably connected with emphasis, we
wUl dwell upon it a little longer, and apply
ii practically; for — unless we get into the in-
ternals of the subject, all our efforts will be
nearly unavailing. A very good way to
perfect ourself in this style of painting, is — to
close the eyes, after having memorized the
words, (or get some one to read them delibe-
rately,) and infix the thoughts and feelings
of the author in the mind, aqd let there be a
commingling of them with your own, in such
a way, that there will be an entire re-produc-
tion, and re-formation of them, — a new crea-
tion. The effect of this kind of exercise on
the mind, wUl be like that of the warm sun,
and refreshing rain, in developing and per-
fecting vegetation.
THUNDER STORM ON THE ALPS.
Far along
From peak to peak, the rattling crags among,
Leaps the live thunder I not from one lone cloud,
But every mountain — now, hath found a tongue.
And Jwro— answers through her misty shroud.
Back to the joyous Alps., who called aloud.
Thy syit'ii— Independence,— \&i me share.
Lord of the lion heart — and eagle eye 1
Thy steps I follow, with my bosom bare.
Nor heed the storms that howl across the sky.
Tis greatly wise — to talk with our past hours,
And ask them— what report — they bore to heaven ;
And kow they mtg-A( have borne— more welcome news ;
Their amu'ers— form— what men—experiertce call.
370. Chemistry — treats of the composi-
tion of uU material substances, their sensible
properties and relations, and the effects pro-
duced upon them — by cohesion, affinity, light,
heat, and electricity. Its 'ttudy — reflects light
upon all these effects, and is subsidiary to the
natural and medical sciences : indeed, its ap-
plication extends throughout the wider range
of all the physical arts; and hence, ranks
among the most useful of the sciences. If the
fair sex — would understand this subject, only
80 far as it relates to house-keeping, they
would see, that there is no necessity of hav-
ing poor soap, or bad bread, or of making
other mistakes in their culinary preparations.
' Anecdote. Mad Man. A man, who was
Qi parently more of a wit — than a marf-man,
but who, notwithstanding, was confined in a
rnarf-house, being asked how he came there,
answered — "Merely a dispute of words; I
eaid that all men were mad; and all said
/ was ma ! ; the majority — carried the point,
Qud here j aw."
Walls of brass — resist not
A noble undertaking, — nor can vice —
Raise any bulwark— to make good a place,
Where virtue— seeks to enter.
Lovers say, the heart — hath treble wrong,
When it is barred— the aidance of the tongue.
Proverbs. 1- He, whose txiienditure is more
than his income, vek\x%t hepoor; but he that receives
more than he spends, must be rick. 2. Wiiat
some speakers fail in, as to depth, thfy make up
as to length. 3. Money, earned with iirtle labor, is
generally spent with little consideration. 4 We
dften lose those things that are certain, while we
pursue others that are doubtful. 5. He, who
knows nothing, doubts nothiu'r. 6. Many per-
sons feel an irreconcilable enmity — towards those
whom they have injured. 7. Without sweat and
labor, no work is perfected. 8. AccumuJated
wealth— hjings care, and a thirst for increasing
riches. 9. Whether in prosperity, or adversity,
we should always endeavor to preserve equa-
nimity. 10. Do not grieve for tnai which is irre-
coverably lost. 11. Use soft words, and hard
arguments. 12. A full purse never lacks friends.
Dissimulation. Dissimulation in youth,
is the forerunner of perfidy in old age ; its
Jirst appearance — is the fatal omen of grow-
ing depravity, and future shame. It degrades
parts and learning, obscures the lustre Oi
every accomplishment, and sinks us into con-
tempt. The path of falsehood is a perplexing
maze. After the first departure from sin-
cerity, it is not in our pc^er to stop ; one ar-
tifice unavoidably leads on to another ; till,
as the intricacy of the labyrinth increases, we
are left entangled in our snare.
VARIETIES.
Pom— is perfect misery, the worst of evils ;
And excessive, overturns all patience.
'Tis base — to change with fortune, and deny
A faithful /rienrf, because in poverty.
Who lives to nature, — rarely can be poor ;
Who lives io fancy, never can be rich.
JtfMsic- resembles poetry ; in each—
Are nameless graces, which no methods teach-
And which a master's hand alone — can reach
Bright-eyed /a7icy— hovering o'er,
Scatters— from her pictured urn.
Thoughts — that breathe, and tcorrfs— that burn
If good — we plant not, vice — will fill the place,
And rankest tceeds — the richest soil — deface.
But the good man, whose soul is pure,
Unspotted, and of pardon — sure,
Looks thro' the darkness of the gloomy mgkt.
And sees the dawning — of a glorious light.
Would you taste the tranquil scene ?
Be sure your bosom — be serene ;
Devoid of hate, devoid oC strife.
Devoid of oW that poisons life.
And much it 'vails you— in their place,
To graft the love— of human race.
How deep — yon azure — dyes the sky,
Where orbs of g-oW— unnumbered lie
While, through their ranks, in silver pride,
The nether crescent— seems to glide .'
Thou sun, said I, fair light!
And thou, enlightened earth, so fresh and gay!
Ye hills and dales, ye rivers, woods, and plains.
And ye that live, and move, fair creatures, tell,
Tell if you can, how came I thus, how here ?
96
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
371. Rtthm — poetical measure, or verse;
of wnich there are various kinds. Prose— is
tnan's natural language, which is rather
laose and unconfined. Poetry— originates in
the affections, prose in the thoughts, of the
human mind; tho' some poems are occasion-
ally prosaic, and some prose— :poe^tc;/eeZ-
ing predominates in the former,— thought,
in the latter. Our rules for reading and
speaking are the same, whether in prose or
poetry : for in all cases, the manner must be
adapted to. the matter,- the sound to the
sense .- in other words, the mind's perception
ajidfeeli7ig of the matter, must dictate the ap-
propriate manner ; " suit the actix)n to the
word, the word to the action ; and o'erstep
not the modesty of nature.'''*
Yon cloud is bright, and beautiful— ii floats
Alone in God's horizon ; on its edge
Thfc stars seem hung like pearls : it looks as pure
As 'twere an angel's shroud,— the white cymar
Of purity, >ust peeping through \is folds
To give a pitying look— on this sad world.
Go visit it, and find, that all ib false ;
Its glories— dite hut fog, and its white /orm
Is plighted to some coming ihunder-gust ; —
The rain, the wind, the lightning, have their source
In such bright meetings. Gaze not at the clouds.
However beautiful. Gaze at the sky.
The clear, blue, tranquil, fixed, and glorious sky.
ii72. AoRicuLTUKE — is the art of cultiva-
ting the ground ; it include^, also, the rear-
ing and management of domestic animals;
it is sometimes called Farming, and Hus-
bandry: and, although simple in its opera-
tions, it derives great benefit from Machinery,
—whence it takes its implements ; from
Chemistry, — whence it derives a knowledge
of soils, and the means of fertilizing them ;
from Botany, — which teaches a knowledge of
the plants — to be cultivated or destroyed;
and from Zoology — which teaches the habits
and peculiarities of the animals it rears, and
the means of improving them for use — and
profit.
Anecdote. Kosciusko, the hero of Poland,
wishing to make a present to a Clergyman,
sent it by a young man, and desired him to
take the h/jrse, which he AimseZ/ usually rode.
)n his return, the younf man said — he
would never ride his horse again, unless he
gxvehis purse at the same time; for, said he,
"as soon as a poor man on the road takes off
his hat, and asks charity, the horse immedi-
ately stops, and will not stir, till something-
is gi ven the pe/i/ioner,- and as I had but lit-
tle money with me, I was obliged, when it
was gone,to feign giving something, in order
to satisfy the horse.'''*
Cursed be your senate ; cursed your constitution ;
The curse of growing factions— and divisions-
Still vex your aouncils, shake your public safety,
\nd make the rcbes of government— you wear,
Wattful to you, as these chains are — to me.
Proverbs. 1. Truth— is but another na«ta— fox
fact. 2. There is a mental, as well as civil com-
monwealth. 3. The end of learning, is useful-
ness,— not reputation. 4. Study the principles of
things, — as well as their uses. 5. Common sense
— which is very wn-common, is the best sen.sc
in the world. G. JVo one can hit a mark, without
aiming at it; and skill is acquired, by repeated
attempts. 7. Never do anything with indifference;
and do everything as perfectly as possible. 8
Never cut out a piece of a newspaper, till you
have looked on the other side. 9. In prosperity,
— prepare for a change; in adversity, — hope for
one. 10. Haste — is a poor apology ; take time, and
do your work well. 11. Personal effort — seldom
fails to obtain its object. 12. Some people never
have enough.
Autumn. It was a glorious day in aw-
tumn. The sky, of unsullied blue, glowed
like a sapphire. The universal air — was fill-
ed with stillness. Not a breeze whispered —
not a bird flapped its wing. It was the tri-
umph of repose — when the undying energies
of man — slumbered for a moment, — when
even the conflict of his passions was suspend-
ed. Beautiful, melancholy autumn ! whose
ruddy ripeness — whispers of decay; whose
richest tints — mingle with the " sear and yel
low leaf," as if the lusty year — had toilea
through youth and manhood for wealthy
which overflows, just when.waning life — in-
dicates, that tlie power of enjoyment — is pae»-
ing away.
Varieties. 1. What is the difference —
between reading and reflection ? 2. To look
away from principles, and see only their ap-
plication, tends to idolatry. 3. Suspicion is
the effect — of the association of ideas — mis-
directed by the imagination; it never exists
— without a shade of insanity.
Thjo' deep, yet clear ; tho' gentle, yet not dull ,
Strong, without ro^e,— without overflowing— full.
5. In what manner- is uniformity in events
— depending, apparently, on contingent cir-
cumstances, to be accounted for ] 6. Only
by appealing to first principles — can we n.
caver, or maintain — the spirit and essence,
of genuine wisdom, and intelligence. 7 The
greatest degree — of self-abasement, if real, is
the nearest approach to the Divine Presence.
^ray, shrink not— from the word " Farewell,^'
As if 'twere Friendship's ^naZ knell :
Such fears— may prove but vain :
So changeful— ia life's fleeting day,
Whene'er we sever, Hope may say, \
We part, to meet again.
Even the last parting— eartft can know.
Brings not unutterable wo
To souls, that heavenward soar ;
For humble Faith, with steadfast eye.
Points to a brighter world on high,
Where hearts, that here— at parting eigh,
May meet, — to part no more.
Duties -are otcrs ; consequences— are OodPs
TRTNCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
sn
I
873. The three philosophical divisions of
Poetry (as well as of Prose) in relation to the
mind, are — RELIGIOUS, having reference
to the supreme Being, and what is above us
in the scale of creation ; the social and ci-
VI?, or middle; what is around us, and
within, relating to the great family of man :
and the external, which refers, principally, to
the kingdom of Nature, which is below us ;
vii. the animal, vegetable, and mineral : (do
not include mankind in the animal king-
dom; they are human; it is sensualism
which has degraded man to rank with anir
mals.) The common divisions of Poetry are
— Pastoral, Lyric, Didactic, Satire, Sonnets,
Descriptive, Epic, Tragic, and Comic; to which
some add, Sacred, Classic, Romantic, Elegiac,
Mythologic, Eclogue, Ballad, and Epitaph.
ay*. Management of the Breath. From
what we have said, yx)U see the importance
of attending to this subject. Very few per-
sons— breathe sufficiently often, when read-
ing, speaking, or singing. AU tlie directions
the autlior has seen on this subject — are at
variance with truth and nature. There are
Si few instances, when a long breath is neces-
sary; but they are very rare. To acquire a
long breath, exercise on all tlie difficulties of
respiratioJi, — and pursue a similar course
for strengthening a weak voice ; also, practice
long quantity, vfoMn^ up hill, and running,
when reciting. In the following, breathe at
least once, while reading each period. " He
died young, (breathe,) but he died happy.
His friends have not had him long, (breathe,)
but his death — ( breathe ) is the greatest
trouble and grief, (breathe,) they ever had.
He has enjoyed the sweets of the world —
(breathe,) only for a little while, (breathe,)
hut he never tasted its bitters.'''' The writer
is aware of being, in this respect, in opposi-
tion to authorities ; but he cannot be influ-
enced by that, so long as he is persuaded that
truth and nature are with him. If one does
not breathe sufficiently often, he will be al-
most sure to speak too rapidly : and, as the
object of Elocution is — to convince and per-
suade, how can one expect to do this, if he
does not give his hearers time to think, or
reason, about what he says? How can a
Jury — keep pace with a lawyer, whose lan-
guage rides post-haste 1 If his reason, and
arguments, are hurled upon the ear, like
flashes of lightning upon the eye, how can
they be remembered, or produce the intended
effect ? If one does not breathe at the proper
times ai>d places, the sense is not fully con-
veyed, and the lungs are injuriously affected.
Too unfrequent breathing, and rapid speak-
mg, must be avoided ,• but beware of the op-
posite extreme, unless you wish to lull your
hearers to sle^p.
Ask of mother earth — why oaks — were made —
Taller and stronifsr— than tl\e loeeds they shade.
BRONSON 7
Proverbs. 1. Never begin things, nnd then
leave them unfinished. 2. Have a plac3for every
thing: and wlien you have usei it, put it hack
again. 3. Proverbs— hevix age ; and he, wlio would
do xvell, may see himself in them, as in a looking-
glass. 4. Politetiess — costs nothing, and may do
much good. 5. Tediousness—'is often fatal to our
object. 6. Where there is no hope, there is no en-
deavor, 7. Unequal friendships — are easily dis-
solved. 8. Slotli— consumes faster than labor. it-
Lost time — IS never found again ; and time enough
yet, is always little enough. 10. Industry— payj
debts; desj^air— increases them. 11. Troops o( fu-
ries— march m the drunkard's triumph. 18. Skc
cess — consecrates the foulest crimes.
Anecdote. The Boys and Frogs. VKs
trangc tells us, in his fables, that a number
of boys were one day watching frogs at the
side of a po7id ; and that when any of them
put their heads above the water, the boys
pelted them doivn again, with stones. One
of the frogs, appealing to the humanity of
the boys, made this striking observation,—
"Children, you do not consider, that though
this may be sport to you, it is death to tis."
Folly a-nd "Wisdom. Many parents —
labor hard, and live sparingly, tii&t they may
give their children a start in the world : but
setting a son afloat with money left to him —
is like tying bladders under the arms of one
who cannot swim ; and ten to one he will
drown ; but teach him to sfwim, and he will
never need bladders: give a child a good edu-
cation, and it will give him such a start — aa
will secure usefulness and victory in the race
he is to run.
Varieties. 1 . Is it possible — for a created
being to merit any thing — at the hands of
God ? 2. The instincts of animals — are their
laws of life ; they seem to be sensible of their
ends of being, and the means of attaining
them. 3. Truth — is that resemblance to, or
conformity with Nature, that is presented to
the mind, by the relation of ideas, whether
simple, or complex. 4. There is a divinity —
shapes our ends, rough hew tliem as we will.
5. 'Tis better, to be lowly born, and range
with humble livers — in' content, than to be
pricked up — in glittering grief, and wear a
golden sorrow. 6. Whatever is seen, by the
bodily eye, or perceived by the outward senses,
is but an effect — from the spiritual world, and
a true representative of some principle there-
in, and proper to it ; for that world is in the
human sow/, — and mind.
I ramble— by the evening sea
The ZigAt-house— glimmering from afur
And fleecy clouds — are scouring /ree
O'er rising moon, and twinkling star;
In distonce— floats the waning sail^
Or brightly gleams the plashing oar,
And mingles— with the .shining gale
The hiUow—mnrmarmg on the shore,
But one thing wants the wanderer there-
A kindred soul, the scene to share.
96
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
a 75. Empliasls. This is a very impor-
tant part of our subject ; and unless the pu-
pU is certain, that he perfectly understands
Accent, he is advised to review it again. Ac-
cented syllables, are to other syllables, in the
same word, what emphatic syUables, are to
words in the same sentence,— hence, it may
be seen, that as the idea— is always associa-
ted with the accented vowel, and changes,
when tlie seat of accent is changed ; as in
^u-gust, and &\x-gust ; so, the mind's eye —
always accompanies the emphatic word Ex.
Doctor Johnson, (says Cicero,) was a great
orator. Thus emphasised, we make Cicero
say, that Dr. Johnson — was a great orator.
Corrected, thus: Dr. Johnson says — Cicero
was a great orator. Practice on this sentence,
tUl every thing appertaining to correct em-
phasis is familiar. All tlie words {in this
book, printed in different type, are more or
less emphatic : and some are emphatic that
are in the common type.
376. Emphasis — is an increase of accent
on the accented vowels of important words,
the more perfectly to convey the sense of the
autlior. There are only two ways of ma-
king it : which are the same as in accent ; viz :
by STRESS and atrANTiTx. First, by stress :
Ex. 1. The difference — ^between what is true
— and false, good—axid. evil, is very great.
2. Some reports — oxetrue: others — dire false.
3. Truth tells us, that certain affections —
are exnl : but False says, they are good. 4.
Good men — love, and practice, what is good
and true ; but wicked men — love, and prac-
tice, what is false, and evil. 5. Heaven —
consists of all that is good and true; but
Hell — consists of all that is false, and evil.
a 7 7. Horticulture — or Gardening, is
the art of preparing and cultivating gardens,
including pZeasure-grounds, and ornamental
shrubbery : its close relation to Agriculture,
renders it difficult to distinguish between
them. As involving principles of ta^te, and
elements of beauty, it may be classed with
the Fine Arts; but its connection with the
Useful Arts — presents a stronger relation;
and, whether considered in reference to use-
fulness, or ornament, it deserves much at-
ientvm, and exerts a salu^y influence over
ita votaries.
Anecdote. Working a Passage. An
Irishman, having applied to work his passage
on a canal-boat, and being employed to lead
the tujrses on the tow-path ; on arriving at the
place of destination, declared he would sooner
go on foot, than work his passage in America.
Honest index— of the soul,
Nobly scorning all control,
Silent language~e\eT flowing,
Every secrnt thought avowing,
Pleasure's seat, — Love''s favorite throne,
Boery triumph- -i« thy own.
Proverbs. 1. Every act of rtoknce— lead*
to difficult restate . 2. The house of a true friend- -
is always a sure asylum. 3. It is sweet — to soothe
the wretched, a^d mitigate their misfortunes 4 He
has done the mischief, and I bear the blame. 5.
It is common to fools — to mention their neighbor's
faults; while they are forgetful cf their own. 6
Endeavor to conquer adverse circumstances ; aiid
not submit to them. 7. It ia wise — to derive know
ledge, even from an enemy. 8. He, who flies froir.
judgment, confesses the crime imputed to him. 9.
We are generally willing to believe — ^what %%•«
wish to be true. 10. Let justice be done, Iho' tied
heavens fall. 11. The more riches a. fool has, the
foolisher he is. 12. When the heart — is past hcp^
the/ace— is past shame. 13. Despair—haa ruined
many a one.
Pmiosopliy of Mind. No philosophy of
the mind can be valuable, that does not pro-
pose an inquiry into the connection between
mind and matter. Attention to the subject
of our own consciousness, alone, excludes the
possibility of their being well observed, be-
cause the conditions of their being well seen
— are neglected. That there is a direct con-
nection between mind and matter, the soul
and body, is an indisputable fact ; and it is
perfectly idle, to pretend to examine the qual-
ities of the former, without reference to the
latter. The comprehension of the action of
mind and the reaction of matter, involves
the true principles of Intellectuttl Philosophy
and Psychology.
Varieties. 1. Which is the most desira-
ble, to know and understand much; or, to
make a right use of what we know and ui>
derstand] 2. The Jew — asks a sign; the
Greeks — seek after wisdom. 3. Do not the
shadows of great thoughts, sometimes fall
on our minds ?
Vf ho friendship— Wiih. a knave has made
Is judged a partner — in the troAe ;
Tis thus, that on the choice of /nmrfj,
Our good, or evil name— depends.
5. Envy no man's good, or truth: seek not
to be him. If less than thee, give mat wnicn
he asketh of thee, at all times ; if more than
thee, envy not: neither seek to depreciate, •
and beware of rashly condemning what is
above thee, — ^lest thou materially hurt thyself.
6. Vfe may'as soon take fire — into the bo-
som, without being burned, or touch tar
without being defiled, as to frequent and at'-
light in — ^bad company, without a stain upon
our moral character.
MY SISTER.
Mine eyes— have seen the beautiful,
Mine ears— have heard their thrilling voise-.
My Aeart— has felt their potent rule—
The /ears of hope, the hope oi joys —
But neucT— has my sight approved
A/atVer— than my sisUr—no .'
fione other sound — so much hath moved
As, her '^dear brother,'''' spoken low.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
99
I
5B78» INVOLUNTARY Efforts. Let no one
imagine, that it is the design of this system to
make arbitrary readers, and speakers; far
from it : if the system were not founded in
NATURE, such might be the result. By malt-
ing use of the principles here developed, we
fit urn to truth and nature ; provided we have
wandered from them ; consequently, the ef-
fort becomes involuntary : as was the case
witli the whistling of little Jimmy, in school ;
who, when his teacher was about to correct
him, exclaimed, " No, no ; it was not I that
whistled, it whistled itself.^^ No one can be
a good reader, or speaker, till the eflfort be-
comes involuntary ; he must will, and it sliall
be done. Unfortunately, some think they
must do some great thing; whereas, they
have only to wash, and be clean.
379. Eric, or heroic poetry, has for its sub-
ject the exploits of some hero, or heroes, of
national celebrity ; Lyric poetry is designed
to be set to music, as psalms, hymns, odes
and songs ; Elegiac poetry involves solemn,
or mournful subjects; Epitaphs are inscrip-
tions on ^om&-stones; Pastoral poetry treats
of rural affairs, and the social affections; it is
appropriate to shepherds ; Didactic poetry is
designed to convey instruction; Satyric
poetry is fbr reproving the vices, errors and
follies of the world, by holding them up to
ridicule ; Descriptive poetry describes inter-
esting subjects, mental or natural; and
Romantic poetry has for its subjects, tales,
romances, md novels, probable, or supemat
ural.
aSO. Cause and Effect. Such are the de-
fects of our education, that we are brought up
almost as ignorant of our bodies and minds,
as of the man in the moon : the consequence
is, we are imposed upon by the shoe-maker,
the tailor, the mantua-makeT, the carpenter
and Joiner, the caftme^-maker, the miller and
baker, the cook and the washer, and by al-
most every body else : we are a race of abusers
of one another. When we get a pair of shoes,
the first question is, how well do they look \
So also of the coat and dress, the house, the
chair, the fiour, and bread, &c., &c. Oh,
when shall we be wise, and understand the
things that so nearly concern our temporal
welfare 1 Having eyes, we see not aright;
naving ears we hear wrong : our feelings,
taste, and smell — betray us, because they are
perverted. The enemy comes in upon us like
di flood, and who will hft up a standard against
him'
GENERATIONS OF MAN.
Like leaves on trees— the race of man is found,
Now, green in youth, now, withering on the ground.
Another race the following spring supplies ;
They fall successive, and successive rise:
So — generations— in their course decay,
So- flouT'sh these, when those— aca passed away.
Proverbs. 1. It is well not wily to stem pure ;
but, to be pure. 2. Aim at desert, rather than re-
ward. 3. If you are in a thriving way, stick to it,
and let well enough, alone. 4. Tn^es— often de
cide much — concerning the character of a person.
5. Believe yowrsei/' capable of learning what otAers
have learned. 6. A"oid all extretnes ; and lie-,,
and act, in the golden medium. 7. The loaded
tree — always bends with its fruits ; asrirtt^—
stoops beneath humility. 8. Without frugaifijf,
none can be rich; and with it — few can be poor.
9. The used key — is always bright. 10. Man is 3
being who makes bargains; one dog never ex-
changes bones with another dog. 11. You can d*
it, if you only think so, and try. 12. Quick be-
lievers— need broad shoulders.
Anecdote. New Character. Lord Hardy,
who was so much addicted to the bottle, as to
be always under the influence of liquor, pre-
vious to a masquerade night, inquired of Foot,
" what new character he ought to appear in '?"
" New character," said the other, — " suppose
you go sober, my lord," He took the hint of
the comedian, and actually reformed.
Industry. If industry is no more than
habit, 'tis at least an excellent one. " If you
ask me, which is the real hereditary sin of
human nature, do you imagine I shall answer
pride, or luxury, or ambition, or egotism ?
No ; I shall say — indolence. Who conquers
indolence, will conquer all the rest." Indeed,
all good principles must stagnate, without
mental activity.
Varieties. 1. A prime minister — was
asked, how he could perform such a vast
amount of business, and yet, have so much
leisure ? He replied, I do every thing at the
time. 2. Would wings — be folded in the
worm, if they were not one day to enable it
to fly ? 3. The perfection of religion and
science — ^will be united; their sphere of ope-
ration ascertained, and their periods of vicis-
situdes known in that better age, which is
approaching.
Let fools — the studious despise ;
There's nothing lost, by being wise.
Whatever perils — ^may alarm, us.
Kind words — will never harm, us.
6. Pure, and undefiled religion, is the sheet-
anchor of happiness, the perfection and glory
of human nature ; its essence — is a conscience
void of offence toward God, and man. 7.
There is a providence in every pulsatum, and
in all the particulars that concern it : as the
sun — never ceases to shine, so the Lord-
never ceases to bless.
There is a voice — I shall hear no more —
There are tones, whose music, for me, is o'er,
Sweet as the odors of spring were they, —
Precious and rich — but, they died away;
They came like peace to my heart and ear —
Never again will they murmur here;
They have gone— like the blush of a sumtner moTtli
Like a crimsan c^owd— through the sunset bom«.
100
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUT ON.
881. EMPHAfiis. Words are emphatic,
when opposition is expressed, or understood;
that is, when our words are contrasted, and
when we wish to enforce our ideas, so as to
produce their desired effects. As, Oratory —
involves feelings, thoughts and words; so,
docs it also involve ends, or purposes, causes,
and effects; beyond which, human minds
cannot travel. We may illustrate emphasis,
by what is called lever-power ; the resistance
to be overcome, or the effect to be produced ;
tlie lever a.s a medium, and \he weight .'thus,
1 will, or desire, to accomplish a certain ob-
ject : here, is the region of ends, or pur-
poses ; then, I devise ways and means, and
determine how it is to be done ; here, is the
region of causes: ond, finally, I put the pur-
pose in operation, through the means, and
thus accomplish my object ; which, of course,
is the region of effects. Here is the philoso-
phy of oratory.
388. Examples of Emphasis bt Stress.
1 . It is not so easy to hide our faults, as to con-
fess— and avoid them. 2. Never attempt to
raise yourself, by depreciating the merits of
others. 3. As fools — make a mock at sin, so
do the ignorant — often make a mock at
knowledge. 4. They are generally most ri-
diculous thejuselves, who see most to ridicule
in others. 5. Wherever educatio7i is neg-
lected,— depravity, and every kind of action,
that degrades mankind, are most frequent.
6. The first three volumes ; not, the three^rs^
volumes; there is only one— first. 7. The
first three, and the last two verses ; not, the
three first, and two last. 8. To be truly —
happy, man must be good, and renounce such
enjoyments as are grounded in the love of
evil. 9. There is a natural body, and there
is a spiritual body. 10. Flesh — and blood —
cannot inherit the kingdom of God.
883. Rule. Emphasize the important
word, or words, with such a degree and kind
of stress, or expulsive prolongation of sound,
as to convey the entire sense and feeling, m
the best manner, and give each idea its rela-
tive importance. Example and definition.
" Emphasis — is the index of my meaning,
and shows more exactly, what I wish the
hearers to attend to — particularly." Indeed,
it is to the mind what the finger is to the eye :
when we wish a person to see any tiling, we
naturally point to it : thus, are the manifesta-
tions of tlie mind made by the emphasis, or
X^omting of the voice.
They are sleeping.' Who are sleeping?
Mortals f compassed round with woe, —
Eyelids, wearied out with weeping,
Close for very weakness now :
And that short relief from sorrow..
Harassed nature — shall sustain,
Till they wake again — to-morrow,
Strengthened— to contend with pain!
Proverbs. 1. We muat submit to authorifif
till we can discover, or see—rutsons. 2. Be not sat
isfied with the results and applications oi know
ledge; but search for its /owniains. 3. Youth — i,
not a time to cast aivay stones, but to gailier them
4. Instead of naturalizing nature, we should nat
uralize art. 5. The understanding — is a r^finink
vessel, in which knowledge is purified. 6. En
deavor to acquire such knowledge, as will enabU
you to judge correctly yourself. 7. Time — ce
stroys the speculations of man, but confirms the
judgments of Nature. 8. No evil propensity is r-c
powerful, but that it may be subdued, by propel
means. 9. No one is so great, or so small, but
that he is capable of giving, or receiving— benefits
10. Be civil— \o the great,— bux intimaU—w\i\\ the
good. 11. No religion— is better than an unnatu-
ral one,. 12. Immoderate sorrow — is a species of
suicide. 13. Pay what you oxf^e. 14. Greatthieves
punish little ones. 15. The absent party is al-
•wsiysfaulty. •
/ Anecdote. If a private gentleman, in
Cheshire England, about the year 1730, had
not been overturned in his carriage ; it is
possible, that the United States, instead of
being a free Republic, might have remained
a dependent colony: that gentleman — was
Augustus Washington, who was thus thrown
out of his carriage, into the company of a
lady, who afterwards became liis wife, emi-
grated with him to Virginia, and, in 173-2, be-
came the mother — of General Washington
liaconles. When we see birds, at tlie
approach of rain, anointing their plumage
with oil — to shield olF the drops, should it
not remind us, when the storms of conten-
tion threaten us, to apply the oil of for
bearance, and thus — prevent the chilling
drops from entering our hearts.^
Varieties. 1 . Did mankind fall sudden-
ly, or by degrees ? 2. While/reedom — is true
to itself, every one becomes subject to it ; and
even its adversaries are instruments in its
hands. 3. The preservation of health — de-
pends, principally, on proper diet, early re-
tiring, and early rising, temperance in eat-
tng, and drinking, proper exercise, and per-
fect cleanliness. 4. By a vicious action, we
injure our miiid, as we should our body, by
drinking poison, or inflicting a tvound upon
it. 5. What is liberty ? Willing, thinking,
speaking, and doing — what we understand /
provided, we violate no law, or principle
6. Mental pleasures — never cloy; unhkf-
those of the body, they are increased by repe
tition, approved by reason, and strengthened
by enjoyment. 7. Evil action, contrivance:.
and speech, is but the manifestation of the
nature of evil ; and that it should be made
manifest, is consistent with divine inten
tions.
Freedom— ia
The brilliant gift of heaven ; 'lis reason's sdf.
The kin — to Deity.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCTf 7?PN> .
101
984. Emphasis. There are only ifit^o ways
of making emphasis, but as many ways of
exhibiting it, as there are pitches, qualities,
and modijications of voice — in Speech and
Song : all of which are very simple, and a
kncwledge of them easily acquired, by the
persevering student. In every sentence, there
is a word, or words, on which the sense de-
pends, as the body — on the heart; the voice and
gestures, only, can exhibit it Emphasis, not
only illustrates, but often amplifies the sense
of the author ; and that i« the best emphasis,
which does this the most effectively,- indeed,
there are times when, through the emphasis,
one may make words mean — more than they
were designed to mean by the author.
385. Emphasis by expulsive stress. 1. He
who cannot bear a joke — should never give
one. 2. Avoid a slanderer, as you would a
scorpion. 3. A wager — is a.fooPs argument.
4. He that is past shame, is past hope. 5.
What is worth doing at all, is worth doing
well. 6. Men of principle, ought to be prin-
cipal men. 7. Aim at nothing higher, till
you can read and speak, deliberately, clearly,
and distinctly, and with proper emphasis: all
vther graces will follow. 8. The head, with-
out the heart, is like a steam engine, without
a boiler. 9. As love — thinks no evil, so envy
-speaks no good. 10. Variety, delights,-
and perfection, delights in variety.
386. Music The cultivation, and frequent
practice of music, in schools of every grade, will
have a strong, and decidedly beneficial influ-
ence on the habits of the pupils. By using
the same words, and singing the same pieces
in concert, their thoughts will be directed in
the same channel, and their affections eleva-
ted together ; and they will naturally be led
into closer association and sympathy with
each other. Well chosen music may be made
an efficient auxiliary, guiding and controlling
the feelings and actions in the school-room,
and contribute essentially, to the proper man-
agement of its concerns. It was in accord-
ance with this principle, that a certain poet
wisely said, "Let me make the songs of the
nation, and I care not who makes its lav-s.^^
887. Geography — comprises a general de-
scription of the earth ; and, especially of the
nations, by which it is inhabited, in reference
to their position and extent ; their produc-
tions and resources ; their institutions and
improvements ,- their maimers and customs ;
including the subject of statistics, voyages,
and travels. It is a term, that admits of al-
most indefinite extension; for in describing
a nation, allusion must be made to its ton-
f;uage, laws, religion, arts, and literature ,-
nnd in treating of the earth, and its produc-
xwns, we may include the whole range of the
pnysical sciences.
True love— is never idle,
12
Froverbs, 1. It is 9. fraud— lo conceal fraud.
2. NevtUTvattempi Jq do itos til ir^sc-;at.f nee. 3.
He, lab^rsin'r.cir*, '*ho'oi»d<!a«^,ors'to pJ-JMe every
body. 4. To the resolute and persevering — noth-
ing 13 difficult. 5. Thieves— are game for the
penitentiary, and often, for the gallows. 6. Kind-
ness— begets kindness, and love — begets love. 7.
The drop — hollows the stone, not by he force, but
by falling often on the same spot. 8. A man who
aspires to be an orator, must study by night, as
well as by day. 9. There is no sauce equal to 4
good appetite. 10. To wicked persona — the vir-
tue of others — is always a subject of envy. 11. A
man would not be alone, even in paradia. 12.
Weigh right, if you sell dear.
Anecdote. Br. Johnson — observed to
Mackli?i, in a sneering manner, that literary
men — should converse in the learned lan-
guages ; and immediately addressed the dra-
matist in Latin ; after which, Macklin — ut-
tered a long sentence in Irish. The Doctor
again returned to the English tongue, saying,
" You may speak very good Greek ,- but I am
not sufficiently versed in that dialect — to con-
verse with youjiuently."
Of Dress, &-c. A creature, who spends
its time in dressing, gaming, prating, and
gadding, is a being originally, indeed, of the
rational make ; but who has sunk itself be-
neath its rank, and is to be considered, at
present, as nearly on a level with the mon-
key-species.
Varieties. l.What was the design of
God, in making matiy 2. How absurd, to
have half a dozen children, with different dis-
2)Ositions, and capabilities, and yet, give them
all — the same education I 3. Are not bigot-
ry, and iiitolerance — as destructive to luo
rality, as they are to common sense? 4.
Observations, made in the cloister, or m the
desert, will generally be as obscure — a:? the
one, and barren — as the other; to become
orators, or painters, we must study originals,
5. Which side of a pitcher has the handle?
The outside, of course. 6. If a book really
needs the patronage of a great man ; it is a
bad book ,- and if it be a good book, it doea
not need it. 7. To sow the seeds of order —
we mustbe just ; and so, also, to water them *,
but beware that self- — enter not into the ai"*
tion.
Before the gate there sat,
On either side, a formidable shape.
The one seemed woman — to the waist, and fair^
But ended /omZ, in many a scaly fold,
Voluminous and vast ; — a serpent arm'd
With mortal stings.
The other shape.
If shape it might be caWd, that shape had none.
Or substance might be call'd, that shadow seemed
For each seem'd each, black it stood as night.
Fierce as ten furies,— terrible as hell,
And shook a dreadful dart.
You think this cruel ; take it for a ruf^,
JVV» creature—smarts so little— an a fool.
102
PRIKCiPLES OF ELOCUTION.
ass. Remember that Emphasis— xs to
tvords,'m -^i ^en-ferice ^haf. accent is to letUrs
or syliable^Sy in'3, woMy and, as' proper Uc-
cent — on a right vowel, will impart an impe-
tus to the voice, in going through the word;
so, true emfiiasis on the same, will give an
i;npetus in delivering the sentence, so as to
ultimate the end you have in view. Again,
the length of long vowel sounds, in emphatic
words, is, to the same vowels, in accented
words, what accented long ones are, to uwac-
cented long ones: similar observations might
be made in reference to force — on emphatic
short vowels, and accented and W7iaccented
Kliort ones.
289. The vanous effects, produced by
changing the seat of Emphasis, from one
word to another, may be seen in the follow-
ing sentence, of emphatic memory ; provided
it be read according to the notation. " Will
you ride to town to-day?" That is: will
you ride, or will you not ? " Will you ride
to town to-day 1 " That is : will you ride, or
will you send some one. " Will you Hde to
town to-day 1" That is: wiU you ride, or
walk? "Will you ride to town to-day?"
That is : will you ride to town, or will you
ride somewhere else? "Will you ride to
town to-day?" That is: will you ride to
town to-day, or to-morrow ; or, next week ?
By using other modifications of voice, as many
shades of meaning may be given, even to this
short sentence, as there are letters in it.
390. Application-. It is incredible, how
much may be accomplished by diligence, and
industry. The present state of the world, en-
liiihtened by the arts and sciences, is a living
proof, that difficulties, seemingly insuperable,
may finally be overcome. This considera-
tion ought to stimulate us to industry and
application. We do not know our own
strength, till we try it; nor to what extent
our abihties will carry us, till we put them to
the test. Those who want resolution, often
desist from useftil enterprises, when they
have more th^ half effected their purposes:
they are discouraged by difficulties and dis-
appointments, which ought rather to excite
tlieir ardor, and cause them to redouble their
efforts to succeed.
Anecdote. While Athens — ^was governed
by the thirty tyrants, Socrates, the pMloso-
pher, was ordere<? to assist in seizing one
Leon, a man of rank and fortune, whom
they determined to put out of the way, that
they might enjoy his estate; but Socrates
positively refused: saying, "I will not wil-
lingly assist — m an unjust act." "Dost
thou think," (said one of them,) "to talk in
this high tone, and not to suffer?" "Far
from it," replied he; "I expect to suffer a
thousand ills; but none so great — as to do
vunjustly.^
Proverbs. 1. IFi'srfom— excelleth folly, as
much as light excels darkness. 2. Opinion ia
free; a.\iA. conduct alone — amenable to the law.
3. Some — affect to despise — what they do not un-
derstand. 4. In trying to avoid one danger, wc
sometimes fall into another. 5. Dectincy — is the
natural characteristic of virtue, and the decc >
live coloring of vice. 6. Never despair ; rpeak
the commanding word, " I will," and it it done.
7. Never chase a lie ; for if you keep quiei, {eruth
— will eventually overtake it. 8. A punctual
man, is rarely a poor man ; and never — a man of
doubtful credit. 9. Persons of fashion, starve
their happiness, to feed their vanity ; and their
love, to feed their pride. 10. There is a great
difference — between repeating a maxim, or pro-
verb, and a practical observance of it. 11. Dis-
enses — are the interest of sensual pleasures. 12.
The half is often better than the whole. I'J. Jus-
tice— should rule over all.
Bigots. Bigots, who are violent, positive,
and intolerant, in their religious tenets, ought
to feel very much humbled, when they reflect,
that they would have been equally so for any
other religion, had it been the religion of their
parents, or of the country in which they had
been born and educated.
Varieties. 1. Why is a toZe-bearer — like a
&ricfe-layer1 Because he raises stories. 2.
When you have nothing to say, say nothing;
for a weak defence — strengthens your oppo-
nent: and silence — is better than a bad re-
ply. 3. We might enjoy much peace, and
happiness, if we would not busy ourselves,
with what others say and do. 4 Never think
of yourself, when reading, speaking, or
singing ; but of your subject ; and avoid an
artificial, and grandiloquent style of delivery
5. It is not enough— to be left to the tuition
of Nature, unless we Icnow what lessons she
teaches. 6. Morals — too often come from
the pulpit, in the cold abstract ; but men
smart under them when good laivyers are
the preachers. 7. When we become perfect
ly rational, and act wholly from ourselves-
in consequence of it, we are accountable tor
all our actions, and they are then imputed to
us, if evil, — but not before.
Where the gentle streamlets flow,
Where the morning rfeto-drops glow,
Where the zephyrs— wing their flight.
In the cool and welcome night.
Whispering through the fragrant grovt
To the heart, that " God is love,"
Where the light cloud skims the sky.
Worship ! ^'Ood is passing by !"
Hoary /oresi, rugged rock.
Roaring torrents, earthquake's shock.
Mighty tempests, lightning's glare,
• Ocean, raging in despair.
And the dcseri— lone and drear,
Wake the soul of man to fear ;
And when thunder rends the sky.
Tremble 1 ''God is passing '"
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
103
891. Emphasis. If your articulatwn,
and pronunciation, be clear and correct, and
you are free fiom all unnatural tones, and
other bad habits, nothing can prevent your
Bucceeding in this important art, if you per-
fect yourself in Emphasis : hence, the reason
of dwelling on the subject so long, and of
giving such a variety of examples. But re-
mem oer, that books, rules, teachers, or all
ccmibined, cannot make orators of you, w^ith-
rut you throw your whole heart and soul
into the exercises, and let your zeal be ac-
cording to knowledge. Become independent
of your hook, and speak from memory, as
soon as possible ; then, you will be left to the
promptings and guidance of your own mind,
and become //•ee.
a 93. 1. Men live, and j^rosper, but in mu-
tual trust, ?ind confidence of one another's
truth. 2. Those, who are teaching our youth
, — to read with science and effect, are doing
much to increase the power, and extend the
infiue7ice— of standard authors.
Peace — is the happy, natural state of man ;
War — his comiption, and disgrace.
To native gmi?/s— would you prove a friend !
Point out his faults — and teach him how to mend.
Let us
A ct with prudence, and with manly temper,
As well as manly^rmness ;
Tis God-like magnanimity — to keep,
When most provoked, our reason — calm, and clear.
Notes. The ancients very properly called man a micro-
e^m, Oi- little wirrld. But what were this world— without a sun,
to impart to it light and heat ? Of what use the iorfy— without
llie soul ? Of what use the house, without the inhabitant ? and
of what use words, without thought and feeling ? And of what
nse are all these, if they cannot be made manifest ? The body —
ic the mind's servant, and depends on its care, as the mind itself
does on the Father of mind. Body, smd sout—jre best taken care
of, when both ire minded together.
393. Architecture — teaches the art of
building ; and is one of the most useful, as
well as ancient, of all the arts: it demands
much more attention, than it has ever re-
ceived ; especially, in this country : and many
— would save time, labor and money, and
have better houses, as to comfort ond appear-
ance, if they would make themselves ac-
quainted with this important art. Most
persons will find it much to their benefit, to
call upon an architect, when about to erect a
haildmg of importance.
Anecdote. King James I., of England,
went out of his way one day, to hear a noted
preacher. The clergyman, seeing tlie king
enter, left his text — to declaim against swear-
ing; for which vile practice — the king was
notorious. After service, the king thanked
him for his sermon; and asked him, what
connection swearing had with his text. The
minister replied, " Since your majesty came
out of your way, thro' curiosity, I could not,
in compliance, do less than go out of mine —
to rr.eet vow."
Proverbs. 1. remperanee— arjdtntcn.fcrance
— reivard, and punish themselves. 2. Riches — are
servants to the wise,— hut tyrants '..o fools. 3. Nono
can be great, who have ceased tc he virtuous. 4.
Money — does no good, till it is distributed. 5. If
you have one true friend, think yomseM happy. 6.
Silks, and satins, often put out the kitchener*. 7.
Hunger — looks into the working-man's house ; but
dare not enter. 8. When the well is dry, people
know the worth of waUr. 9. Business— makes a
man, as well as tires him. 10. For the evuience of
truth, look at the truth itself. 11. Better go away
longing, than loathing. 12. Of saving — cometh
having. 13. God — never made a hypocrite.
Reading, Writings, and Speaking.
Habits of literary conversation, and still more,
habits of extempore discussion in a popular
assembly, are peculiarly useful in giving us
a ready and practical command of our know-
ledge. There is much good seiise in the fol-
lowing ajjhorism of Bacon : ^'Reading makes
a full man, writing a correct man, a.nd speak-
ing a ready man."
Varieties. 1. Through an affected con-
tempt— for what some call Zt/^Ze things, mam'
remain ignorant — of what they might easily
know. 2. A harmless hilarity, and buoyari
cheerfulness — are not unfrequent concomi-
tants of genius ; and we are never more de-
ceived, than when we mistake gravity — for
greatness, solemnity — for science, and pom-
posity for erudition. 3. It is better to have
recourse to a quack, who can cure oui dis-
ease, tho' he cannot explain it, than to one
who can explain, but cannot cure it. 4. Ear-
ly rising — not only gives us more life, in the
same number of years, but adds to the num-
ber ; and not only enables us to tnjoy more
of existence, in the same measure of time,\>vA
increases also their raeasure. 5. For hie
honesty, there was no winter in't ; an au-
tumn 'twas, that grew the more, by reaping
6. Let us admire the results of truth, while
we ascend to the source of truth. 7. Look
first inwardly, for the coming of the Lord^
and of his kingdom; and when certainly
found there, then look in outward nature, foi
a harmony agreeing with it ; but not before.
Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
Life — is but an empty dream, !
For the soul is dead, \\\dX slumbers,
And things are not — what they stem.
Life is real! Life is earnest!
And thegraf*— is not its goal;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest.
Was not spoken — of the souJ.
Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way ;
But to act, that each lo-morroio
Finds us farther— than to-day.
Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate ;
Still achieving, still purstiing,
Learn to labor, and to waiL
104
PR1^C1PLES OF ELOCUTION.
S04:. Emphasis -is sometimes exhibited
by changing the seat of accent. 1. What is
done, cannot be undone. 2. If he di'd not do
it diredly, he did it i/idirectly. 3. There are
probably as many mvisible as msible things.
4. Did he act honestly, or rfishonestly '.' 5.
There is a difference between giving, and/or-
giving. 6. Does he speak ^stinctly, or w-
distinctly? 7. Better be untaught than ill-
taught; and better be alone, than in bad
company. 8. He that cwcended, is the same
ȣ he that descended. 9. Pure religion rais-
es men above themselves; irreligion — sinks
them to the brute. 10. ^imiritxxAe— -joins ;
ciissimilitude — separates.
295. Emphasis — ^by changing the seat of
accent, in words of the same structure, and
of different structure, to convey the full
meaning. 1. To do, and to u7i-do — is the
common business of the world. 2. Reason,
truth, and virtue — are the proper measures
of praise, and <Zis-praise. 3. Mind, and voice
— act, and re-6^ct upon one another. 4. We
may have «m-sibility without manifesting ir-
ritability. 5. Some things are con-venient;
while others are in-convenient. 6. It is ne-
cessary to observe the division, and the sub-
division. 7. In the suitableness or wn-suit-
ableness, in the proportion or dis-proportion,
which the desire bears to the cause, and the
object, consists the propriety, or iw-propriety,
the 'rfe-cency, or iw-decency — of the conse-
quent action.
U 296. DxsPEPSiA. Many persons of the
present day do not chew their food like a man,
but bolt it vjhole, like a boa-constrictor: they
neither take the trouble to dissect, nor the
time to masticate it. It is no wonder they
lose their teeth, for they rarely use them ; and
their power of digestion, for they exhaust it
by overeating. They load their stomachs,
as a drayman does his cart, as full as it will
nold, and as fast as they can pitch it in ; and
then complain that their load is too heavy.
a6T. Zo-oL-o-GT. Almost every child — is
a naturalist : hence, among the earliest plays
of childhood, the observation of the habits of
different animals, holds a prominent place.
How delighted are they with dogs, eats, calves,
lambs, sheep, oxen, and horses! What a
pity, that so much pains should be taken in
an imperfect education, to sever their young
minds from these interesting objects ; so well
calculated to induce close observatitm, and
open new fountains in the youthful mind !
But how greatly are these studies increased
invaluf, by adding the treasures of Botany,
and Mineralogy, beautiful flowers, and pre-
cious stones/ What a glorious world, and
how admirably designed — to jid in the de-
▼dopment of body and mind.
Eye nature's walks, shoolfolley, as ix flies,
And catch the manners — living, as they rise.
Pi'overbs. 1. Many, who possess much, m-
joy but little. 2. Never sound the trumpet of yout
ownfame. 3. Faction— is the banc of society.
4. Religious contention— is Satan's harvest. 5.
Sell not virtue to purchase wealth. 6. The dis-
course of flatterers, is like a rope of honey. 7
Truth may languish, but it never dies. S. Under-
take— no more than you can perform. 9. Value a
good conscience more than praise. 10, We are
bound to be honest, but not to be ricA. 11. He is
idle, that might be better employed. 12. The more
laws — the more offenders.
Anecdote. Sailor and Highwayman, A
stage — was once stopped by a highwayman,
who, being informed by the driver, that there
were no inside passengers, and only one on
the outside, and he a sailor, — the robber pro-
ceeded to exercise his functions upon the
bold and honest tar; when, waliing him up,
Jack demanded to know what he wafiied : tc
which the son of plunder replied, — " Your
money;" "You shan't have it," says Jack.
''No.^'^ rejoined the robber, '' then I'll blow
your brains out." " Blow away, then ; I may
as well be without brains, as without money
Drive on, coachee .'"
Independence. Always form your own
opinion of a person, and never allow anoth-
er, even your most intimate //-iend, to judge
for you; as he may not have half the power
of discruninating character, that you yourself
possess. Never allow yourself to be talked
out of any thing — against your better Judg-
ment; nor talked into any thing; unless you
see clearly, that the reasons advanced — ars
more powerful than your own.
Varieties. 1 . If your principles zxefalse^
no apology can make them righi; if fovrnded
in truth, no censure can make them wrong,
2. Do your best to do your best, and what
you lack in power, supply with will. 3. Ev-
ery plant that is produced, every child that is
born, is a new idea ; a fresh expression of the
wisdom and goodness of our Creator. 4.
When I see a tight laced girl, or woman, I
think, — well, there goes another fool. 5. Can
one passion, though it predominate, actwitJi-
out assistance of the other passions '.' 6. The
state of the three kingdoms in nature, speak
the same at all times ; as also the state of ev-
ery nation, and what is passing in it; aU
these things are a language, as are
many smalUbr particulars, tho' attended by
none.
There wil come,
Alike, the day of trial — unto all,
And the rude world— w'lW buffet us aiiKe ;
Temptation — hath a music — for all ears;
And mad ambition — trumpeletli to all ,
And ungovernable thought, wiXhiw,
Will be in every bosom— eloquent :
But, when the silence — and the calm come Oft
And the hi jh seal — of character — is set,
We shall not otf— je similar.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
105
SOS. Emphasis, by changing the seat of
Accent, and, of course, the Emphasis too.
1. Does he pronounce coxrtctly, or incorrect-
ly 1 2. In some kinds of composition, |?Zatfs-
ibility is deemed as essential as _pro6ability.
3. Docs that man speak rationally, or trra-
tionallyl 4. We are not now to inquire
into the justice, or the injustice, the honor,
or the dishonor of the deed; nor whether it
was lawf\x\, or unlawful, wise, or wnwise-,
but, whither it was actually committed. 5.
He who is good before invisible witnesses, is
eminently so before mible ones. 6. This
corrwptible — must put on incorruption, and
this mortal — immortahty 7. What fellow-
ship hath rig-A/eousness, with wnrighteous-
ness l or what communion hath light — with
rfarfenessi 8. We naturally love what is
agreeable, and hate what is disagreeable.
a99. It is surprising, how few, even of our
better readers, emphasize the right ivords, in
a proper manner ; this is more especially the
case in reading, than in speaking; and yet
children emphasize, correctly, everything that
is the result of their own feelings and
tlioughts. Incorrect emphasis, always per-
verts the sense ; and, to the hearer, it is like
directing a traveler in the wrong road. Ex.
1. "Dr. Syntax told Jack, to saddle his ^orse;
and Jack saddled him." Thus emphasized,
there is no possibility of doubt, but that Jack
— put the saddle on the Doctor. Place the
emphasis on saddled, and you will get the
true meaning. 2. Now, therefore, the said
John, (says the said Thomas,) is a thief. 3.
Now, therefore, the said John, says the said
Thomas is a thief. Apply emphasis in a va-
riety of ways, to other examples.
300. CoNSTRtrcTiox OF Houses. How
little attention is paid to the construction
of our dwellings ! They seem to be built,
principally, for their looks; and without
regard to health, and comfort. Our sleep-
ing apartments — appear to be of second-
ary ccmsideration : they are generally made
small ; are poorly ventilated, with low
ceilings, while all ingress and egress of air
is carefuUy prevented. It would be much
better to reverse this arrangement, and have
our dwelling apartments constructed like our
sleeping apartments; for the /ormer are often
ventilated through the day. Beware of Zoiy
stories, or low ceilings: houses with attic
stories, or half stories, or garrets, used for
sleeping or study rooms, are hot-beds of dis-
ease and death; excellent places, with the
addition of highly seasoned /ood, and a plenty
of coffee, to generate bilious and other fevers.
Fine economy this ! and then pay the physi-
cian a few hundred dollars a year, to cure, or
kill you !
The !)€«<— sometimes, from virtnt's path recede;
But if the intent be good, excuse the deed.
14
/Pi'overbs. 1. One may hav c a thousand ao
quaintances, and not mie real friend among them
all. 2. The richer a country is in talent, and good
seme, the happier will it be. 3. Always to spmk
— what we think, is a sure way— to acquire the
habit of thinking and acting with propriety. 4.
AU^neri/— is a signof Zt«/mess. 5. In proportion
as we know ourselves, we are enabled to know
others. 6. The government — and people — should
never regard each other, as opposite parties, 7
Time and labor — change amulberry-leaf into satin.
8. As virtue — is its own reward; so vice — is ita
own punishment. 9. It is torture, to enemies, to re-
turn their injuries with kindness. 10. Cast thy
bread upon the waters ; for thou shalt ^^nd! it, after
many days. 11. lie, may find fauli, who cannot
\mend. 12. A bird is known by its note, and a man
— by liis talk
Anecdote. iVb rank in life — precludes the
efficacy — of a well-timed compliment. When
Queen Elizabeth, who was highly accom-
plished, both in mind and person, asked an
embassador, how he liked her ladies, who at-
tended on her ; he replied, " It is hard to judge
of stars — in presence of the sun."
An Honest Means of getting a Living.
There seems to be but three ways for a nation
to acquire wealth ; the first is by war, as the
Romans did, in plundering their conquered
neighbors, — this is robbery ; the second, by
commerce, which is generally cheating ; the
third, by agriculture, the only honest way,
wherein a man receives a real increase of the
seed thrown into the ground, in a kind of
continual miracle, wrought by the hand of
God in his favor, as a reward for his innoceni
life and his virtuous industry.
Varieties. 1. Should not evei-y one be-
ware of the evils, attendant on his own con
dition 1 2. Children, as well as adults, are
benefitted by their own conjectures and reas-
onings; even about things and principles,
that they cannot as yet comprehend. 3.
What does education mean, but the regene
ration of the mind P 4. The present famihes
of mankind — seem but the wrecks and ruins
of men ; like the continents, that compose the
earth. 5. How apt we are — to make our^
selves — the measure of the universe; and
with the span of one life, or the world's his-
tory, to crowd the magnitude, and extent of
the works of God ; these are but parts — of
one stupendous whole. 6. Our bodies are
neiy-formed every seven years. 7 Only, that
external worship is proJltahU, in which an
internal feeling, and a sense of what is said
and done, exists ; for without such sense, it
must needs be merely external.
Lo ! like a glorious pile of diamonds bright
Built on the steadfast cliff, the loaterfaU
Pours forth its gems of pearl and silver light ',
They sinJ:, they rise, and, sparkling, cover all
With infinite refulgence : while its song.
Sublime as thunder, loUs the woods alop^.
i06
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
301. Emphasis — may be exhibited by
stress, and higher pitch .- that is, force and
loudness of voice, and elevation to the upper
notes of tne scale. 1. Little minds — are
tamed — and subdued — ^by misfortunes; but
^.reat ones — ^rise above them. 2. Virtue
— leads to happiness; vice — to misery. 3.
Truk liberty — can exist — only where jvs-
TicT.-— -is impartially administered. 4. Tyr-
axnt — is detestable — in every shape; but in
none so formidable, as when assumed and
exercised, by a number of tyrants. 5. Froum
ixniGSTANTLT, upon the first dawjjikg — of
an attempt, to alienate any portion of this
Union from the rest: the Uxiok — it must
be preserved. 6. Dru^jkes^nkss — destroys
more of the human race, and alienates more
propei'ty, than all the other crimes on earth.
7. A day, an hour — of virtuous liberty, is
worth a whole eternity in bondage. 8. I tell
youjtho' (5) you; tho' all the (6) world; tho'
an angel from (8) HEAVEN — declare the
truth of it, I could not believe it. N. B. The
words in small capitals have both stress and
elevation.
308. Strong Poists. There are, in all
kinds of sentences, paragraphs, speeches,
&c., what may be called strong points, which
are to be shovm, principally, by the voice:
fience, the importance of throwing all weak
parts into the 6ac/e-ground, and bringing out
the strong ones — into the /ore-ground. Now
if the little words, that are insignificant, are,
in their pronunciation and delivery, made
significant, the proper effect will be destroy-
ed. Therefore, we should never make prom-
inent such words as are not emphatic ; and
especially, such words as at, by, of, for, from,
in, on, up, with, &c., unless they are contras-
ted with their opposites: as — of, or for; by,
or ifirough ; from or to ; in or out ; on, or
under ; up, or down, &c.
303. Recitations. Fveqwent recitations,
from memory, are very useful, as they obhge
'.-■.2 speaker to dwell on the ideas, which he
wishes to express, discern their particular
meanings, and force, and give him a know-
ledge of emphasis, tones, &c., which the
pieces require : and they will especially re-
lieve him from the influence of school-boy hab-
its— of reading differently from conversation,
en similar subjects, and afford far greater
ecope for expression and gestures.
304. Ethics. Moral Philosophy, — treats
of our duties to our Maker, to our fellow-
men, and to ourselves; and the reasons by
which those duties are enforced. Its great
object seems to be — to promote the cause of
virtue, by showing its reaso?iab!eness, excel-
lence and heanly, and the melancholy effects
of neg-lectiu'^ or fornaliiug it.
Honor— 19, an isie.— whose rocky coast
VV^hen once abamloned, is forerer lost.
Proverbs. 1. He, who goes no further than
bare jtistice, stops at the beginning of virtue. 2.
The blameless— should not bear the effects of vl-^
3. The faults, and misfortunes of others, should
serve as beacons, to warn us agahist the causes,
by which they have been ovenvhelmed. 4. Sonu
—have such a love for contention, that they will
quarrel, even with a. friend, for a T?mtter aevoid of
all importance. 5. The human mind— can ac-
complish almost any thing that it determines to ef-
fect ; for patience, and perseverance, surmount every
surmountable difficulty. G. Keep your appetite-—
under the control of reason. 7. The indulgencta
of a satirical disposition — is always dangerous :
it betrays a malicious spirit, a bad heart, and of-
ten creates enmities, and dislikes, that no lapse of
years can soften, and d£ath—ca.n hardly extinguish
S. While the tongue and expression of some —
seem to be honied, their heart — abounds with vine-
gar. 9. Superfuity—o^ten leads Xo profusion. 10.
Characters — in everj' other respect virtuous and
amiable, if tmged with haughtiness and reserve,
become odious. 11. Solitude— dulls thought ; too
micch society— dissipates it. 12. The longest life-
is but a parcel of moments. 13. Without pru'
dence, fortitude is mad.
Anecdote. A paver, who had often dun-:
ned a Doctor, was one day answered by him,
— " Do you pretend to be paid for such ivm-k ?
You have spoiled my pavement, and covered
it with earth — to hide its defects:' " Mine ia
not the only bad work, that the earth hides
as your practice abundantly proves," — re-
joined the man.
Liegendary Tales. In countries, where
education and learning abound, legendary
and miraculous tales lose ground; exciting
but little i7iterest, and less belief, and at last
almost becoming a dead letter. Mankind, in
a state of ignorance, with little education,
[ are credulous, and fond of the marvellous -,
and there have not been wanting, in all ages,
men of craft and invention, to gratify tJiat
passion in others, and turn it to their own
advantage.
Varieties. 1. The Bible — has truth for
its subject, the nnnd for its object, and tne
Father of mind for its Author. 2. Such is the
arrangement of Divine Order, in the govern
ment of the universejthatno evil can hejyrac
ticed, or intended, without eventually falling
on the contriver. 3. A knowledge of man's
physical organization, as well as mental, is
essentially requisite for all, who would suc-
cessfully cultivate tiie field of education. 4.
Experience — is the knowledge of every thmg
in the natural world, that is capable of be-
ing received through the medium of the senses.
5. Where liberty dwells, there — is my coun-
try. 6. Intemperance — drives wit out of the
head, money out of the pocket, elbows out of
the coat, and health out of the body. 7. In
the choice of a wife, take the obedient daugh*
ter of a good mother.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
107
305. EMPHAsia — is made, secondly, by
quantity and force ; i. e. prolongation of
sound, and stress of voice, on either high, low,
or medium pitches. 1. Roll on, — thou dark
— and deep blue ocean — roll ; Ten thous-
and fleets SWEEP — over thee in vain. 2.
Let our object be — our country ; our whole
country; and nothing but — our country.
3. I warn you — do not dare — to lay your
hand on the constitution. 4. Hail ! Univer-
sal Lord ! Be bounteous still — to give us
o>-LT GOOD ; and if the night — have gathered
— aught of evil — or concealed — disperse it
now, as ligM — dispels the dark. 5. A Deity
— believed — is joy begwi ,• a Deity — adored
— is joy ADVANCED, — a Deity — beloved —
is joy matured. 6. Prayer — ardent — opens
'leaven; lets down a stream ot^ glory — on
the consecrated hours of mak, — in audience
— with the Deity. N. B. The first Ex. is
an instance of the lowest division of subjects
— the Natural; the second and third, of the
middle division — the Human ,- and the fourth
and fifth, of the upper — the Divine : see pre-
vious article on this subject.
306. Sheridan, of whose oratorical pow-
ers, every elocutionist has heard, after having
excited a great interest among his friends,
who were filled with hope at liis prospects^
made a signal /ai^wre, on his first appearance
in Parliament; insomuch, that he was en-
treated never to make another attempt. He
nobly replied — " I will ; for by Heaven, it is
in me, and it shall come out:' He did try,
and his eflforts were crowned with success.
In like manner, almost every orator ikiled at
first ; but ftrseverance made them oaore than
conquerors. It is not unfrequent that the
most abashed, and ill-omened, succeed the
best. Take courage ,• let your motto be " on-
ward and UPWARD, and true to the line."
My crown is in my heart,--not on my head;
Nor decked with diamonds, and Indian stones :
Nor 10 be seen ; my crown — is called — Content;
A crown it is— that seldom kings enjoy.
If there is a Power above us,
(And that there w— all Nature— cries aloud,
Tliro' all her works,) He— must delight in virtue;
And that which He delights in — must be happy.
He hath a heart — as sound as a bell,
A lul liis tongue — is the clapper ;
For wliat his heart — thinks, his tongue — speaks.
Wiiere'er ihou journeyest — or whate'er thy eare,
My heart shall follow, and my spirit — share.
5. American Literature — will find, that the
intellectual spirit — is her tree of life ; and
the union of the states, — her garden of
Paradise. 6. God — is our Father ; and al-
though we, as children, may be ever so
guilty, his compassion towards ns- -fails not ;
and he will pity, forgive, and counsel, advise,
teach, and lead us o it of evii whenever we
sincerely wish it.
Proverbs. 1. A desire to resist opj ression —
is implanted in the nature of man. 2. The faulta
and errors of others, are lesson* of caution — to oiir-
selves. 3. No shield is so impe7ieirable, no security
so ^ectual, as a mind — conscious of its innocence.
4. Our most delightful enjoyments— are always
hable to interruptioti. 5. If our passions are not
kept under control, they will soon master us 6.
Those things that are unbecoming, are unsxfe. 7
Ardent spirits — have drowned more people, ti»an
all the ivaters in tlie world. 8. He, is never f.rcfl
of listening, who wishes to gain wisdom 9. All
true religion relates to life; and the life of 'itai re-
ligion is — to do good t'rom a love of it. iw. A wi*J
man is a great ivonder. 11. Be courteous to ail,
and intimate with few. 12. Defile not your mouth
witli sxvearing.
Anecdote. Law Practice. A lawyer told
his client, that his opponent — had removed
his suit to a higher coitrt : " Let him remove
it where he pleases, (quoth the client ;) my
attorney w'lW follow it — for money:''
Common Sense. It is in the portico of
the Greek sage, that that phrase has received
its legitimate explanation ,- it is there we are
taught, that " common se7ise'" signifies " the
sense of the common interest:^ Yes ! it is the
most beautiful ti'uth in mm-als, that we have
no such thing as a distinct or divided interest
from our race. In their welfare is ours, and
by choosing the broadest paths to effect their
happinesss, we choose the surest and the
shortest to our own.
Varieties. 1. The universe — is an cw>
pire,- and God — its sovereign. 2. The smooth-
ness of flattery — cannot now avail, — cannot
save us, in tliis rugged and awful crisis. 3.
I had much rather see all — industrious and
enlightened, — than to see one half of man-
kind— slaves to the other, and these — slaves
to their passions. 4. The condition of scof-
fers, is of all — the most dangerous ; as well
from the particular ste^eof mind, that consti
tutes their character, as because they are in-
capable of conviction — hy argument ; who
ever knew such a one converted to the truth?
5. Watch against, and suppress — the first
motions of spiritual pride ; such as — prone-
ness to think too highly of yourselves, or a
desire to have others think highly of you, on
account of your spiritual attainments. 6.
How many villains — walk the earth with
credit, from the mere fulfilment of negative
decencies. 7. Study history, not so much for
its political events, as for a knowledge of hu
man nature.
Away ! away to the mountain's brow,
Where the trees are gently waving;
Away ! away to the mountain's brow,
Where the stream is gently laving.
Away ! away to the rocky glen, '
Where the deer are wildly bounding;
And the hills shall echo in gladness agnia
To the hunter's bugle sounding.
108
PRINCIPLES OF i<:LOCUTION.
307. QCATTTITTAXIJ RHETORICAL
Pa ctse. 1 . Dwell on such words as are expres-
Bive of the kindlier affections, with a slow
and adhesive movement of voice, as if you
parted with the ideas reluctantly. 2. Very
deliberate subjects require more or less of
quantity in their emphasis: so also do tlie
sublime, the grand, and the solemn ; partic-
ularly, the reverential, the grave ; so also do
earnest entreaty, prayer, deep pathos, &c.
Ex. "Join — all ye creatures — to extol — Him
— first; Him — last; Him — midst, and —
without end.^^ " 0 Mary ! dear — departed
shade. Where is thy place of blissful rest ?
Seest thou thy Imer — lowly laid? Hear'st
thou ihe groans, that rend his breast'?'^
308. Read, or rather speak from memory,
these lines with quantity, and on the lower
pitches of voice.
Night, (sable goddess) from her ebon throne,
1)1 rayless majesty, now stretches/ar
Her leaden sceptre — o'er a slumbering world.
Silence — how dead ! and darkness — how profound :
Nor eye, nor listening ear, an object finds.
Creation — sleeps. Tis — as if the general pulse
Of LIFE — stood still, — and Nature — made o-patise,
An awful pause, — prophetic of her end.
309. iMPORTAJfT CoifSIDERATIOKTS. If
the evils of tight lacing, and tight dressing
could only stop with the guilty, one consola-
tion would still be left us ; but even this is
denied us : no ! there is not even one drop
of joy to be cast into our cup of bitterness —
the draught is one of unmingled gall : the
human form divine is sadly deformed; the
fountain of innumerable evils and diseases is
opened by this suicidal practice ,• and thous-
ands of human beings are yearly coming
into life, cursed from head io foot, from mind
to body, with the awful effects of this infer-
nal fashion, which originated in the basest
passions of the human heart. Oh, who can
measure the accumulating woe, which this
accursed custom ha,s entailed, and is yet en-
tailing on the human race !
Anecdote. To prevent Suicide. A Hi-
bernian Senator, speaking on the subject of
preventing suifide, said, — " The only way I
can conceive, of stopping the business, is, —
to make it a capital offence, punishable with
death."
O how weak
la mortal, man ! How trifling — how confin'd
His scope of vision ! — PufPd with confidence,
Y{\b phrase — grows big with immortality;
And he, poor insect of a summer''s day,
Dreams of eternal honors to his name ;
Of endless gloi-y, and perennial bays.
He idly reasons of Eternity,
As of the train of ages, — when, alas !
Ten thousand thuipand of his centuries
Are, in comparisc a a little point,
Too trivicU for account.
Unlearn the enla you nrve learned
Proverbs. 1. You cannot appease snv-^
even by sacrificing virtue. 2. The envious man
grows base, by contemplating the success of an-
other. 3. A government, that undervalues the af-
fections of the people, and expects to find a firm
basis in terrors, will be mistaken, and short-lived
4. He, who passes over a crime, unreproved, oi
unpunished, encourages its repetition. 5. He,
who controls his passions, subdues his greatest
enemy. 6. He, alone is wise, that can adapt him-
self to all tlie contingencies of life; but ihe fool —
vainly contends, and struggles against the stream.
7. The ways of the lazy— are as a hedge o'"
thorns. 8. To a lazy man — every exertion is pain
fill, and every movement a labor. 9. Innocence —
and mysteriovsness — seldom dwell together. 10. It
-3 folly— Xo expect justice— oX the hands of tlie
unjust. 11. Grea« are the charms of nofe%. 12.
Custom — is no small mutter. 13. Consider thy
ways, and be wise.
Humbugs. All new developments of
truth — are called, by many, who do not ap-
preciate them, or dare to think and act for
themselves — " Humbugs f and this dreadful
name — has no doubt had the effect — to lead
some — to condemn them, without farther in
quiry. But the worst of all humbugs, the
most deplorable of all delusions — is that,
which leads men to shut their eyes to the
truth, lest they should be laughed at — for
acknawledging it.
Varieties. 1. Is not this world — a world
of dreams, and the spiri^world— a world of
realities ? 2. Some are only in the love of
knowing what is good, and trtte; others, of
understanding them ; and others — of living
according to them ; to which class do I be-
long 1 3. Xerxes — whipped the sea, because
it would not obey him. 4. That, which some
people pride themselves in, often becomes
the cause of their undoing ; and what they
very much dislike, becomes the only thing
that saves them. 5. Possession — is eleven
points of the law : hence, never let a valua-
ble thing go out of your possession, without
an ample security. 6. The world below —
is a glass, in which we may see the world
above : remove the vail, and see where sjnrit,
and matter are connected. 7. The heart-Mt
prayer, only, is available ; and to produce it,
there must be deep-Mt want ; arid the strong-
er it operates, the more perfect, and accepta-
ble must be the prayer.
"Oh ! tell me, step-dame Natxire, tell.
Where shall thy wayward child abide?
On what fair strand his spirit dwell,
When life has spent its struggling tide?
Shall hope no more her taper burn,
Quench''d — in the tears that sorrow sends T
Nor from ihe feast, misfortune spurn
The wishful wretch, that o'er it bends?"
" Can storied urn, or animated bust.
Back to its mansion, call the fleeting breaiJi
Can honor''s voice — provoke the silent dii.tt?
Oxflatfry soothe the dull, cold t»r ofieathi
PRINCIPLES OF ELC^UTION.
109
319. ETSvajiSis— by prolongation, and de-
pressed monotone : that is, quantity of voice
on the first, second, or third note : it is some-
times used in the grave and sublime, and pro-
duces astonishing effects. Monotony— occvlts
when the voice is inflected neither up nor
down, but is confined to a few words. The
figures refer to the notes of the diatonic
scale. The following free translation of a
paragraph from one of Cicero's o ations, will
serve as a good illustration: but no one
should attempt it, without committing it to
memorj'.
311. (COMMEKCK ON THE FOUIITH JfOTE.)
*' I appeal to you — 0 ye hillSf and groves of
(5) Alba, and your demolished (6) altars ! I
call you to (8) with-ess! (4) whether your
(5) altars, your (6) divinities, your (8) pow-
ers . (o) which Clodius had polluted with all
kindsof (6) loickedness, (5) did not (4) avenge
themselves, whevi this wretch was (3) extir-
pated. (1) And thou, 0 hply (2) Jupiter! (3)
from the (4) height of this (5) sacred (6)
mount, whose lakes — and groves — he had so
often (3) contaminated.^*
COLUMBIA ! Columbia ! to glory ariie,
The quun of the world, and the child of the skies;
Thy genius commands thee ; with raptuic oehold,
While ages — on ages thy splendors unfold.
Thy reign is the last — and the noblest of time ;
Most fruit ful thy soil, most inviting thy dime;
Let the crimes of the east—ne^er encrimson thy name ;
Be freedom, and science, and virtue — thy/ame.
3 la. The only way in which children, or
adults, can be taught to read, or speak, natu-
rally, is — to memorize short or longer sen-
tences, and deliver them in a perfectly intelli-
gent, impressive, and unrestrained manner.
Abcdarians: first teach them the sounds of
the vowels; then of the consonants, inter-
spersing the exercises with select, or original
sentences. Ex. " Time and tide — ^wait for
no man." Or, if it is a rainy day, " This is
a very rainy day." If pleasant, "This is a
delightful day." Which sentences, after be-
ing recited in concc^ t, should be spoken by
the class individually. In this way, even
small children may be taught a great variety
of things, natural and spiritual ; and an im-
mense field of usefulness opened before the
mind of the real teacher : i. e. one who teach-
es from the love of teacliing ; and no others
should engage in it.
NoteSt I. Remember— the figures, placed before word-* in
sentences, indicate the pitch of voice, and have reference to the
diatonic note ; they are aids to break up the monotonou* delivery.
?. Still continue your efforts to smooth the apparent roughness of
Mae notations, in regard to the dash, (— ) pauses, (,;:?!) and
Emphasis : glide out of the mechanical into the natttraL
There is, in every human heart,
Some— not completely barren part.
Where seeds of truth — and love might grow,
And flowers — of generous virtue blow ;
To plant, to toatch, to water there —
Thia — be out duty, and'Oiir rare.
Proverbs. 1. A mind conscious of its inl'-ff-
rity, — is a most noble possession. 2. In acquire
ing knowledge, consider how you may render it
useful to society. 3. Avoid undue excitement on
trivial occasions. 4 When engaged in a good
cause, never look back. 5. Poverty — is no excuse
for sinning: 6. Never repeat in one company,
what is said in another; for all conversation, is
tacitly understood — to be confidential. 7. Let
reason — go before every enterprise, and cot^Tuel —
before every action. 8. Look on slanderers— ns
enemies to society ; as persons destitute of Aon(?r,
honesty, and humanity. 9. Divisions, and in-
tentions— are upheld by pride, and self-love. 10.
Patience, when subjected to trials that are too
severe, is sometimes converted into rage. IL
Avoid matcA-makers. 12. Virtue — is often
laughed at.
Anecdote. Lord Albermarle — ^was the
lover of Mademoiselle Gaucher, (Gaw-s/tay.)
As they were ivalking together one evening,
he perceived her eyes fixed on a star, and
said to her " Do not look at it, my dear ,• I
cannot give it you." *' Never," says Mar-
mon^eZ, " did love — express itself more deli-
cately.''*
TtKw — is law — ^law — is law; and as in
such, and so forth, and hereby, and aforesaid,
provided always, nevertheless, notwithstand-
ing. Law — is like a country riance,* people
are led up and down in it, till they are tired.
Law — is like a book of surgery ; there are a
great many desperate cases in it It is also
like physic ; they that take the least of it, are
best off. Law — is like a homely gentlewo-
man, very well to follow. Law — is also like
a scolding wife, very bad when it follows us
Law — is like a new fashion, people are be-
witched to get into it: it is also like bad
weather, mos^*people are glad when they g«t
out of it.
Varieties. 1 . Are we not apt to be proud
of that, which is not our own ? 2. It is a less
crime — to gnaw a man's j^ng-ers with your
teeth, than to mangle his reputation with
your tongue. 3. It is better to yield grace-
fully, than to be held up as a spectacle of
vanquished, yet impertinent obstinacy. 4.
Really learned persons — never speak of hav-
ing finished their education: for they con-
tinue students, as long as they live. 5. Equivo-
cation— is a mere expedient — to avoid telhng
the truth, without verbally telling a lie. 6.
True philosophy and contempt of the Deiiy,
are diametrically opposed to each other. 7.
Sensual good, has sensual truth for its object ;
natural good has an order of natural truths
and spiritual good has spiritual /rwM, agree*
ing with the spiritual sense of the Bible.
"So flocks, that range the valley free.
To slaughter— do I condemn :
Taught by that power, that pities me,
I learn to pity them.
no
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
313. Rules. It is impossible to give
rules — ^ibr reading every sentence, or indeed
any sentence ; much more is left to the pupil,
than can be written. All that is here at-
tempted— is, a meagre outline of the subject ;
enough, however, for every one who is deter-
mined to succeed, and makes the necessary
application; and too much for such as are
of an opposite character. The road is point-
3d out, and all the necessaries provided for
the journey J but each must do the traveling,
or abide the consequences. Be what ought
to be, and success is yours.
(3) No radiant pearl, which crested fortune wears,
(4) No gem, that twinkling, hangs from beaiUy's ears:
(5) Nor the bright start, which night's blue arch adorn,
(ft) Nor rising mn— that gi!ds the eternal mom,—
(8) Shine— with nich lustre, as the tear that breaks,
(C) For other's woe, down virtue^ manly cheek.
In reading, (rather reciting) these beautiful
lines, the voice commences, as indicated by
the figures, gradually rises, then yields a lit-
tle; tUl it comes to the word ^ shine,'' which
is on the 8th note ; and then it gradually de-
scends to the close; because such are the
thoughts, and the feelings. Get the inside ,-
never live out of doors ; grasp the thoughts,
and then let the words flow from feeling.
314* Opening the Mouth. This is
among the most important duties of the elo-
cutionist, and singer ,• more fail in this par-
ticular, than in any other : indistinctness and
stammeHng are the sad effects of not open-
ing tlie mouth wide enough. Let it be your
first object to obtain the proper positions of
the vocal organs: for which purpose, practice
the vocal analysis, as here presented. The
first effort is — separating the lips and teeth ;
which will not only enable you to inhale and
exhale freely, through the nose, when speak-
ing and singing, but avoid uneasiness in the
chest, and an unpleasant distortion of ihe fea-
tures. The second is, a simultaneous action
of the lips, teeth, and tongue: let these re-
marks be indelibly stamped upon your
memory ; for they are of immense practical
importance.
Anecdote. Alexander and the Pirate.
We too often judge of men — by the splendor,
and not the merii of their actions. Alexan-
der— demanded of the Pirate, whom he had
taken, by what right — he infested the seas ?
•^By the same right," replied he boldly,
"that you enslave the world. J— am called a
robber, because I have only one small vessel ,-
but you — are called a conqueror, because you
command great ^ee^s and navies.^''
The best contrived deceit —
Will hurt its own contriver i
And perfidy — doth often cheat —
Its author's purse— of every stiver.
The man, that's resolute, and just.
Firm to his ■principles — and truat.
No; hope$, not fears,- -can bind.
Proverbs. I. A great fortune, in the handa
otafool, is a great mis-fortune. 2. Too many
resolve, then re- resolve, and die the same. S.
Never give the tongue full Jiberty, but keep it
under control. 4. Character—is the measure of
man and woman. 5. We may die of a surfeit, as
well as of hunger. 6. Truth — is an ornament,
and an instrument. 7. If we meet evil company,
it is no reason we should keep it. 8. Provide
for the worst, but hope for the hest. 9. Though
he is wise, that can teach the most, yet he, that
learns, and practices what he learns, is wiicr.
10. Never be without good hoohs. 11. Time—
is the herald of truth. 12. Manners make the
man. 13. Dissembled holiness, is double ini-
quity. 14. Conscience — is in the chamber of
justice.
Oratory. Eloquence — may be considered
as the soul, or animating principle of dis-
course; and is dependent on intellectual
energy, and intellectual attainments. Elo-
cution— is the embodying f(yrm, or represen-
tative power ; dependent on exterior accom-
plishments, and on the cultivation of the or-
gans. Oratory — is the complicated and vital
existence, resulting from the perfect harmony
and combination of Eloquence and Elocution.
Varieties. 1. Is there not the same dif-
ference— between actual and hereditary evil,
as between an inclination to do a thing, and
the commission of the act ? 2. Whoever has
flattered his friend successfully, must at once
think himself a knave, and his friend a fool.
3. Unfriended, indeed, is he, who has no
friend good enough — to tell him his faults.
4. If those, who are called good singers,
w^ere as sensible of their errors in reading, as
they would be, if similar ones were made
in their singing, they would be exceedingly
mortified, and chagrined. 5. The sacred
light of Scripture — should be shed upon the
canvas of the world's history, as well as on
that of humanity. 6. The theology of crea-
tion— ^was revealed to the earliest ages,- and
the science of creation, is now beginning to
be revealed to us. 7. What is most spiritual
— is most rational, if rightly understood ;
and it also admits of a perfect illustration —
by rational and natural things: to follow
God, and to follow right — and pure reason^
is all one ; and we never give offence to Him^
if we do that, which such a reason requires
THE PROGRESS OF LIFE.
I dreamed— I saw a little rosy chUd,
With flaxen ringlets— in a garden playing;
Now stopping ha-e, and then afar Oj^' straying,
Aaflower, or butterfly— hit feet beguiled,
Twas changed. One summer's day I stept aside.
To let him pats ; his face — and manhood seeming,
And that full eye of Wue— was fondly beaming
On a fair maiden, whom he called ' his Bride .'"
Onu more ; 'twas auiuwin, and the iheerful^re
I saw a group — of youthful /orww surrounding.
The room — with harmlese pleasantry resounding,
And, in the midst, I marked the smiling Sire,
The heavens were clouded ! and I heard the taru..
Of a «2ot«— movioi;: MI— the white haired man wv ffms.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
li
315. As Emphasis is the same thing as
Accent, only more of it ; so, it is inseparably
connected with the Pauses; indeed, what-
ever distinguishes one word from the others,
may be called Emphasis; which is some-
times only another name for Expression : it
IS, at least, one of the mediums of expression.
Hence, Emphasis is often exhibited in con-
nection with a Rhetorical Fause, placed be-
fore, or after, emphatic luords, which may
be elevated, or depressed,-wiih force and quan-
tity, according to sentiment. When this
pause is made after the important word, or
words, it causes the mind to revert to what
was last said; and when it is made before
such word, the mind is led to anticipate
something worthy of particular attention.
The book is full of illustrations.
316. Ex. 1. Benevolence — is one of the
brightest gems— in the crown of christian per-
fection. 2. Meiody — is an agreeable succes-
sion of sounds; Harmony — an agreeable
concordance of sounds. 3. Homer — was the
greater genius ; Virgil — the better artist :
in one, we most admire the man; in the other
— the work ; Homer — hurries us with com-
manding impetuosity ; Virgil — leads us with
an attractive majesty. Homer — scatters with
a generous jfW'o/Msiow ; Virgil — bestows, with
a careful magnificence. 4. What man could
do, is done already ; (8) Heaven — and (5)
earth — ^will witness, — if — R-o-m-e — m-u-s-t
f-a-ll, — that we are innocent.
Note* Prolong the words with the hyphens between the
Jcrterj.
31 T. Political Economy — teaches us
to investigate the nature, sources, and proper
uses of national wealth; it seems to bear the
same relation to the whole country, that Do-
mestic Economy does to an individual /a?ni-
ly : for, tho' it generally relates to the wealth
of nations, it leads us to examine many points
of comfort and well-being, tliat are closely
connected with the acquisition, and expendi-
ture of property. Its connection with legis-
lation and government are self-evident ; yet
every one may derive important lessons, from
a knowledge of its facts and principles.
Anecdote. All have their Care. Two
merchants, conversing together about the
hardness of the times, and observing a flock
of pigeons, one said to the other, — "How
happy those pigeons are ! they have no bills
and acceptances to provide for." " Indeed,"
said the other, "you are much mistaken; for
they have their bills to provide for as well as
we."
When adverse tmndr — and waves arise,
And in my heart — despondence sighs ;
When life — her throng of cares reveals,
And weakness — o'er my spirit steals,
Grattfut—l hear the kind decree,
'That, as my day, my strength— Bhall bo."
Proverbs. 1. NoJiing 'jvercomes passion-
sooner than silence. 2. Precepts — may lead, but
examples — draw. 3. Rebel not against the dictates
of reason and conscience. 4. Sincerity — is the pa-
rent of truth. 5. The loquacity of fools — is a let'
ture to the wise. 6. Unruly passions — destroy thfl
peace of the soul. 7. Valor — can do but little^
wfithout discretion. 8. Modesty — is one of the chi^f
ornaments of youth. 9. Never insult the poor,
poverty — entitles one to our pity. 10. Oar reputa
tion liirtue, and happiness— greatlj depend on the
choice of our companions. 11. Wisdom — ^ia lie
greatest wealth. 12. Pride— is a great thief.
liaconics. No more certain^ is it, that the
fiower was made to waft perfume, than that
ivoman's destiny — is a ministry of love, a Ufe
of the affections.
Varieties. • 1. Those authors, (says Dr.
Johnson,) are to be read at scfiooljthat supply
most axioms of prudence, axidmost principles
of moral truth. 2. The little and short say-
ings of wise and excellent men, (saith Bishop
Tillotson,) are of great value ; like the dust
of gold, or, tlie least sparks of diamonds. 3.
The idle, who are wise rather for this world
than the next', are fools at large. 4. Let all
your precepts be succint, and clear, that
ready wits may comprehend them. 5. None
— better guard against a cheat, than he, who
is a knave complete. 6. Scarcely an ill — to
human life — belongs; but what our follies
cause, or mutual wrongs. 7. What our Lord
said to all, is applicable to all, at all times ;
namely, " watch,'^ — and it appears to relate
to the admission of every thought and desirt-,
into the mind.
THE MOTHER PEKISHING IN A SXOW-STORM.
" In the year 1821, a Mrs. Blake perished in a snow-storm in ths
night-time, while traveling over a spur of the Green Moxitiiia
in Vermont. She had an infant vrith her, which was found aliiw
and well in the morning, being carefully wrapped in the mother'i
clothing."
The cold lomrfs— swept the mountain''s height,
And pathless — was the dreary wild.
And, 'mid the cheerless hours of night,
A mother wander'd — with her child :
As through the drifting snow she press'd,
The babe — was sleeping — on her breast.
And colder still the winds did blow.
And darker hours of night came on,
And deeper grew the drifting snow :
Her limbs — were chill'd, her strength — was grntc-
"Oh, GodP'> she cried, in accents wild,
" If /must perish, save my child. '^^
She stripp'd her mantle from her breast.
And bared her bosom to the storm,
And round the child — she wrapped the vest,
And smiled— to think her babe was wann
With one cold kiss— one tear she shed,
And sunk — upon her snowy bed.
At dawn— a. traveler passed by,
And saw her— 'neath a snowy rati;
The frost of death— was in her eye,
Her cheek was cold, and hard, and pale,
He moved the robe from off the child,
The babe look'd up-<:nd sweetly smiled '
112
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
318. Emphasis, in connection with the
Rhetorical Pause. 1. A. friend — cannot be
known — in prosperity ; and an enemy can-
not be hidden — in adversity.
Passions — are winds — to urge us o'er the wave,
Reasox— the ncdder— to direct— or save.
He — raised a mortal — to the skies,
She — drew an angel — down.
4. Charity — suffereth long, and is (3) kind : (4)
charity — envieth not ; (5) charity — vaunteth
not itself; (3) is not puffed up,- (4) doth not
behave itself (5) unseemly; (6) seeketh not
her own ; (5) is not easily (4) provoked ; (3)
thinketh no evil; (5) rejoiceth — not in (4)
iniquity f but (5) rejoiceth in the truth; (4)
heareth all things ; (5) believeth all things, (6)
hopeth all things; (7) endureth all things;
(6) CHARITY — (8) NEVER faileth.
319. The Three Degrees of Speech.
There are three different modes in which one
may read and speak; only two of which, un-
der any circumstances, can be right. The
first is — reading and speaking by word,
without having any regard to the sentiment;
tlie second is — ^reading or speaking only by
word and thought ; and the third is — read-
ing and speaking by word, thought and. feel-
ling — all combined, and appropriately man-
i fested. In the Greek language, we find these
three modes definitly marked by specific
words, such as talleo, eipo and EIRO. Chil-
dren are usually taught the first, instead of
the third, and then the second and third —
Cfmibined: hence, very few of them ever
have any conception of the meaning of the
words they use, or of the subject matter about
which they are reading: they seem to regard
these as something foreign to the object.
Here we again see the natural truth of an-
other scripture declaration : " The letter kil-
Leth: the spirit giveth life."
And from the prayer of want, the plaint of ivoe;
Oh ! never, never— turn away thine ear :
Forlorn, in this bleak wilderness helow, [hear.
Ah ! wliat were man, should Heaven— refuse to
To others do — (the law is not severe;)
^Vllat— to thyself— thoa wJshest to be done;
Forgive Xhy foes, and love thy parents dear,
And friends and native land; nox those alone,[own.
4JZ human weal, or woe, learn thou to make thine
Anecdote. Mahomet — made his people
^«heve, that he would call a hill to him ; and,
^rom the top of it, otTer up his jyrayers for the
ohsen'ers of his law. The people assembled ;
Mahomet called the hill again and again to
wme to him ; and the hill not mooing, he
was not at all abashed at it; but put it off
with a jest; saying— " If the hill will not
come to Mahomet, he — v\ill go to the hilV
When people — once are in the xorong,
Eacli line they add— is much too long;
'Who fastest walks, but walks astray,
Is only/itrf/jes^ . from his way. ■
Proverbs. 1. Every thing— tends to
us. 2. Always have a good object in view. 3. Ac-
tions—s\\o\x\6. be led by knowledge ; and knowledgt
followed by actions. 4. It is better to be saved with-
out a precedent, than damned by example. 5. There
is no security among evil companions. 6. Never be
unwilling to Uach, if you knoio ; nor ashamed to
learn, if you can. 7. Better yourself when young ;
you will want rest in old age. 8. When you find
yourself inclined to be ot<ry, speak in a hvj tone
of voice. 9. ^ear— and/orfcear— is excellent phi-
losophy. 10. Seek— and. practice— \\iQ truth, and
you are made— forever. 11. Lookers (m see, more
than players. 12. Wake net a sleeping lion.
liaconics. Sincerity — should be the pru-
ning-knife ot friendship, and not the mon-
ster scythe — of an unfeelmg rudeness, Vihich,
for one weed that it eradicates, mows down a
dozen of those tender fimuers, which bloom-
only on our affections.
Varieties. 1. Our Orators, (says Cicero,)
are, as it were, the actors of truth itself;
and the players are the imitators of truth.
2. Whence this disdain of life, in every
breast, but from a notion — on their minds
impress'd, that all, who, for their country die,
are bless'd. 3. You'll find ihe friendship of
the world — is show ; all — outward show.
4. Errors, like straws upon the surface flow:
He, who would search for pearls — must dive
below. 5. What you keep by you, you may
change and mend; but words, once spoke,
can never be recalled. 6. Let thy discourse
be such, that thou mayest give profit to oth-
ers, or, from them receive. 7. Beware of ever
exceeding the boundaries of truth, in any
form; for the mind loses strength, whenev-
er it puts its foot beyond the circle, or passes
the boundari£s.
THE HARVEST MOON.
All hail ! thou lovely queen of night.
Bright empress of the stary sky!
The meekness — of thy silvery light
Beams gladness — on the gazer's eye,
While, from thy peerless throne on high
Tliou shinest bright — as cloudless noon,
And bidd'st the shades of darkness fly
Before thy glory— Harvest moon !
In the deep stillness of the night,
When weary labor is at rest,
How loi^ely is the scene I — how bright
The wood — the latvn — the moutttain^s breast
When thou, fair moon of Harvest, hast
Thy radiant glori/ all unfurled,
And sweetly smilest in the west,
Far dozen — upon the silent world.
Shine on, fair orb of light.' and smile
Till autumn months — have passed away.
And labor — huXh forgot the toil
He bore — in summer\s sultry ray;
And when the reapers— end the day,
Tired with the burning heat of noon.
They'll come— with spirits light and gay,
And bUss thee— lovely Harvest Moon I
\
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
113
\
390. ExpuAsis — by a pause just before,
or afta; the important word. The pause be-
fore— awakt-ns curiosity, and excites expec-
tation ; after — carries back the mind to what
was last said. How would a tyrant, after
Having ruled with a rod of iroji, and shown
compassion to none, speak of his own deatfi,
in allusion to the setting sun, in a tropical
climate ; where the sun is severely hoi as long
as it shines, and when it sets, it is very soon
dark? 1. (5) "And now- -my race — of ter-
ror— rmi, (6) Mine— be the eve — of tropic (6)
sun; No pale (6) gradations — quench his
ray ,• (6) No twilight (7) dews — his W7'aih al-
■ lay : (4) With (5) disk, (like battle target)—
red, (6) He rushes — t' his burning bed, (5)
Dyes the wide wave — with bloody (6) light ;
Then sinks — at once — (2) a7id all is (1)
night J'' The last clause, pronounced in a
deep monotone, and a pause before it, adds
much to its beauty and grandeur. 2. " Will
all great Neptune's ocean — wash — this blood
■clean — from my hands'! No: these, my
nands, will rather the multitudinous sea — wi-
carnadine: making the green— {!) one red.''^
Macbeth's hands are so deeply stained, that,
to wash them in the ocean, would make it red
with blood.
SATAN, LAMKNTIltG THE LOSS OF HEAVEN, A3rD
INVOKING HELL.
*' Is tJiis the region, this the soil, the clime,'''' —
**aid then the lost archangel, ^^ this t}\i seat,
That we must change — for heaven f
This the mournful gloom —
For that celestial light ? Fareivell, hafpy fields,
W'nexQ joy— forever dwells. Hail, horrors, — hail
Infernal world ! And thoxi — profoundest /jeZ?,
Receive — thy new — possessor .'"
THE DKUNKARD.
" Hand ine the boivl — ye jocund hand,"' —
He said, "'twill rouse my mirth;"
But conscience — seized his trembling hand,
And dashed the cup — to earth.
He looked around, he blush'd, he laugh''d, —
He sipped the sparkling wave;
'ii it. he read, — "who drinks this draught,
Shall fill — a murderers grave."
He grasped the bowl, — to seek relief; —
No more — his conscience said ;
His iosow-friend — was sunk in grief,
\\'\s children — begged for bread.
Thro' haunts oi horror — and of strife,
He passed down — lifers dark tide;
ffe otrsed — his beggared babes — and wife,
He cursed his God, — and died!
3ft 1. Cueation. If we studied creation
more, our minds would much sooner become
:i eve loped; then, the heavens, the earth, the
water, with their respective, various, and nu-
merous inhabitants, the productions, natures,
sympathies, antipatldes ; their uses, benefits
and pleasures, would be better understood by
U8 : and eternal ivisdoni, power, majesty and
fioodness, would be very conspicuous, thro'
BilONSON. 8
their sensible and passing forms; the worlds
wearing the marks of its Maker, whose stamp
i*5 everywhere visible, and whose chcs'octer
is legible to all, who aie willing to under-
stand, and would become happy.
Proverbs. 1. An oftk tree— 'is not felled witfl
a blow. 2. Bewfare of him, who is obliged to
guard his reputation. 3. Concealing faults — is
but adding to them. 4. Defile not your mouth with
impure wor<^s. 5. i^nvt/— pre> 3 on ifce//'; fatUTji
— is nauseous — to the truly wise. 6. Glutton:/ -
kills more than the sword. 7. Hasty resolution*
seldom speed loell. 8. Inconstancy — is the attend-
ant of a weak mind. 9. Keep good companif,
and be one of the number. 10. While 07U is 6ast?,
none can be entirely free and noble. 11. Sin — is
the parent of t/isease. 12. Oftener osi, than rfecicte
questions. 13. Avoid all superfuities.
Anecdote. Witty Reply. A gentleman
lately complimented a lady, on her improved
appearance. "You are guilty of flatten/,-^
said the lady. "Not so," replied he; "for
you are as plump as a partridge.''^ "At
first," said she,—" I thought you guilty of
flattery only ; but I now find you actually
make game of me."
Mark to Hlt« Never forget, that by your
advancement, you have become an object of
envy — to those whom you have outstripped
— in the race of life, and a tacit reproach — to
their want of energy or capacity, which they
ne\er forgive. You must, therefore, lay youi
account — to be made a mark for " envy, ha-
tred, and malice, and all uncharitableness.'^
Varieties. 1. We hav three orders, or
degrees of faculties; the gious, cm/ and
scientific; the first, regaius the Deity; the
cecond. Humanity ; and the third, Nature ;
i. e. the Workman and his works. 2. It is
the object of the Bible— to teach religious, ra-
ther than scientific truths. 3. Cannot our
minds— he imbued with the spirit of heaven ;
or tainted with the breath of Hell ? 4. In
man, we see blended the geological, the vege-
table, and animal : to which is superadded,
the human ,• all harmonizing, and yet each
successive series predominates over the pre-
ceding one; till at length, the human rises
above every thing ; ear^A— passes away, and
heaven— is all in all. 5. Let your trust be so
implicit— in the Divine Providence, that all
things will be disposed for the best, after yov;
have done the part assigned, that your only
care shall be, how you may perform the
greatest amount of g-ood,of which your being
is capable.
This world's a hive, you know, 'tis said,
Whose bees-nre men, {'tis tnte asfunny,)
And some— fill cells— with bitter bread,
While oth(i-s gather sweetest honey;
Yet each, alike, his duty does,
Each— brings what's needful for the orft^.-
Though divers wai/s— they hum and buz,
Yet all obey the common moth«r.
114
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
3^2, Emphasis. On every page may be
found nearly all the principles of elocution ;
and in aiming at a compliance with the rules
given, great care must be taken to avoid a
ttiff, and fonnal mode of reading and speak-
ing. We must never become enslaved to
thought alone, w^hich rules witli a rod of iron :
but yield to feeling, when it is to predomi-
nate : in a perfect blending of feeling, thought
and action, there is all the freedom and grace-
fulness of nature ; provided they are in har-
mony with nature. It is better to be natural,
than mechanically correct. Every thought
and feeling has its peculiar tone of voice, by
which it is to be expressed, and which is ex-
actly suited to the degree of internal feeling :
in the proper use of these tones, most of the
life, spirit, beauty, and effect of delivery con-
sists. Hence, emphasis, or expression, is al-
most infinite in variety ; yet none should be
discouraged; because we cannot do every
thing, is no reason why we should not try to
do something.
333. Miscellaneous. 1. In your con-
versation, be cautious what you speak, to
whom you speak, how you speak, when you
epeak ; and what you speak, speak wisely,
and truly. 2. A fooVs heart — is in his tongue ;
but a vjise man's tongue — is in his heart. 3.
Few things — engage the attention — and af-
fections of men — more than a handsome adr
dress, and a graceful conversation. 4. For
one — great genius, who has written a little
book, we have a thousand — little geniuses,
who have written great books. 5. Words —
are but air ; and both — are capable of much
condensation. 6. Nature — seldom inspires
a strong desire for any object, without fur-
nishing the abUity— to attain it. 7. .4Z^— is
not g-oZd— that glitters. 8. If I were an
American— as I am an Englishman, while
d^ foreign troop — was landed in my country,
I never— would lay down my arms; no,— (6)
never.' (A) never! (2) never! 9. The price
of Liberty — is eternal vigilance. 10. The
true dfsciples of Nature, are regardless who
conducts them, provided she be the leader,-
for Nature, hke truth— is immutable.
There is a tide— in the affairs of men,
Which, taken at the /ood,— leads on to fortune ;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life-
Is l)ound in shallows— and in miseries :
On such a full sea — are we — now afloat,
And we must take the current, when it serves,
Or lose our ventures.
Anecdote. One thing at a time. The
famous pensioner of Holland, who was the
greatest genius of his time, and a fkmous pol-
itician, on being asked, how he could trans-
act such a variety of business, without c&n-
fusion, replied, that he never did but one
thing at a time.
Fnu to /««— the truth comes out.
Proverbs, 1. The foreknoivleJge ot an ap
proaching «Jt7, is a benefit of no small magnitudt
2. We may get a world of false love, for a Utile
honesty. 3. The love of mankind — may be good
while it lasts; but the love of God— is everlasting.
4. Too many condemn the just, and not a few
justify the witked. 5. Some people's threats — are
larger than their hearts. 6. Discreet stages-make
short journeys. 7. Imitate the good, but avoid the
evil. 8. Rather do good, without a pattern, than
evil, by imitation. 9. Prize a good character above
any other good, 10. Well qualified teachers— are
benefactors of their race. 11. Plain dealing is a
jewel. 12. Per/ecrlove— casteth out /ear.
Science. Science, the partisan of 72o coun-
try, but the beneficent patroness of all, has
liberally opened a temple, where all may
meet. She never inquires about the country,
or sect, of those who seek admission; she
never allots a higher, or a lower place, from
exaggerated national claims, or unfounded
national antipathies. Her ivfiuence on the
mind, like that of the sun on the chilled
earth, has long been preparing it for higher
cultivation and farther improvement. The
philosopher of one country should not see an
enemy in the philosopher of another ; he
should take his seat in the temple of science,
and ask not who sits beside him.
Varieties. 1. Is not the innocence of
flowers enough to make wicked persons ilutsh
— to behold it] 2. Are there not as many
beautiful flowers in the other world, as there
are in this ? 3. Those are the best diversions,
that relieve the mind, and exercise tlie body,
with the least expense of time and money.
4. Give us knowledge of our own, and we
vf'iW persevere. 5. Let us call tyrants — ty-
rants: and maintain, that freedom comes
only, by the grace of God.
Truth— needs no champion; in the infinite deep
Of everlasting Soul— hex strength abides :
From Nature's heart — her mighty ^wises leap. —
Through Nature's veins, her strength, undying, tides
Peace— is more strong than war; and gentle>iess.
'When force were vain, makes conquests o'er the
AndLOVE lives on, and hath a power to hless, [wave ;
WheQ they, who loved, are hidden — by the grave.
Tis not a century — since they.
The red men, traversed here,
And o'er these pleasant hills and vales.
Pursued the bounding deer;
Here, too, that eloquence was poured
Around the council light, *
That made the sturdy warrior bold,
And ready for the fght!
And oft they came — exulting back.
The husband, sire and son.
To vaunt before their savage shrina
The ill— their hands had done !
Yet, of their mortal weal or woe,
No trace '« left to-day ;
For. like thefoam. upon the wave,
Thev all nave passed auav ;
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
115
334 Shotjiing, or High and Loud — im-
vlying force of utterance. The last words of
Marmion afford excellent means, when me-
morized, for the student to try the compass of
his voice upwards, as well as its power on
high fitches. It is not often that these hi^rh
and almost screaming notes are required in
public speaking : yet, there are times, espe-
cially in the open air, when they may be in-
troduced with great effect. And it is always
well to have an inexhaustible capital oi voice,
as oi money ; indeed, there is no danger of
having too much oi either, provided we make
a proper use of them. In giving the word of
command, on occasions offre, erecting build-
ings, on the field of battle, martial exercise,
&.C., power and compass of voice are very
desirable.
335. 1. " The war, that for a space did
fail, Now, trebly thundering, swell'd the
gale, And (10) " btanley !" (6) was the cry:
A light on Marmion's visage spread, and
fired his glazing eye : With dying hand,
above his head, he shook the fragment of
his blade, and shouted (8) " VICTORY !"
(9) Chak&e! Chester, (10) charge! On,
(11) STANLEY— (12) OiV.'"(3) Were the
last words of Marmion. 2. (6) Liberty !
(8) FREEDOM! (5) Tyranny is dead!
(6) Run (7) hence ! proclaim it about the
streets! 3. The combat deepens'. (4)
"ON ! ye brave! Who rush — to (6) glo-
ry,— or the (3) grave; (9) Wave — Munich !
all thy (10) BANNERS wave ! (8) And charge —
with a,l thy (3) chivalry."
936, Constitutional Law, in its ex-
tended sense, includes the study of the con-
stitutions, or fundamental laws of the vari-
ous Nations: i. e. the structure, and mechan-
ism of their government, and the appoint-
ments, powers, and duties of their officers.
The United States Constitutional Law, may
be considered under five different heads ;
viz : Legislative Power, Executive Power,
Judicial Power, State Rights Restrictions,
and United States Statutes and Treaties.
The Legislative power is vested in a Co?i-
gress, consisting of a Senate and House of
Jiepresentatives, elected by the people, or
their State Legislatures ; the Executive pow-
er, in a President, who holds his office four
years ; the Judicial power, in a Supreme
Court, which consists of one Chief Justice,
and eight Associate Justices, and in such
inferior courts, as Congress may ordain, or
establish. State rights and restrictions — are
powers not delegated by the Constitution to
the United States, nor prohibited by it to the
States, bat reserved to the States, respect-
ively, or to the people.
Anecdote. Patience. A youth, who was
a nupil of Zeno, on his return home, was ask-
ed by his father, " what he had learned V
The lad replied, " that will appear hereaf-
ter.'''' On this, the father, being enraged, beat
his son ; who, bearina; '\X patiently, and with-
3u; complaining, said, " This have I learn-
J<1, to endure a parent's anger."
Rather suffer wrong than do wrong. i
Proverbs. 1. A\)\\Xer jest — is tie poison of
friendship). 2. Be ever vigilant, but never suspi-
cious. 3. Cheerfulness — is perfectly consistent
with true piety. 4. Demonstration — is the best
mode of instruction. 5. Entertain not sin, lest you
like its company. 6. Finesse — is univorthy of a
liberal mind. 7. Good counsel — is above all pric^,.
8. Hearts— ma.Y agree, tho' heads— differ. 9. Idle-
ness— is the parent of want, shame, and misery.
10. Learn to live, as you would wish to die. 11.
Co7Uent— is tlie highest bliss. 12. Vex not yourself
w^hen ill spoken of.
Force of Habit. Habit — hath so vast a
prevalence over the human mind, that theie;
is scarcely any thing too strange, or too
strong, to be asserted of it. The story of
the miser, who, from long accustoming to
cheat others, came at last to cheat himself,
and with great delight and triumph picked
his 0W71 pocket of a guinea, to convey to hie
hoard, is not impossible or improbable. In
like manner it fares with the practisers of
deceit, who, from having long deceived
their acquaintance, gain at last a power of
deceiving themselves, and acquire that very
opinion, however false, of their own abili-
ties, excellences, and virtues, into which
they have for years, perhaps, endeavored to
betray their neighbors.
Varieties. 1. Eternity, (wrote a deaf
and dumb boy.) is the Z//etime of the Deity.
2. No evil can be successfully combaited, or
removed, but from the opposite good, from a
desire for it, and an attachment to it ; i. e.
till the mind is perfectly willing to relinquish
the evil. 3. A man's ruling love — governs
him; because, what he loves, he continues
to will. 4. Sweet harmonist, and beautiful
as sweet, and young as beautiful, and soft as
young, and gay as soft, and innocent tis gay.
5. Had Caesar genius ? he was an oratcr /
Had CiBsnr judgment ? he was a politician .'
Had Caesar valor ? he was a conqueror >
Had Caesar feeling ? he was a friend ! 6.
Music — is one of the sweetest flowers of the
intellectual garden; and, in relation to its
poioer — to exhibit the passions, it may be
called — the universal language of nature.
7. Whatever the immediate cause may be,
the effect is so far good, as men cease to do
evil, they learn to do well.
THE FISHERMAN.
A perilous life, a.id sad — as life may be,
Hath the lone fisher — on the lonely sea;
In the wild waters laboring, far from home,
For some poor pittance, e'er compelled to roam!
Feio friends to cheer him — in his dangerous it/e,
And none to aid him — in the stormy strife.
Companion of the sea and silent air,
The lonely^s/icr thus must ever fare ;
Without the comfort, hope— with scarce a. friend.
He looks through life, and only sees — its end!
« Thou art, O God! the life and light
Of all this wondrous toorld we see;
Its gloio by day, its smile by night,
Are but refections — caught from thee!
Where'er we turn, thy glories shine,
And all things bright and/aiV— are lAtn<.»
116
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
3«iy. Speaking the Gauntlet. We
have all heard of the practice, that prevails
^ among some tribes of Indians, called "nm-
mng the gauntlet;" when a company ar-
range themselves in two rows, a few yards
apart, and their prisoner is obliged to run
between them ; when each throws his hatchet
at him ; and if he passes through without
being killed, he is permitted to live. In the
important exercise, here recommended, each
member of the class, after making some
proficiency, memorizes and recites, a strong
and powerful sentence, and the others try to
put out, or break down, the one that is
speaking, by all sorts of remarks, sounds,
looks, and actions ; tho' without touching
him : and the gauntlet speaker, girds up ihe
loins of his mind, and endeavors to keep the
fountain oi feeling higher than the streams:
and so long, he is safe; but alas for him,
that shrinks into himself, and yields to his
opponents .
But t/tis,— and ills severer— \i& sustains :
As gold — the^re, and, as unhurt remains :
When most reviled, altho' he feels the smart^
It wakes — to nobler deeds — the wounded heart.
The noble mind — unconscious of a fault,
No fortune's /rown — can hend, or smiles — exalt:
Like the firm rock — that in mid-ocean — braves
The war of whirlwinds, and the dash of waves:
Or, like a tower — he lifts his head on high —
And fortune's arrows — far below him fly.
3'28. McuTHiNO. Some — think that
words are rendered more distinct, to large
assemblies, by dwelling longer on the sylla-
bles ; others, that it adds to the pomp and
solemnity of public declamation, in which
they think every thing must be different
from private discourse. This is one of the
vices of the stage, and is called theatrical,
in opposition to what is natural. By "trip-
pingly on the tongue," Shakspeare probably
means — the bounding of the voice from ac-
cent to accent ; trippingly along from word
to word, without resting on syllables by the
way. And, by "mouthing,"''' dwelling on
syllables, that have no accent, and ought
therefore to be pronounced as quickly as is
consistent with a proper enunciation. Avoid
an artificial air, and hold, as it were, the
mirror up to nature. See the difference in
the following, by pronouncing them with
the accent, extending thro' the whole word,
in a drawling tone, and then, giving them
properly: con-7ec-ture, en-croac^-ment, hap-
pi-ness, graf-i-tude, /or-tu-nate-ly ; which
is very far from true solemnity, which is in
the spirit; not alone in the manner.
Anecdote. A student in college — carried
a manuscript poeift, of his own composition,
to his tutor, \ox his inspection. The tutor,
after looking it over, inquired the author's
reason, for b^inning every line vpith a capi-
tal letter, "Because it is poetry," said the
student. " It is.'" said the teacher, " I de-
clare, I should not have thought it."
By frequent use — experience — gains its growth,
But knowledge— Q.ies from laziness and slotfi-
Proverbs. 1. Soft hands, and soft hrcins^
generally go together. 2. Let time be the judge,
and common sense the jury. 3. Cherish an ar-
dent love of nature and of art. 4. The region
beyond the grace, is not a solitary one. 5. Eacb
night — is the past day's funeral: and each wiorn —
its resurrection. G. Better be exalted by humility,
than brought low by exaltation. 7. Tight-lacing —
is a gradual suicide, and tends lo enkindle im-
pure desires. 8. Good manners — are always be-
coming. 9. The candid man has nothing to con*
ceal; he speaks nothing but truth. 10. Plate
said — read much ; but read not many books. 11.
Marry in haste; repent at leisure. 12. If you will
not keep, ycu cannot have. 13. Prune off useless
branches.
Government. It is time that men should
learn to tolerate nothing a7icient, that reason
does not respect, and to shrink from no nov-
elty, to which reason may conduct. It is
tinie that the human powers, so long occu-
pied by subordinate objects and inferior arts,
should mark the commencement of a new
era in history, by giving birth to the art of
improving government, and increasing the
civil happiness of man. It is time, that le
gislntors, instead of that narrow and das-
tardly coasting, which never ventures to
lose sight of usage and precedent, shotild,
guided by the polarity oi reason, hazard a
holder navigation, and discover, in unex-
plored regions, the treasure of public feli-
city.
Varieties. 1. Did not Mr. Pitt, by the
force of his eloquence, raise himself to be
the prime minister of England ? 2. A rich
man's son — generally begins — where his
father left off; and ends — where his father
began — peimyless. 3. A proneness to talk
01 persons, instead of things, indicates a
narrow, and superficial mind.
The world — may scorn me, if they choose ; I care
But little for their scoffings : I may sink
For moments ; but I rise again, nor shrink
From doijig — what the f aithfuljiean inspires -
I will not fatter, fawn, nor crouch, nor wink
At what high mounted wealth, ox poiver desires;
I have a loftier aim — to which my soul aspires.
Be humble — learn thyself \o scan;
Knoiv — PRIDE — was never made for man.
6. Where there is emulation — there will be
vanity; and where there is vanity, there
will he folly. 7 £acA man has his proper
standard to /^ /if under, and his peculiar rfw^y
to perform : one tribe's office — is not that
of another: neither is the inheritance the
same.
I wander — by the mountain's side,
Whose jjeais— reflect the parting iay,
Or stoop — to view the river glide
In silvery ripples — on its way.
The turf is green, the sky is blue,
The sombre trees— \n silence rest,
Save where a songster — rustles through
The drooping foliage — to^his nest;
Yet 07ie thing — wants the pilgrim tber©—
A kindred soul, the scene to share.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
117
320. Revisioiv. Before entering on a con-
sideration of the Injledions, and other higher
modifications of voice, the pupil is a^ain ear-
nestly solicited— to review all the principles,
that have heen brought forward ; especially
ell that relates to Accent, Pauses, Emphasis,
and tlie alphabet of music, or the eight notes ;
and, in tliis revision, be careful not to corir
found one principle with another ; as stress
with quantity, high sounds with loud ones,
end low ones with feeble. Remember, that
stress is a quick blow, or ick-tus of the voice ;
quantity — length of sound ; high sounds — on,
or above the sixth note; loud ones— halloo-
ing ; lo7v sounds— on, or below the third note ;
feeble ones, softly, as from weakness. Prac-
tice the examples, till you make Xhemfit you,
and produce on yourselves and others, the de-
sired effects.
330. I came to the place of my birth, and
said ; " The friends of my youth— Vfhexe are
theyl" And echo answered, — " Where?''''
2. When the Indians were sohcited to emi-
grate to the West, they replied ; What I shall
we say, to the bones of our fathers— Arise I
and go with us into o. foreign land?
The truly lovely —
Are not the/air, who boast but o^ outward grace,
The nought, but beautiful of form and face ;
They — are the lovely — they, in whom unite, [light.
Earth's fleeting charms — with virtue''s heavenly
Who, tho' they wither, — yet, w'nh faded bloom —
Bear their all of siveetness — to the tomb.
Notes. I. Such is the careless and ignorant manner in
which many have been permitted to come up, instead of being
lroti.z,ht up, that it will often be found necessary to use a variety of
means to become divested of bad habits and their consequencer.
2. Probably the lungs suffer more than any other part of the
body, by being cooped up in a small cavity. To enlarge the chest,
?ide-\vise, practice the elevation of the elbows to a horizontal plane
nearly level with the shoulders, and commence gently tapping the
breast between the shoulders, the ends of the fingers of both hands
neing nearly together ; and then, during the exercise, strike back
from the sternum towarc^each shoulder, drawing the hands far-
ther and farther apart, till the ends of tlie fing-ers reach the arm-
pits, and even out on the arm, without depressing the elbows:
try it, and you will see and know.
Anecdote. Flying To; not From. Some
years ago, a person requested permission of the
Bishop of Salisbury, in England, to fly from
the spire of his church. The good bishop,
with an anxious concern for the man's spiri-
tual, as well as temporal safety, told him, he
"vas very welcome to fly to the church ; but
hi' would encourage iw one to ^y from it.
THE BUTTEEFLT.
Child of the sun! pursue thy rapturous flight.
Mingling with her thou fcv's?— in fields of light ;
And, where the flowers oi Paradise unfold,
triuaff fragrant nectar — from their cups of gold,
Inhere shall thy wings, rich as an evening sky,
Expand — and shut — in silent ecstasy.
V"et, wert thou once a worm, a thing, that crept
On the bare ear^, then wrought atotnb, and slept ;
And such — is man; ioon, from liis cellof c/ay,
\o burst a seraj 'i.~\n the blaze of day.
Proverbs. 1. Pn'i.'e— is the greatest cnemj*
to reason ; and discretion — the great opposite of
pri:le. 2. The u-ise — shape their apparel to Jiie
body; the proud — shape their body to their appa-
rel. 3. A sound and vigorous mind, in a healthy
body, is an invaluable possession. 4. Experience —
is the mother of the arts. 5. He, is never tired of
listening, who wishes to gain knowledge. 6. Uet*
ter consider for a day, than repent for a year. 7.
Economy — is the foundation of liberality, and tha
parent of tndepenc/enc«. 8. Use no totacco, if you
would be decent, clean, and healthy. 9. The path
of literature is more difficult, than that which letds
to fortune. 10. That which is well dcMe, is Urtae
done. 11. Of a little— tois a little. 12. A hasiy
man — never wants woe.
Providence. If a man lets his hand lie
in the ice, it is highly probable Providence
will ordain it to be frozen ; or if he holds it
in the j^e, to be burnt. Those who go to sea,
Providence will sometimes permit to be
drowned ; those, on the other hand, who ne-
ver quit dry ground. Providence will hardly
suffer to perish in the sea. It is therefore
justly said, " Help yourself, and Heaven wUl
help you." The truth is, that God lias helped
us from the beginning; the work of the
master is completed ; and, so far as it was
intended to be so, perfect; it requires, tliere-
fore, no farther extraordinary aids and cor-
rections from above ; 'ii& further development
and improvement in this world is placed in
our own hands. We may be good or bad,
wise or foolish, not always perhaps in the
degree which we, as individuals, might
choose, were our wills perfectly free, but so
far as the state of the human race, imme-
diately preceding us, has formed us to decide.
Varieties. 1. Is animal, or human mag-
netism, true? 2. When the spirit is deter-
mined, it can do almost ff«/ything; therefore,
never yield to discouragement in doing, or
getting, what is good and true. 3. What
temptation is grea/er, than permitting young
persons, and especially young jnen, in this
degenerate world, to liandle much money,
that is not their own. 4. Exhibit such an
example in your dress, conversation, and
temper, as will be worthy of imitation. 5.
We often hear it said, "that people, and
things, are changed^'' Is it not ourseli-€J>
that have changed! The heart— makes all
around, a mirror oi itself.
Real glory —
Springs from the silent conquest of 5ttrse^t'CJ,
And, without that—fhe conqueror is nought,
But the Jirst slave.
7. Every word, spoken from affection, leaves
an everlasting impression in the mind ; every
thougtit, spoken from affection, becomes a
living creation ; and the same also, if not
spoken,— if it be fully assented to by the mind.
When the stem dies, the leaf, that grew
Out of its heart, must perish too.
HP
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
331. EvJ RT emotion of the mind has its
own external manifestation ,- so that no one
emotion can be accommodated to anotlier.
Observe the native eloquence of a hungry
child, when asking for a piece of bread and
tiutter; especiall}^ the third or fourth time ;
and mark its emphasis, and tones: also the
qualities of voice, with which it expresses its
grief, anger, joy, &c. The manner of each
passion is entirely different ; nor does it ever
Hpply one for another ,- indeed, children in
tlieir own efforts, always make the proper
emphasis, inflections, and gestures; and they
are graceful in all, when under the sole influ-
ence of nature. Thus, from nature, unso-
phistocated, may be derived the whole art of
speaking. The author is free to acknow-
ledge, that he has learned more about Ij^ue
eloquence, from children, and the Indians,
and his consequent practice, than from all
other sources.
333. Cicero — copied, and imitated, every
body ; he was the very mocking-hixA. of el-
oquence, which is his greatest distinction,
and glor]) : for who so various ass^e ; who so
sweet, so powerful, so simply eloquent, or so
magnificently JZowwg-, and each, and all, by
turns '{ His mind was a perfect pan-harmon-
ican. Your original writer, — your original
character, has no sympathies ; h« is heart-
Dound, &ram-bound and hp-hovmd ; he is tru-
ly an oddity ; he is like no-body, and no-body
is like him; he feeds on self-adoi^ation, or
the adulation of fools ; who mistake the ora-
cles of pride and vanity, for the inspirations
of genius.
3:J3. There are some, even in this enlight-
ened age, who affect to desjyise the acquisi-
tion of elocution, and other important and
useful accomplishments; but such persons
are generally very awkward themselves, and
dislike the application and practice, that are
necessary to render them agreeable and im-
I)ressive speakers. It is an old adage — that
many — despise that, which they do not pos-
sess, and which they are too indolent to at-
tain. Remember the fox and the grapes.
Anecdote. A colonel was once com-
plaining, that from the ignorance, and i?iat-
iention of the officers, he was obliged to do the
whole duty of the regiment. Said he, " I am
my own captain, my own lieutenant, my own
comet, and" "Your owti trumpeter, ^^
Baid a lady present.
NOW came still evening on, and twilight gray
Had, in her sober livery, all things clad.
Silence — accompawied ; for beast, and bird,
They, to their gi-assy couch, these— to their neat
Were sunk, all, but the wakeful nightirigale ;
She, all uight long, her amorous descant sung ;
Silence — was pleased. Now glow'd thefirtnoimnt
With Viv'ws sapphires : Hespenis, tha^t Ud
Thi starry host, rode brightest ; till 'he moon,
Rising in clouded majesty, at length
Apparaut queen, unvail'd her peerless light,
and # er ttc- dark her silver mantle threw.
Proverbs. 1. A wise governor, would rather
preserve peace, than gahi a victory. 2. It is
sometimes a benefit to grant favors, and at other
times, to deny them. 3. An angry person is an-
gry with hijnseif, when he returns to reason. 4.
Uherever you are, conform to the usual cus-
toms a.i\d irian7iers of the country, 5. To encourage
the u7iioort/iy, is to promote vice. 6. Ingratitude
to the benevolent — generally ends in disgrace. 7.
Esteem virtue, tho'in &foe: abhor vice, the' in a
friend. 8. The more one speaks cf himself, th«
iass willing is he, to hear ano^Aer talked about.
9. Is'ature — is always conteut with herself. 10.
I'orm \ our opinions of a person, by his question*,
rather than by his answers. 11. Say — can wis-
dom— e'er reside, with passion, envy, hate, or
pride ? 12. In a calm sea, every man is pilot. 13.
A good Z//e— keeps oil wrinkles.
Debt. There is nothing — more t/> be
dreaded, than debt : when a person, whose
principles are good, unhappily falls into this
situation, adieu to all peace and comfort
The reflection imbilters every meal, and
drives from the eyelids refreshing sleep. It
corrodes and cankers every cheerful idea
and, like a stern Cerberus, guards each ave-
nue to the heart, so tliat pleasure does not
approach. Happy I thrice happy ! are those,
who are blessed with an independent compe
tence, and can confine their luants within the
bounds of that competenea, be it what it may
To such alone, the bread ot life is palatable
and nourishing. Sweet ia i^io morsel, that is
acquired by an honest i7iditjt-y, the produce
of which is permanent, or tiiat flows from a
source which will not fail. A subsistence,
that is precarious, or procured by an uncer-
tain prospect of payment, carries neither
wine nor oil with it. Let me, therefore, again
repeat, that the person, who is deeply involv-
ed in debt, experiences, on earth, all the tor-
fures, the poets describe to be the lot of the
wretched inhabitants of Tatarus.
Varieties. 1. Is not a' want of purity,
the cause of the fickleness of mankind ! 2.
A man's character is like his shadow,
which sometimes /oZZouJ5, and at others, pre
cedes him ; and which is occasionally longer,
or shorter, than he is. 3. Admiration — sig-
nifies the reception and acknowledgment of
a thing, in thought, and affection. 4. Wc
should have good roads, if all the sinntrs
were set to mend them. 6. The world is a
hive, that affords both sweets, and poisons,
with many empty combs. 6. All earthly en-
joyments are not w^hat they appear ,- there-
fore, we should discriminate ; for some are
sweet in hopes, but, m fruition, sour. 7. Ot'
der — is the siveetest, most pacific, regular
and delightful melody: the first motion if
one, and the end is one: the final end is tb€
similitude of the beginning.
Self, alone, in nature — rooted /<w*,
Attends \xs first, and leaves us — last.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
119
334. IjfFLECTioxs. These are the rising
and falling sUdes of the voice, terminating
on a higher, or lower pitch, than that on
which it commenced ,- being continuous from
the radical, or opening fullness of voice, to
the vanish, or terminating point; and not
discrete, as the seven notes are. In the in-
tonations, the voice steps up or down, by
discrete degrees; but in the i:nfiections, it
trades up or down, by continuous degrees.
Tlie piano, organ, &;c., give discrete degrees ;
the harp, violin, &lc., continuous degrees.
335. The following sentences may be read,
with either the falling, or the' rising inflec-
tion ; and the pupil should determine, from
the sense, &c., the object of the question. 1 . Is
not good reading and speaking a very rare
attainment ? 2. How are we to recover from
the elTects of the fall? 3. Are we natually
inclined to evil or good? 4. Is it possible for
man to save himself? 5. Who is entitled to
the more honor, Columbus, or Washington ?
6. Which is the more useful member in so-
ciety, the farmer, or the mechanic ? 7. Ought
there to be any restrictions to emigration ?
S. Will any one, who knows his own heart,
trust himself?
336. The inflections — may, perhaps, be
better understood, by contrasting them with
the monotone; which is nearly one continued
sound, without elevation, or depression, and
may be represented by a straight horizontal
line, thus ; . In the use of the
inflections, the voice departs from the mono-
tone, and its radical, in a continued elevation
or depression, two, three. Jive, or eight notes,
according to the intensity of the affirmation,
interrogation, command, petition, or nega-
tion ; which are the five distinctive attributes
of the vital parts of speech.
337. Some of mate's chahacteristics
His position is naturally upright; he has free
use of both hands : hence, he is called the
only /?/;o-handed animal : the prominence of
[lis chin, and the uniform length of his teeth,
are peculiar: he is, physically, defenceless,
having neither weapons of attack nor of de-
fence: his facial angle is greater than that
of any other animal ; being from 70° to 90° :
he has generally the largest brains : he is the
only animal that sleeps on his hack: the only
one that laughs and weeps,- tlie only one
that has an articulate language, expressive
of ideas : and he is the only one endued with
reason and moral sense, and a capacity for
religion ,• the only being capable of serving
God intelligibly.
MILTON.
Thy s6mJ— was like a star — and dwelt apart;
Thou hadst a voice — whose sound was like the sco,
I'ure — a« the naked heavens, majestic, free.
So didst thou travel — on life's common way,
In cheerful godliness ; and yet — thy heart
The lowliest duties— oa lierself did iay.
Proverbs. 1. As ytu sow, you shall reap
2. Betray no trust, and divulge no secret. 3. Chide
not severely, nor punish hastily. 4. Despise rx)ne,
and despair of none. 5. Envy cannot see ; igno ■
ranee cannot judge. 6. Gossiping and lying, ge-
nerally go ha7id in hand. 7. He, who swears,
distrusts his own word. 8. It is not easy to lova
those, whom we do not esteem. 9. Labor brings
pleasure; idleness— pain. 10. Many a true wojd
is spoken in jest. 11. He who serves— \s, not fres
12. First come, first served. 13. When gold speaks,
all tongues are silent.
Anecdote. BonH know him. Lord Nel'
son, when a 6o?/, being on a visit to \usaunVs,
went one day a hunting, and wandered so
far, that he did not return, till long after dark.
The lady, who was much alarmed by his ab-
sence, scolded him severely ; and among other
things said; I wonder Fear did not drive you
home. ^^Fear,'" replied the lad, "I don^t
know him.''
Progress of Society. Whoever has at-
tentively meditated— on the progress of the
human race, cannot fail to discern, that there
is now a spirit of inquiry amongst men
which nothing can stop, or even materiaUv
control. Reproach and Qbloquy, threats aj:o
persecution, will be in vain. They may iin-
bitter opposition and engender violence, but
they cannot abate the keenness of research.
There is a silent march of tliought, which m
power can arrest, and which, it is not difficul
to foresee, will be marked by im-portant events.
Mankind were never fte/ore in the situation in
which they now stand. The press has been
operating upon them for several centuries,
with an influence scarcely perceptible at its
commencement, but by daily becoming more
palpable, and acquiring accelerated force, it
is rousing the intellect of ?2a^io«s,- and happy
will it be for them, if there be no rash inter-
ference with the natural progress of know-
ledge ; and if by a judicious and gradual
adaptation of their institutions to the inevit-
able changes of opinion, they are saved from
those convulsions, which the pride, prejudices
and obstinacy of a few may occasion to the
whole.
Varieties. 1; A good wife — is like a
snail. Why ? Because she keeps in her own
house : a good wife is not like a snail. Why 1
Because she does not carry her all on licr
hack: a good wife is like a town clock.
Why! Because she keeps good time: a
good wife is not like a tow^ clock. Why 1
Because she does not speak so loud, that all
the town can hear her : a good wife is like ai\
echo. Why ] Because she speaks when spo-
kento'. agoodwifeisrzoHikeanecho. Why'
Because she does not tell — all she hears.
Ye maidens fair— consider well,
And look both shretvd, and sly,
Ere rev'rend lips, make good tha knot.
Your teeth— vfill ne'er untie
120
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
338. Inflections. An anecdote may-
serve to present this important branch of our
subject, in a light easy to be understood by
all. An elderly g( mtleman asked the author,
if he thought it possible for him to learn to
smg ? He was answered in the affi,rmatwe,
provided he loved music, and was anxious to
learn. His voice was qKnie flexible, and va-
ried, in conversation, and he used all the
notes of the scale, except two. It was
thought, upon the spur of the moment, to
get the old man a little angry, (and after-
wards beg his pardon,) in order to induce
him to slide his voice through the octave : the
effort was successful ; and with much feeling,
he again asked, " Do you say sir, that (1) I —
can learn to sing? an old man like wie?"
carrying his voice from the first to the eighth
note, on 1, sing, and me. Just then a friend
came in, to whom he observed, with incred-
ulous surprise, mingled with a little con-
tempt,— "He says Jean learn to sing:" and
his voice fell from the eighth to the first note,
on 7.
339. No one can read the following sen-
tence of ors, even in the common manner,
without any regard to inflections, and not
give the word before or, the rising inflection,
and the one after it, the falling inflection ;
and the reader's ear must be the judge.
Good, OT bad; true, or false ; right, or wrong;
this, or that ; boy, or girl ; man, or woman ;
male, or female ; land, or water ; over, or
under; above, or below ; before, or behind ;
within, or without ; old, or young ; strength,
or weakness ; fine, or coarse ; one, or two ;
you, or I; well, or ill; kind, or unkind;
black, or white; red, or green; rough, or
smoothe ; hard, or soft ; straight, or crook-
ed; long, or short ; round, or square ; fat,
or lean ; swift, or slow ; up, or down. If
the reader does not satisfy himself the first
time, let him practice on these phrases till he
does.
340. Reading. The purposes of reading
are three: the acquisition of knowledge, as-
sisting the memory in treasuring it rp, and
the communication of it to others : hence,
we see the necessity of reading aloud. The
ancient Greeks never read in public, but reci-
ted from memory ; of course, if we wish to
succeed as they did, we must follow in their
footsteps. How much better it would be, if
clergymen would memorize those portions
of the Bible, which they wish to read in
public ! But it may be said, that the task
would be a severe one : true, but how much
more effect might be produced on themselves
and others : and then to have a large part, or
the whole, of that blessed book, stored up in
tlie mind, for use here and hereafter !
The business that we tova we raise betime,
Aud go to— with delight.
Proverbs. 1. The itmedy is often v/ona
than the disease, 2. To \\\xn.\haX wills, ways are
seldom icanting. 3 A well-balanced mind — wil
resist the pressure of adversity. 4. Be always on
your guard, against the advices of the wickfdj
when you come in contact with them. 5. Blessed
is he, that readeth, and undentandeth whp.t he
readelh. 6. Take it for granted, there can be no
excellence, without labor. 7. The rich man is often
a stranger to the quiet and content of the poor man.
8. Beware of gathering scorpions, for this, or the
future world. 9. Tliere is no gential rule, with-
out exceptions. 10. Every light— is not the sun.
11. Never be angry — at what you cannot hdp.
Anecdote. Use of Falsehood. A jury^
whidi was directed by the Judge, to bring in
a certain prisoner guilty, on his own confes-
sion and plea, returned a verdict of ^^ Not
Guilty ,'" and offered, as a reason, that they
knew the fellow to be so great a liar, they
did not believe him.
Talent. One man, perhaps, prov es miser-
able in the study of the law, who might have
flourished in that of physic, or divinity ; an-
other— runs his head against the pulpit, who
might have been serviceable to his country at
the plough ; and a third — proves a very dull
and heavy philosopher, who possibly would
have made a good mechanic, and have done
well enough at the useful philosophy of tlie
spade or anvil.
"Varieties — in the Uses of Infections. 1.
Is genuine repentance faunded in love, or
fear? 2. Can we intentionally offend a per-
son, whom we truly love ? 3. Have not angth
ic, as well as satanic beings, once been men,
and women, on some of the countless earths
in the universe ? 4. Has any cne actual sin,
till he violates the known will of God, and
wilfully sins against his own conscience?
5. How can the Red men be forgotten, while
so many of the states, territories, moun-
tains, rivers and lakes, bear their names ? 6.
Since decision of character can be acquired
by discipline, what is the best method to ac-
quire if? The firm resolve — to obtain that
knowledge, necessary for a choice, and then
to do what we know to be right, at any, and
every peril. 7. What places are better adap
ted than theatres, in their present degi-ada^
tion, to teach the theoi-y and practice of fiifth-
ionable iniquity ? 8. What is a more faith"
ful, or pleasant friend, than a good book?
Vhen yc« mournfully rivet — your <e«r-laden eyes,
That have seen the last sunset of Aope — pass away,
On some bright orb, tliaf seems, through the still Kipphire shtf,
In leatity and iplendor, to roll on its way :
Oh remember, this earth, if hehelii from afar
Would seem wrapt in a AnZo — as dear M-ii ar bn^hi
As the pure silver radiance — enshrining- yon iiar,
Where your spirit — is eagerly soaring to-night.
And at thia very moment, perhaps, some poor Heart,
That it aching and breaking in that distant sphllS,
Gazes down on this dark world, and longs to depart
From its oum dismal home, U) a Uri^ittr one htft
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
Ul
841. The Rising InflectioitC). This
indicates that the voice glides upward con-
tinuously, on the more important words. Ex.
Do you say that / can learn to sing '\ Are
you going to town to-day] Is he a good
m^n 7 Do you love and practice the truth ?
Is it your desire to become useful? Do you
wish to become a good reader, speaker, and
hinger? Is there not a diflference between
wordsy thoughts, and feelings?
3*a. Three Modes OF Existence. May
we not appropriately contemplate our bodies,
and our minds, as consisting of three degrees,
each having its own legitimate sphere? Is
not each like a three story hoixse, with three
successive suits of apartments, which may be
called — the lewer, the middle and the up' per?
Are there not three vital degrees of the body,
the abdominal, the thoracic, and the enceph-
alic ? And does not the mind consist of as
many degrees, called scientific, rational and
affedtuous? or, natural, spiritual and heaxf-
enly ? Is there not in us, as it were, a ladder
reaching from earth to heavfen? Shall we
not flwcend, and descend upon it, and thus
take a view of both the worlds in which we
live 1 But will not the material part soon
die, and the soul — liwe forei/er? Then does
not wisdom say, attend to each, according to
its impor'tance? Are we not wonderfully
made!? Doth our soul know it right well'?
And will we praise our Redeemer, by rfoing
his will' ^
343. On examining children, in an unper-
verted state, and all animals, it will mvariably
be found, that they use the lower muscles for
breathing, and producing sounds. Who is
not aware that children will halloo, all day
long, without becoming hoarse, or exhausted ?
And how often it is the case, thaX parents wish
their children to call persons at a distance, be-
ing aware that they have themselves lost the
Proverbs. 1. Good moftners are sure lo pro-
cure respect. 2. Self-comeit makes opinion cAsti-
nate. 3. Kjiowledge is tiie mind's treasure. 4.
Make the best of a bad largain. 5. Never speak
to deceive, nor listen to bet.ay. 6. Passion~is ever
the enemy of truth. 7. Piefer lost, to unjust gain ,
and solid seme, to ivit. 8. Quit not certainty foi
hope. 9. Rejoice in the truth, and maintain it. 10.
Seek not arter the failings of others. 11. Might-^
does not make right. 12. Divinity — cannot be de^
fined. 13. Deride not the unfortunate.
Pliilosopliy. Philosophy, so far from de-
serving contempt, is the glory of human na-
ture. Man approaches, by contemplation, to
wliat we conceive of celestial purity and ex*
cellence. Witliout the aid of ■ philosophy, the
mass of mankind, aU over the terraqueous
g-Zo&e, would have sunk in slavery and super"
stition, — the natural consequences of gross
ignorance. Men, at the very bottom of so-
ciety, have* been enabled, by the natural
talents they possessed, seconded by favorable
opportunities, to reach the highest improve-
ments in philosophy; and have thus lifted
up a torch in the valley, which has exposed
tlie vjeakness and deformity of the castle on
the mountain, from which the oppressors sal-
lied, in the night of darkness, and spread
desolation with impunity. Despots: the
meanest, the basest, the most brutal and ig-
norant of the human race, who would have
trampled on the rights and happiness of men
unresisted, if philosophy had not opened the
eyes of the sufferers, shovm them their own
power and dignity, and taught them to despise
those giants of power, as they appeared thro'
the mists of ignorance, who ruled a vassal
world with a mace of iron. Liberty — is the
daughter of philosophy ; and they who de-
test the offspring, do all that they can to vilify
and discountenance the motli^r.
Varieties. 1. 7/nat is humility, and
i what are ito effects? 2. Vice — stings us.
power to speak as formerly. Now all that is evjn in our pleasures ; but virtue — consoles
necessary to be done, by such individuals, is to
retrace their steps to truth and nafw/e. Re-
member, that examples, in thi" art especially,
are better than preceptt ; rules are to prevent
faults, not to introduce beauties ; therefore,
become no familiar with them, that they may
govern your practice involuntarily.
Anecdote. Gold Pills. Dr. Goldsmith,
having been requested by a wife, to visit her
husband, who was melancholy, called upon
the patient, and seeing that the cause was
poverty, told him he would send him some
pills, which he had no doubt would prove
efficacious. He immediately went home, put
ten guineas into a paper, and sent tliem to
the sick man: the remedy had the desired
effect.
Sueptcwn — overturns — what confidence — builds /
And he.who d ares but doubt when there's no ground,
Ib neit]\er to himsdf. vs.-: others^ ~so\in\\.
16
us, even in onr pains. 3. Cowards — Aiemany
times ; the valiant — never taste of death but
once. 4. True friendship is like sour/d
health; the value of it is seldom known tfll it
is lost. 5. Young folks tell what they do; old
ones, what they have done ; and fools, what
they will do. 6. Men's evil manners live in
brass; their virtues, we write in sand. 7.
The natural effects of (4) fidelity, (5) clem-
ency and (6) kindness, in governors, are
peace, good-will, order and esteem, on the part
of the governed. 8. Never make yourself
too little for the sphere of duty ; but stretch,
and expand yourself to the compass of its ob-
jects. 9. (4) Friends, (5) Romans, (6) coun-
trymen— lend me your ear*,- I come to bury
Cesar, not to praise him. 10. All truths —
are but forms of heavenly loves; and all fa l^
sities — are the forms of inferiial loves.
If you would excel in arts, excel in indusiry.
122
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
344. iNFLBCTiojys. One very encourag-
ing feature of our interesting subject is, that
aU our principles are drawn from nature, and
are therefore inherent in everij one ; the grand
design is to develop our minds and bodies in
accordance with these principles ; which can
be done, not by silently reading the work,
or thinking about its contents ; but, by pa-
tient, persevering practice : this, only, can
enable us to overcome our bad habits, and
bring our voices, icords, and mi?id into har-
mony, so that the externals may perfectly
correspond to the internals.
345. 1. Is there aught, in eloquence —
that, can warm the heart ? She draws her
fire from natural "imagery. Is tliere aught
m poetry — to enliven the imagination?
Thre — is the secret of her power. 2. Do
you love to gaze at the (3) sihi, the (4) moon,
and the (6) phhtels 1 This affection con-
tains the science of astronomy, as the seed
— contains the future tree. Would a few
nence — duty, on tea, for raising a revenue,
have ruined ihe fortunes of any of the -4mer-
icaiis ? No! but the payment of oni penny,
on the prijiciple it was demu7ided, would
have made them — slaves.
346. iNVALins — will find the principle,
and practice, here set fortJi, of great service
to them, if they possess the strength, and
have the resolution, to adojot them ; and they
will often derive special aid by attempting to
do something : for the mind, by a determina-
tion of the will, can be brought to act upon
tlie nervous system, in such a way, as to start
the flow of the blood on its career of health,
and strength ; and, ere they are aware of it,
they -will be ready to mount up as with the
wings of an eagle, and leave all care, and
trouble, and anxiety on the earth. Let them
try it, and tliey will see : persevere.
Anecdote. The Cobbler. A cobbler, at
LcT/den, who used to attend the pubHc dis-
putations, held at the academy, was once
•asked if he understood Latin. " No," replied
the mechanic, " but I know who is wrong in
the argument." " How .?" replied his friend.
■^ Why, by seeing who is angry first."
Lift up thine eyes, afflicted soul !
From earth — lift up thine eyes,
Tliough dark — the evening shadows roll.
And daylight beauty — dies ;
One sun is set — a thousand more
Tlieir rounds of fflory run,
Where science leads thee — to explore
In every star — a sun.
Thus, when some long-loved comfort ends,
And nature would despair,
Faith — to the heaven of heavens ascends,
And meets ten thousand there ;
First, faint and small, then, clear and bright,
They gladden all the gloom.,
And stars, that seem but points of light,
The rank of sunt issume.
Proverbs. 1, The body contains .he worlang
tools of the mind; master your tools, or you will
be a bad workman. 2. Here, and there ; or, this
world, and tlxe next, is a good subject for refection.
3. An artist lives everywhere. 4. The body — is
the image, or type, of the soul; and the sou* ia
visible, only through it. 5. Never refuse a geod
offer, in hopes of a better one ; the frst is certain;
the Iccst is only hope. 6. A promiscuous and su-
perficial study of books, seldom yields much solid
information. 7. Tho' ruin ensue, justice must
not be infringed. 8. Those things become us best,
that appertain to our situation in life. 9. Pros-
perity— intoxicates and disturbs the mind : adversi-
ty— subdues and ameliorates it. 10. The strangest
symptoms of wisdom in us, is being sensible of our
follies. 11. A good man— is not an object of /ear.
12. Friendship — is stronger than kindred. 13
Sin is sin, -whether seeji or not.
Duelling. We read, in Swedish history,
that Adolphus, king of Sweden, determining
to suppress these false notions of honor, is-
sued a severe edict against the practice. Two
gentlemen, however, generals in his service,
on a quarrel, agreed to sohcit the king's per-
mission, to decide their difference by the laws
of honor. The king consented, and said, he
would be present at the combat. He was at-
tended by a body of guards and the public
executioner, and before they proceeded to
the onset, he told these gentlemen, that they
must fight till one of them died. Then, turn-
ing to the executioner, he added, do you im-
mediately strilve off tlie head of the swvivor.
This had the intended effect ; the difference
between the two officers was adjusted, and
no more challenges were heard of in the army
of Gustavus Adolphus.
Varieties. 1 . Oh ! t/;Ao can describe wo*
man's love, or woman's constancy. 2. Can
the immortality of the soul be proved from
the light of 7iature .^ 3. If the sculptor could
put life into his works, would he not resem-
ble a good orator ? 4. Can we be too zealous
in promoting a good cause ? 5. Are mira-
cles the most convincing evidences of truth ?
6. Is it not very hard to cherish unkind /ee/-
ings,xin6. thoughts,without showing them in
unkind words and actions ? 7. Are theatres
— beneficial to mankind'.' 8. Ought any
thing be received, without due examination ?
9. Do you wish to know the persons, aganist
whom you have most reason to guard your-
self'J your looking-glass will reveal him to
you. 10. If a man is in earnest, would you
therefore call him sl fanatic.
They SLTe sleeping ! WAo are sleeping ?
Captives, in their gloohiy cells ;
Yet sweet dreams are o'er them creeping,
With their many-colored spells.
All they love— again they clasp them ;
Feel ag-am— their Iong-lost>i/j;
But the haste — with which they grasp thelll^
Every fairy form destroys.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTK^N.
123
317, The Falling Iivflectiox Q) in-
dicates that the voice gUdes downwards,
continuously, on the more important words.
1. "Where are you going? 2. Of what
are you thinking? 3. Who sendeth the
early and the latter
4. What things
f
are most proper for youth to learn ] Those
that they are to practice, when they enter
upon the stage of action. 5. Be always sure
you are right, then go ahead" 6. Begin^ ;
be bold, — and venture to be wise : He who
defers this work, from day to day, Does on a
river's brink expecting, stay, Till the whole
stream, that stopt liim, shall be gone, — That
rwm, and runs, and ever will run on. 7. I
do not so much request, as demand your
attention, 8. Seek the truth for its own
sake, and out of love for it ; and when found,
embrace it, let it cut where it will; for it is
all powerful, and must prevail.
348. Never begin, or end, two successive
sentences on the same pitch: neither two
lines in poetry; nor two members of a sen-
tence ; nor two words meaning different
things ; if you do, it will be monotonous.
The 3d, 4th, or 5th note is the proper pitch
for commencing to read or speak ; thcj /orce
must be determined by the occasion, the size
of the room, the sense, &c. If we are in
the middle of the pitches, we can rise or fall
according to circumstances ; but if we begin
too Idgh, or too low, we shall be liable to
extremes. Look at those of the audience at
a medium distance, and you will not greatly
err in -pitch.
349. Mental Philosophy — treats of
the faculties of the human mind; their laws
and actions, with a general reference to their
use and cultivation. It teaches, that the
two constituents of mind — are the will and
the UNDEKSTANDIN& ; the former is the re-
ceptacle of all our affections, good, or evil;
the latter, of all our thoughts, true or false.
Phrenology — may be considered, to a certain
extent, as the highway to the philosophy of
mind ; but it is not a sxxre guide, being found-
ed on the philosophy of effects, instead of
that of causes; as is the case with all the
sciences : hence, it cannot be depended on.
To judge righteously of the subject of mind,
we must have the whole ma7i; which in-
volves 'phrenology, physiology, and psycholo-
gy: all of which must be seen in the light
ot TRUTH, natural, and spiritual.
/Anecdote. Ehymetry. When queen
Elizabeth visited the town of Falkenstene,
the inhabitants employed their parish clerh —
to versify their address : the mayor, on be-
ing introduced, with great gravity mounted
a three legged stool, and commenced his
poetical declamation thus: — "O mighty
queen, Welcome to Falkenstene!''' Eliza'
heth burst out in a loud roar of laughter;
and, without giving his worship time to re-
cover himself, she replied, " You great /ooZ,
Get off that s«ooZ."
Keep company with the wise and good.
Proverbs. 1. Speech — is iht image of iction,
2. Superstition— IS the spleen of the soid. 3. Sus-
pect a tale-bearer^ and trust him not. 4. Suspicion
—is the passion oi traefriendskip. 5. Sweet are
the slumbers of the virtuous. 6. Safe is he, wlio
serves a good conscience. 7. Never do a mean
action. 8. Set not too high a value on your own
abilities. 9. Simple diet makes htxlthy children.
10. Sneer not at that you cannot r-.val 11. Tlie
best answer lo a slander — is silence. 1*. . Vice — is
infamous in ere??/ body.
Com.passion. Compassion — is an emo-
tion, ot which we ought never to be asham'
ed. Graceful, particularly in youth, is the
tear of sympathy, and the heart, that melts
at the tale oiwo; we should not permit ease
and indulgence to contract our affections,
and wrap us up in a selfish enjoyment. But
we should accustoyn ourselves to think of
the distresses of human life, of the solitary
cottage, the dying parent, and the weeping
orphan. Nor ought we ever to sport with
pai7i and distress, in any of our amusements,
or treat even the meanest insect with wanton
cruelty. *
Varieties, l' What does the tree of life
signify, and what the knowledge of good and
evil, and ivhat the eati?ig from them? 2.
What heaps of the ruins of a former world,
are piled up to form the substratum, and
surface, of the one we i7ihabit? 3. Why ia
the Caucasian, or European race, so migra-
tory and unsettled in its habits and propeii'
sities, while the African race seems dis-
posed to stay at home, conte7ited, and happy i
4. Where, in the brain, is the determma-
tion of the mind, when we think inte7iselyf
Is it not where phrenologists locate causal-
ity? 5. Why is the eye used to represent
wisdom ? 6. JVho knoweth, (says Solomon,)
the spirit of man, that goeth upward, and
the spirit of the beast, that goeth downward 1
7. Why is a circle — used to represent eter-
nity ?
THE DYING CHKISTIAN TO HIS SOUI»
Vital spark — oC heavenly flame!
Quit, oh quit this mortal frame ;
Trembling, hoping, ling'' ring, fiying,
Oh, the pain, the bliss — o^ dying!
Cease, fond nature, cease thy strife,
And let me languish — into life.
Hark! ikej whisper ; angels say,
" Sister spirit, come away.^
What is this — absorbs me quite ;
Steals my senses, — shuts my sight,
Drowns my spirits, — draws my breath .'
Tell me, my sojil, can this—he death?
The world recedes ; it disappears !
Heaven — opens on my eyes! my ears
With sounds seraphic ring:—
'Lew\,lendy OUT wings! I mount! I fly'
O grave! where— \s thy victory?
0 death! where— is ihy sting?
1 hate to see— a shabby book,
With half the leaves— lorn out,
And used, as if its ot<;ner— thought
Twere made- -to toss about.
124
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
350. INFLECTIONS. The reader sees that
•he risiiis inflection is used, when questions
are asked, that may be answered by yes, or
no; also, in cases oi doubt and uncertainty:
and that xhe falling inflection is used, when
questions are asked that are not thus an-
swered ; and in all cases of strong afirma-
tion. Some authors seem not to have no-
ticed the distinction between a rising injiec-
tton of the voice, and a simple suspension
of it, when there is a continuation of the
bense. Let us not rely too much on the i?i-
jlections, to enable us to give variety, but
on the different -pitches of voice: the former
gives artificial variety, and the latter, a
natural one.
35 1» !• Accustom yourself to submit, on
all occasions, (even in the most minute, as
well as the most iriiportant circumstances in
life,) to a small, present evil, to obtain a
greater, distant good. This will give de-
cision, tone, and energy to the mind;
wliich, thus disciplined, will often reap victo-
ry— from defeat, and honor — from repulse.
Having acquired this in-waluable habit of
rational preference, and just appreciation,
start for the prize that endureth forever. 2.
'I'he man, whose Iiouse is on fire, cries —
Fire ! fire^ ! ! FIRE^ ! ! ! with the falling
inflection: but the roguish hoy, who would
raise a false alarm, cries, Fire., fire, Jire,
with the rising inflection. 3. This is an
(5) open, (4) honorahle challenge; why are
you (6) suent? Why do you (5) prevari-
cate? I (6) insist upon txiis point; I (5)
urge you to it: (4) press it; nay, I (3) de-
mand— it.
352. The END, the cause and the effect,
are the three distinct things, which follow
each other in regular and successive order;
for every thing," in this world, and in the
other, proceeds according to these degrees:
hence, intelligence — properly consists in
knowing and distinguishing them, and see-
ing them in their order. Illustration: the
end of man is the love of his will; for what
one loves, he proposes and intends: the
cause with him is the reason oi the under-
standing; for the e7id, by means of the rea-
son, seeks for mediates, or efficient causes:
and the effect is the operation of the body
from, Qni according to, them. When tliese
three are exhibited m act, the end is inward-
ly in the cause, and thro'' the cause in the
effect; wherefore, they co-exist in the effect.
Hence, the propriety oi judging every one —
by his works; that is, by his fruits: for the
end. or the love of the will, and the cause,
or the reaso?i of his understanding, are to-
gether in the effects; which three constitute
the witole man.
Oh how poor
Seems the rich gift of genius, when it lies,
Like the adventurous bird, that hath out-flown
liis strength— upon the ssa, ambition-vfvecked.—
A thing— the thrush might pity, as she eits,
liroodiug iu quiet, on her lowly nest.
j Proverl)s. 1. Through tht ear, we must fiiu".
access to the heart. 2. H^inger makes exery kind
, of food acceptable. 3. Death — is the finishing
j stroke in the picture oUife. 4. The remembrance
I of labors performed, and difficulties overcome, is al-
{ ways agreeable. 5. The labors of the student are
siveeter, the farther he proceeds ; because his heart
is in them. G. Always yield to the truth. 7. The
improvement of the mind is of the first imporiatice.
8. Beware of going into the way of temptatioris :
many have been ruined, merely by looking on, to
see how others do. 9. Tricks and treachery an;
the practice of fools. 10. The proper study of
mankind — is man. 11. Promote virtuous com»iK-
nication. 12. An ape — is ridiculous by natjire;
men— by art and study. 13. Flattery — is a very
fashionable art.
Anecdote. Old Habits. The duke de
Niver7iois was acquainted with the countess
de liochefort, and never omitted going to
see her a single evening. As she was a
widow and he a widower, one of his friends
observed to him, it would be more conven-
ient for him to marry that lady. " I have
often thought so," said he, " but one thing
prevents me ; in that case, where should 1
spend my evenings V^
Proiaises. If promises — from man to
man have force, why not from man to wo-
man ? Their very weakness is the chartei
of their power, and they should not be in-
jured because they can't return it.
Varieties. Educational Questions. 1.
What are the rights and duties of the fami-
ly, and of society at large, respecting the
education of children ? 2. To what sort and
degree of education can anr/ human individ-
ual, as such, lay claim, mdependently of
fortune, or any other distinction ? 3. How
far should the education of a child be regu-
lated, according to his natural capacities,
and how /ar should external circumstances
be permitted to affect it ? 4. What are the
chief obstacles to a more general education
of the poor; and what are *he leading errors
committed in this greatest of all charities,
so far as it extends at -present? 5. What
are the cJ^iV/ errors committed in the educa-
tion of the wealthier classes, and by what
means can the education of both voor and
rich be made to produce, in the course of
time, a more harmonious state of society ?
6. How far, hitherto, lias Christianity been
allowed to influence education, and by what
means can the difficulties, arising froin dis-
tinctions among christians, be obviated in it t
7. TVho will satisfactorily answer these im
portant questions ?
" From the birth
Of mortal man, the sov'reign Maker said,
That not in humble, nor In brie/ delight,
Not in the fading echoes of renown,
Power's purple robes, nor pleasure's flowery lap,
The soul—Knu find enjoyment ; but from these
Turning, disdainful, to an equal good.
Thro' all th' ascent of things — enlarge her t'i«M>,
Till every bound — at length— shall disappear,
And infinite ^fr/ecf ton— close the scene.'-'
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
125
359. Prbceding Principles. The sooner
the pupil begins to rely upon his oum re-
Bources and experience, the better; and he
should not forget, that he must make himself
an elocutionist. Hence, the importance of
his seeing, rationally, and feeling, in his in-
most soul, the truth, or falsehood, of the
principles here unfolding. Let every exam-
ple be thoroughly mastered,- and, to prevent
the growth of bad habits, in reading, speak-
ing and singing, let him often review; as
well as pay special attention to tlie varieties
of illustration, that are to be found on every
page.
353. 1. It is too late— to urge objections —
agmnst universal education; for the fountains
— of the great deep — are broken up, and a
flood of information, (4) theological, (6) scien-
tific, (4) civil, and (6) literary, is carrying all
bef(yre it; filling up the valleys, and scaling
the (6) MOUNT Aiif -tops: a spirit of inquiry
has gone forth, and sits brooding — on the
mind of man. 2. Music — shovdd be cultivat-
ed, not as a mere sensual gratification ; but,
as a means of elevating, and improving the
affections; ennobling, purifying, hlxA exalt-
ing, the w^hole man. 3. Beware — of a re-
morseless thirst for the acquisition of riches;
rather — than deliver up yourself in execrable
devotion to Mammon, mount the ladder of
the most dangerous ambition, — even tho' it
were planted on the precipice, ~B.nd leaned
against a cloud.
354. Politic AX. Philosopht — includes
all theories and general views of government,
with a description of t\ie forms, and the prin-
ciples on which they are founded, and the
modes in which they are administered. This
study rests on the basis of natural law, or
justice ; and tiierefore, presupposes a know-
ledge of ethics ,- it requires enlarged and ele-
vated views of human nature, and tiie
constitution of society ; with the means by
which virtue may be diffused, justice en-
forced, and order preserved throughout the
community: it is alike important to the
statesman, the legislator, and the private
citizen.
Anecdote. Howard's Opinion of Swear-
ers. As he was standing, one day, near the
door of a printing-ofhce, he heard some
dreadful volleys of oaths and curses from a
public house opposite, and, buttoning his
pocket up before he went in the street, he said
to the workmen near him, " I always do this
whenever I hear men swear, as I think that
any one, who can take God's name in vain,
can also steal, or do anything else that is &ad."
Hope, of all passions, most befriends us here :
Passions of prouder name — befriend us less.
Joy — has her tears, and transport — has her death:
Hope, like a cordial, innocent, though strong,
Man's heart, at onee, inspi'nts— and serenes.
Proverbs. 1. Perset-emjicft— overcoirjes all
difficulties. 2. Instruction, by example, is qicich
and effectual. 3. We are only in the morning
starlight of the arts and sciences. 4. Knowledge ia
not obtained in a moment. 5. ApolkPs bow — was
not always bent. 6. Reason— r% not the test of
truth : it is only the organ, through which we see
truth. 7. No one is so well qualified to rule, a3
he, who knows how to obey. 8. Beauty— is like
the flower of spring: but virtue— is like the stars
of heaven. 9. Vain persons are fond of fine things
10. Respect, and contempt, spoil many a one. 11.
Some — outlive their reputation. 12. When sorrow
is asleep, wake it not.
liRconics. And what was it, fellow-citi-
zens, which gave to our La Fayette his spot-
less/awe.? TYielove of liberty. What — has
consecrated his memory — in the hearts of
good men ? The love of liberty. What —
nerved his youthful arm with strength, and
inspired him in the morning of his days, with
sagacity and counsel? The living love of
liberty. To what — did he sacrifice power.,
and country, and freedom itself? To the
horror of licentiousness; to the sanctity of
plighted /tti^A ; to the love of liberty protected
by law. Thus, the great principle of your
revolutionary /fl^Aers, of your pilgrim sires,
the great principle of the age, was the rule of
his hfe: The love of liberty — protected by
law.
Varieties. 1. When a tod?/ receives the
addresses of a gentleman, who is in the lia-
bit of tippling, how is she to determine, to
what extent his protestations should be set
down to himself, and how much passed to the
credit of ardent spirits ? In other words, how
much is of love, and how much of alcohol ?
Suppose she test it, by the pledge of total ab'
stinence ?
'Tis not the /ace,— 'tis not the form,—
'Tis not the heart — liowever warm ;
It is not these, tho' all combined.
That wins true love :— it is the mind.
Canst thou believe ihy prophet, — (or, what is more,)
That Power, which made thee, (8) and thy prophe^
Will (with impunity,) let pass that breach
Of saered faith, given to the royal Greek?
How (3) poor ! how (6) rich ! how (4) abject !
How (9) august ! bow (4) complicate ! how (2) uxmderful is mar
How (6) passing, He, who nuxde him such ! and
Centered in his make— such strange extremea!
What can preserve my life ? or what destroy ?
An (6) angePs arm — can't snatch mt tifm my grave ;
Legions of angels — can't confine nn :here.
My mother's voice ! how q/ifen— creeps
Its cadence— o'er my lonely hours.
Like Aea/mg— r»ent on wings of sleep,
Or dew — to the unconscious powers.
I canH forget her melting prayer,
Even while my pulses— mod/y fly;
And in the still, unbroken air.
Her gentle tones .^ome— steal ing by ,
And years, and sin, and manhood flee,
And leave me— at my mother's knee <
!26
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
355. These Inflections may pass through
2, 3, 5, or 8 notes, according to the intensity
ofthefeeUng. Ex. l."Doyousay,that[l J'3]
can learn to sing I 2. Do you say that [1 I'd]
can learn to singi 3. What.' do you say
that [ IJ' 81 can learn to sing 1 ' ' Reverse the
inflection; hegin at the top, and go down.
4. He said LS'Tl] can learn to sing, not
you'" Thus, you see that the voice may
step up or down, by discrete degrees, or glide
up and down, by continuous degrees. 5.
" To whom the gobhn, full of wrath, replied :
ri) Art thou that (3) traitor (4) aTigel .? (3) art
th ^u he who first broke peace in heaven, and
[5) faith, till then (8) ukbiiokkn l (9) Back
to thy punishment— false fugitive, and to
thy speed add wings ; lest with a wJiip of
scarpioTis, I pursue thy hng'ring ; or with
one stroke of this dart, strange hmiror seize
thee, and pangs unfelt before." In speaking
this sentence, use all the eight notes.
356. In reading the first example, the
voice glides from \he first to the third note ;
because there is no feeling : in reading the
second, the voice glides from the first to the
fifth note ; because there is some feeling, and
consequent earnestness; and in the third
example, the voice glides from the tonic, to
the octave ; because there is a great deal of
feeling : in \he fourth example, tlie voice be-
gins at the top, or eighth note, and ^glides
down to the first ; because there is a conse-
quent change of thought and action. In the
fifth example, the voice commences at 1, in
a harsh tone, and goes on gradually ascend-
ing to angel; then it recedes, and then goes
on rising still higher on faith, and highest on
unbroken; when it begins to descend, in an
unyielding and gradual way, to the close, in
a manner that no words can describe.
357. Do not the bees, (says Quintillian)
extract honey from very different flowers and
juices T Is it any wonder that Eloquence,
(which is one of the greatest gifts heaven has
given to man,) requires many arts to perfect
it ? and tho' they do not appear in an ora-
tion, nor seem to be of any use, they never-
theless afford an inward supply of strength,
and are silently felt in fiie mind: without
all these a man may be eloquent, but I wish
to form an orator ; and none can be said to
have all the requisites, while the smallest
thing is wanting.
Anecdote. Good Works. The Russian
embassador at Paris, made the Abbe L'Epee
a visit, and offered him a large sum of mo-
ney through the munificence of the empress.
The Abbe declined, saying, " I receive gold
of no one ; but if the empress will send me
a deaf and dumb person to educate, 1 shall
consider it a more flattering mark of d's-
tinciioru**
Proverbs. 1. An evil heart- -can mike any
doctrine false, in its own view. 2. Bad books
are fountains of vice. 3. Comply cheerfully, when
necessity enjoins it. 4. Despair — blunts the edge
of indicstry.^ 5. Doubie-dniang—is the index of a
base spirit. 6. Every vice wars against nature. 7.
Friendship — is often stronger than kindred 8.
Good intentions — will not justify evil actUnu. 0.
In order to learn, we must pay undivided aUen-
tion. 10. Mental gifts — often hide bodUy ir^firmi-
ties. 11. Lawing — is verj- costly. 12. The world
is his, who enjoys it. 13. Poverty — is often an
evil counsellor.
Despotism. All despotism, whether
usurped or hereditary, is our abhorrence.
We regard it as the most grievous wrong
and insult to tlie human race. But, towards
the hereditary despot — we have more of cam-
passion than indignation. Nursed and bro't
up in delusion, worshiped from his cradle,
never spoken to in the tone of fearless truth,
taught to look on the great mass of his fellow
beings as an inferior race, and to regard des-
potism as a law of nature, and a necessary
element of social life ; such a prince, whose
education and condition almost deny him the
possibihty of acquiring healthy moral. /ee^i«;i^
and manly virtue, must not be judged severe-
ly. Still, in absolving the despot — from much
of the guilt, which seems at first, to attach to
his unlawful and abused power, we do not
the less account despotism a wrong and a
curse. The time for its, fall, we trust, is earn-
ing. It cannot fall too soon. It has Icmg
enough wrung from the laborer his hard
earnings; long enough squandered a na-
tion's wealth on its parasites and minio7is ;
long enough warred against the freedom of
the mind, and arrested the progress of truth.
It has filled dungeons enough — with the brave
and good, and shed enough of the blood ot pa-
triots. Let its end come. It cannot come /oo
soon.
Varieties. 1 . What is education, and what
are the best means for obtaining it ? 2. Why
are diamonds valuable'/ because of their
scarcity ? 3. Why are professional men m-
aifferent poets ? is it because, as the bounda-
ries of science enlarge, the empire of ima-
gination is diminished? 4. In what does
tine honor consist! 6. Tamer tone boasted
that he governed men by four great arts ;
viz : bribery, amusement, diversion, and sus-
pense: are there no Tamalanes now, think
youl 6. Is there any alliance between ge-
nius and poverty ? 7. If w^e leave the path
of duty, shall we not l)e liable to run into the
path of danger? 8. Are there not some,
who would make void the word of God, by
their own traditions? 9. Is it not a most
important part of a teacher's duty, to imbue
the minds of his pupils, with the love of all
goodness and truth ?
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
121
358. The Injkdions have great influence
in expressing, or perverting the sense, ac-
cording as they are correctly or mcorrectly
made. 1. In the retirement of a college
— I am unable to suppress evil thoughts ; how
difficult then, to do it, amidst the world's
temptations! 2. The man who is in the
daily use of ardent (6) spirits, (4) if he
should not become a (3) drunkard, (6) is
in danger of losing his (5) health, and (6)
character. The m/wg- inflection on drunkard,
would imply that he must become one, to
preserve his health and character.
359. Apply the principles to the follow-
ing, according to the feelings and thaughts,
and their objects. 1. But (5) mercy — is (6)
above — tins sceptred swaiy ', (4) it is enthron-
ed— in the (5) hearts of kings,- it is an (6)
attribute — (1) of God himself.
Love, hope,— 3iid joy, fair Pleasures imiling train ;
Hate, fear, and grief, the family of Pain ;
These, muted with art, and to due bounds confiaed.
Make —and maintain —the balance of the mind.
He knew —
How to make madness— beautiful, and cast,
(O'er erring deeds, and thoughts,) a heavenly hut
Of words, like sunbeams, dazzling (aa they passed,)
The eyes, which o'er them shed tears, fedingly, and fast.
Thy Morda— had such a melting^w,
And spoke of frwtA— so sweetly well.
They dropped — (like Aeat>«n's serenest snow,)
And all was (6) brightness, — where they fell.
360. Inducing Disease. There is no
doubt, that the seed of a large number of dis-
eases are sown in childhood and youth ; and
especially in our progress in obtaining what
is called, an education. The bad habits of
position in and out of school, and our un-
healthy mode of living, contribute very es-
sentially to the promotion of various diseases ;
particularly, dyspepsia, liver and lung com-
plaints, and headaches. Hence, we cannot
be too watchful against sitting in a crooked
position, nor too prudent in eating, drink-
ing, and sleeping, as well as in our clothing,
and our lodging apartments. Let us put
forth every effort in the performance of our
duties, be they physical, intellectual, or mwal.
AuKvdote. A Swiss Retort. A French
officer, quarrelling with a Swiss, reproached
nim with his country^s vice of fighting on
either side for money ; " while we French-
men,^^ said he, " fight for honor P " Yes, sir,"
replied the Swiss, " every one fights for that
he most wants.^^
Called a blessing- to inherit,
Bless, and richer blessings merit •
Give, and more shall yet be given ;
Loie, and serve, and look for Heaven.
Would being end— with our expiring breath.
How soon misfortune would be puffed away !
A trifling shock— shrives us to the dust ;
But the existence— of the immortal soul,
Futuritifs dark road— perplexes still.
Proverbs. 1. The best way to see Divim
light— is to put out our own. 2. The proud—
Bhall be abased; but the humble — shall be exalted.
3. As long as you and truth agree, you will do
well. 4. JVo one is born for himself alone, but
for the world. 5. Rely not too much on the
torches of others; light one of your own. 6,
Divest yourself of cn»y, and lay aside all unkind
feelings. 7. If youth knew what age would
crave, it would both crave and save. 8. A
speaker, without energy, is like a lifeless stattie.
9. Deep— and intense feeling — lie at the root of
eloquence. 10. Condemn no one, without a can-
did hearing. 11. Think more, and speak lesa.
12. Follow the dictates of reasow.
Half-Murder. That father, says the
learned Baudier, who takes care to feed and
clothe his so7i, but neglects to give him such
accomplishme7iis as befit his capacity and
rank in life, is more than half his murderer;
since he destroys i\\e better part, and but con
tinues the other to endure a life of shame.
Of all the men we meet with, nine out of ten
are what they are, good or evil, useful ornoi,
by their education; it is that, vfhich makes
the great difference in mankind: the little, or
almost insensible, impressions on our tender
infancy, have very important and lasting
consequences.
Varieties. 1. Send your son into tlie
world with good principles, good habits, and
a good education, and he will work his way.
2. How absurd to be pa^ssionate yourself, and
expect others to be placid. 3. Why is swear^
ing — like a ragged coat P because it is a
very bad habit. 4. Can there be any virtue,
without true piety. ^ 5. Why is rebellion —
like rfram-drinking 1 because it is inimical
to the constitution. 6. Why do white sheep
— furnish more wool tkan black ones 1 be-
cause there are more of them. 7. Why is one
who is led astray, like one who is governed
by a girl ? Do you give it up 1 because he
is misled, (Miss-led.) 8. Ought there not to
be duties on imported goods, to encourage
domestic manufactures ? 9. Are not physics
and metaphysics inseparably joined 1 if so,
what is the connecting link ? 10. Is it right,
under any circumstance, to marry for money^
11. Is it right to imprison for debt ?
I can find comfort — in the loords and looks
Of simple hearts and gentle souls; and I
Can find companionship — in ancient books.
When, lonely, on the grassy hills I lie.
Under the shadow — of the tranquil sky ;
I can find music— in the rushing brooks.
Or in the songs, which dwell among the trees.,
And come in snatches — on the summer breeze.
I can find treasure— in the leafy shoicers,
Which, in the merry autumn-time, will fall ;
And T can find strong love — in buds and flowers.
And beauty— \n the moonlight's silent hours.
There's nothing, nature gives, can fail topteos*
Fnr there's a common joy- pervading all
128
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
^Ul. A speaker — may calculate, before-
hand, (so far as human agency is concerned,
and other things being equal) the effect of a
certain effvrt, by adapting the manner to the
matter, as well as a.fjrmer can in raising a
crop, by using the proper means. As a
stringed instrument, when touched at given
points, infallibly produces certain tunes ; so,
the human mind, when touched by certain
modulations, and corresponding sentiments,
as infallibly receives certain impressions.
But a speaker, singer, or writer, who thinks
much of himself, is in danger of being for-
gotten by others. If he takes no sincere and
hearfelt delight in what he is doing, but as it
13 admired and applauded by his audience,
disappointment will be his portion,- for he
cannot long succeed. He who would be
great in the eyes of others, must first learn to
be made nothing in his own.
363. Exs. of the ' and \ 1. Did you say
yes, or no ? Shall we crown the author of
the public calamities 1 or shall we destroy
Iiiml 2. Beware of ignorance and sloth,
and be guided by ivisdom. 3. (2) Are they
Hebrews P Are they all Hebrews'? (4)
Are they Hebrews from Palestine P 4.
What does the word person meanl That
which consists in one's own self, and not
any part or quality in another. 5. Is not
water the best and safest of all kinds of
drink? 6. Nature — and (4) Reasox —
answer — yes. 7. The mind — is its own
place ; and, in itself, can make a heaven —
jf hell; or hell of heaven.
Good name — in man, or wmnan,
Is the immediate jetoeZ of tlieir souls:
%Vho steals my purse, steals trash, 'tis something, nothing:
' Twa« mine, 'tis Ais, and has been slave to thousands;
But he, who filches from me my good name,
Robs me of that which not enriches him,
And makes me— poor indeed.
Where is the tnte man's father-land 1
Is it— vvhers he, by chance, is bom 7
Doth not the yearning spirit — scorn —
In such scant borders to l)e spann'd 1
O, yes ! his fiither-land must be —
As the blue heaven — tcide — and free.
Anecdote. A Quaker, who had a great
horror of soldiers, on seeing one jump into
the Thames, and save a person who was
drowning, s'Aid on the occasion, "I shall al-
ways be a Quaker ; but soldiers are good
creatures."
What is it, Man, prevents thy God,
From making thee his blest abode ?
He says — he loves thee, wills thee heaven.
And for thy good — has blessings given.
I'll tell thee— 'Tis thy love o{self,
Tliy love of rul» — thy love of pelf.
Bind thee to ear<ft-.r-and all her toys.
And robs thee — of substantial jVys.
Heaven's gates — are not so highly arched—
As princess palaces ; they who enter there.
Must go— upon t"heir knees.
Proverbs. 1. New times, demand new meaei
ures, and new men. 2. Pride— either finds a de-
sert, or makes one. 3. Want of feeling, is one Oi
the worst faults of elocution. 4. He, thateafcAes at
more than belongs to him, deserves to lose what
he has. 5. Poo&s— associate us with the think-
ing, and give us the material of thought. 6.
Either be silent, or speak what is better than ei-
lence. 7. He, who resolves to amend, has Ood,
and all good beings, on his side. 8. If you would
have a thing kept secret, never tell it ; and ifj'ou
would not have any thing told of you, nevei d:
it. 9. The shortest answer— is doing a thii;g.
10. Friends— got. without desert, will be lost with-
out a cause. 11. Never speak what is not true,
12. If it is not decent, never do it.
Selfislmess. The selfish — look upon
themselves, as if they were all the world,
and no man beside concerned therein; that
the good state of things is to be measured by
their condition ; that all is well, if they do
prosper and thrive ; all is ill, if they be disaj)-
pointed in their desires and projects. The
good of ^0 man, not of their brethren, not of
their friends, not of their country, doth come
under their consideration.
Varieties, l.ltwe feel well, shall we not
try to make others feel sol 2. May not the
constitution Ije injured by over^nursing, and
the mind unnerved, by being prevented from
relying upon its own resources? 3. Is it
expedient to wear mourning apparel! 4.
Does curiosity, or love of truthand goodness,
induce you to study history? 5. Has the
study of the classics, an immoral tendency P
6. Who would be an old maid, or an old
bachelor ? 1. What is Botany P The science
of Plants. 8. Can friendship — exist with-
out sympathy? 9. Is a free or despotic
government, more conducive to human hap-
piness? 10. Ought not human nature — to
be a chief study of mankind ? 11. Are gold
and silver mines, on the whole, beneficial to
a nation ? 12. Is it right, to oblige a. Jury to
give a unanimous verdict 1
THE BIBLE — WORTHY OF ALL ACCEPTATION.
This little book—Vd rather own,
Than all the gold and gems.
That e'er in monarch'' s coffers shone,
Than all their diadems.
Nay, were the seas— one chrysolite.
The earth — a golden ball.
And diamonds all the stars of night.
This book — were worth them all.
Here, He who died on Calvary's tree.
Hath made that promise — blest;
" Ye heavy-ZarfcTi, come to me,
And I will give you rest.
A bruised reed — I will not break,
A contrite heart — despise ;
My burden's light, and all, who take
My yoke, shall win the skies /"
The humble man, when he receives a wrrn^;
Refers revenge— to whom it doth belong.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTIOrC
124J
363. I.vPLKCTioNs. Althousrh there are
given rules, for makin? these inflections, or
slides of the voice, either up or down, yet
it should be borne in mind, that every sen-
tence, which has been read with the upward
slide, can, under other circumstances, be read
correctly with the doivnward slide : the setise
governs everything here, as in emphasis.
Ex. 1. Are you going to toit/n? 2. Are you
going to iow'^n ? 3. Whi/ did you speak to
her? 4. Whij" did you spea'k to her 7 5. Do
vou \tar me \ 6. Do you Ivenr me f In the
jird example, we have a simple, direct ques-
tion ; in the second, the same form of words,
but so spoken, as if one said, I wish to know,
positively, whether you go to toivn ; so of the
rest. Thus you see, the seiise, the object, the
intention determines the manner.
3G1:. 1. Some poets may be compared to
others; but Milton and Shakspeare are in-
comparable. 2. He, who considers himself
tt'we, while his wisdom does not teach him to
acknowledge the Lord, is in the profoundest
ignorance. 3. We see the ejects of many
things, the causes of hut few ; experience,
therefore, is a surer guide than imagination,
and inquiry than conjecture. 4. It is the in-
dispensable duty, and the inahenable right,
of every rational heing, to prove all things,
and holdfast that which is good.
Get but the truth — once uttered, and 'tis like
A star, new-born, that drops into its place,
And which, once circling its placid round,
Not all the tumult of the earth — can shake,
• 365. The nearer your delivery agrees with
the freedom and ease of common discourse,
{if you keep up the dignity and life of yaur
subject, and preserve propriety of expression,)
the more jxist, natural and agreeable it will
be. Study nature; avoid affectation, and
never use art, if you have not the art to con-
ceal it : for, whatever does not appear natural,
is neither agreeable nor persuasive.
Anecdote. A brutal teacher, whipped a
a little boy, for pressing the hand of a little
girl, who sat next to him at school. After
which, he asked the child, " Why he squeezed
tJ;e girl's hand ]" " Because," said the little
fellow, " it looked so pretty, I could not help
it." What pimishment did tlie teacher de-
BfcTVe 1
THK EPITAPH.
Here rests his head — upon the lap o( earth,
A youth — \o fortune, and Xofame — unknown :
Fair Science — frown'd not on his humble hirth.
And Melancholy— tciktVA him for her oivn
Large was his bounty, and his soul sincere;
Heaven — did a recompense — as largely send
He gave to m?sVy all he had— a tear; [friend.
He gain'd from heav''n ('twas all he wish'd)— a
No /artAer seek h'xs merits to disclose,
Or draw \\\s frailties from their dread abode,
There, they, alike, in trembling hope repose)
The bosom of his Father, and his God.
BRONSON. 9
1 Proverbs. 1. It is much easier to defend the
' innocent, than the guilly. 2. Ler, the press iind
[speech, he free; mo good goKevum^ui has anyiliing
I to fear from paper shot, or airy woiils '6. Threts
I things are necessary lo make an able man,- wa-
ture, study, and practice. 4. Culr.ivate a spiiir vf
love toward a//. 6. Always distinguisti between
apparent trurhs, and real truths ; between eJf'ecLs
and causes. 6. God — is best known and houoiei.
when his word and works are best vnderstoGd and,
appreciated. 7- Industry — is essential to useful-
ness, ajid happiness. 8. Every one ought to do
sotnetliing. 9. Nothing is itationary ; and the hu-
man family — the least of all. 10. Mankind ar«'
tending to a better condition, or to actual extinction
11. Trade — knows neither friends nor kindred
12. Physicians — rarely take medicine.
'Wisdom, of our Ancestors. If the
"wisdom of our ancestors'' — had not taught
them to recognize newly discovered truths,
and to discard those errors, to which ignor-
ance had given birth, we should not have
been indebted to them for the improvements,
which, however well they may have served
their purpose for a time, are destined to be
superseded by still more important discover-
ies. In the year 1616, a Florentine had the
presumption and audacity to assert, contrary
to the prevailing opinions of the learned,
"the great, the good, and the wise among
men," and contrary to the conclusions of all
preceding ages, " that the earth revolved round
thestfW/" and, although he was threatened
with death for his heresy, Galileo was right.
Varieties. 1. What is the image of God.
and what the likeness of God, into which man
was created'? 2. What grace is more valu-
able, than humility? 3. Is hereditary de-
pravity an actual sin, or a calamity? 4. Was
not the genius of Ar-c/am-i-des ihepareyit of
the mechanical arts? 5. Did not the first
single pair of mankind — possess the type of
all the distinct races of men, — ^their innate
tendency and genius, which fias, or will, re-
appear in their offspring ? 6. What is the
meaning of the command to Moses, "See that
thou make all things after the pattern, which
/have shown thee in the Mouiit .?" 7. If we
are hardened under affliction, does it not in-
dicate a very bad state of mindT 8. Are
miracles — violations of the laws of Nature?
9. Does not the state and character of parents
—affect their offspring? 10. What is the
conclusion of the whole matter! Fear God^
and keep his commandments.
When Summer''s heats — the verdure gear,
Through yonder shady grove I tread,
Or throw me listless— down to hear
The winds — make music over head ;
A thousand flowers — are blooming rouncli
The " wilding fcee" goes droning by,
And springs gush out— with lulling sound,
And painted warblers— Vinger nigh ;
Yet one thing— wants the dreamer there—
A kindred soul — the scene to share.
180
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
365. Waves, or CiBCtrMFiEXES of the
Voice: of these, there are two; which are
called the rising circumflex [v] and the fall-
ing circumflex [*] : they are formed by the ^
and the ' , and are generally connected with
(he accented vowels of the emphatic words.
Doubt, pity, contrast, grief, supposition,
comparison, irony, implication, sneering,
raxlery, scorn, reproach, and contempt, are
expressed by them. Ee sure and get the right
feeling and thought, and you will find no
difficulty in expressing them properly, if you
have mastered the voice.
366. Exs. of the rising v. 1. I may go
to town to-morrow, though I cannot go to-
day. 2. The sun sets in the west, not in
the &ast. 3. He lives in London, not in
New York. 4. The desire of praise — pro-
duces excellent effects, in men of s&nse. 5.
He is more a knave, than a fool. 6. I see
thou hast learn'd to ra,t7, if thou hast learned
nothing 6&e. 7. Better to do well lite, than
never. 8. A pretty f&llow you are, to be
sure/ 9. In some countries — poverty — is
considered a misfortune ; in others — a crime.
10. The young- — are slaves to novelty ; the
old — to custom.
367. Promiscuous Examples. 1. A just
appreciation of our duties — is worth any sa-
crifice, that its attainments may cost. 2.
Dearly do we sometimes pay for our wis-
dom, but never too dearly. 3. Is not the life
of animals dissipsited at death !^ 4. The an-
cients— had the art of singing, before that of
writing; and their laws and histories were
sung, before they were written. 5. This heav-
enly Benefactor claims — not the homage of
our lips, but of our hearts; and who can
doubt that he is entitled to the homage of our
hearts ? 6. If we have no regard to our own
character, we ought to have some regard to
the character of others. 7. Tell your invad-
ers this; and tell them, too, we seek no
change; and least of all — such change as
tliey would bring us.
368. We must avoid a mechanical variety,
and adopt a natural one : this may be seen in
:hildren, when relating anything that comes
from themselves; then, their intonatio7is,
melody, and variety, are perfectly natural,
and true to the object in view : let us go and
sit at their feet and learn, and not be offend-
ed. Let us turn our eye and ear, to truth
and NATURE ; for they will guide their vota-
ries right. Give us the soul of elocution and
music, and that will aid in forming the body.
CONFIBENCE, NOT TO BE PLACED IN MAN.
O momentary grace of mortal men,
Which we more hunt for— than the grace of God!
Who builds his hope— in air of your fair looks.
Lives like a drunken sailor — on a mast ;
Ready, with every nod, to tumble down —
Into tiie fats! bowels— of the deep.
Maxims. 1. The love of sensual pleaeure, a
temporary' madness. 2. Sacrifice — can be made
on bad principles ; obedience — only on good ones.
3. Great cry and little wool; applies to those who
promise much, but practice little. 4. Do what you
think is right, whatever others may think. 5
Learn to disregard alike, the praise and the cen-
sure of bad men. 6. Covet that popularity thut
follows; not that which must be run after. 7.
What sculpture is — to a block of marble, education
is to the human mind. 8. He, who is unwilling
to amend, has the devil on his side. 9. Extensive^
various reading, without reflection, tends to the in-
jury of the mind. 10. Proverbs bear age, and arc
full of various instruction.
Anecdote. John Randolphs Mother. The
late John Randolph, some years before his
death, wrote to a friend as fiiUows : " I used
to be called a Frenchman, because I took th^
French side in politics ; and though that was
unjust, yet the truth is, I should have been
a French atheist, if it had not been for one re-
collection, and that was — the memory of the
time, when my departed mother — used to
take my little hands in hers, and cause me,
on my knees, to say, * Our Father who art in
heaven.'' "
Scliool Teaoliers. It is important, that
teachers of youth, should not only be respected,
but respectable persons. They, who are in •
trusted with the responsible ofl[ice of develop-
ing the mind, and directing the affections of
the yoimg, ought to be worthy of sharing in
all the social enjoyments of the most refined
society ; and they ought never to be excluded
from such participation. Yet it is scandal}
ously true, in some parts of our country, that
teachers, however worthy, are excluded from
the houses of the very parents, who send
their children to their schools. This is not
only contrary to all republican principles,
but is in direct opposition to the dictates of
common sense. Wherever such a state of
things exists, the people are but half civilized,
whatever pretensions wealth, and other cir-
cumstances afford them.
Varieties. 1. Enter. on the performance
of your duties, with willing hearts, and
never seek to avoid them. 2. The heart — \^
ivoman^s world; it is there — her ambition
strives for the mastery. 3. The object of rco
reation is — to soften and refine, not to render
ferocious; as is the case with amusement?
that brutalize. 4. Is capital punishment
right ? 5. Who has done the more injury-
Mahomet, or Const antine ? 6.1s tobacco —
necessary ? 7. Why is the figure of a viper
— used to express ingratitude ? 8. Is it right
to go to war — on any occasion 1 9. What is
the usual quantity of blood — in a common
sized body? About twenty-five or thirty
pounds. 10. Is it not singular thatPopei*
translations should be very profuse, and his
original compositions verj' concise?
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
369. Exs. of the falling ^. I. Who
tares for you P 2. He is your friend, is he]
3. You tell me so, do you? 4. If Zwere
to do CO, what would ydu say] 5. It is
not prudence, when I trust my secrets to a
man who cannot keep his own. 6. You
are a very wise man, strong, brave, peaceable.
7. If you had told me so, perhaps, I should
have believed you. 8. Sir, you are a fool.
and I fear you will remain so.
370. Manneii. What we mean, does
not so much depend on what we say, as how
we say it; not so much on our iuords, as on
our manner of speaking them : accordingly,
in elocution, great attention must necessarily
be given to this, as expressive of what our
ivord3 do not always indicate.- thus, 7ia-
ture — fixes the outward expression of every
intention and sentiment. Art only adds
ease and gracefulness to the promptings of
nature: as nature has ordained, that man
shall walk on his feet, and not on his hands,
art — teaches him to walk gracefully.
371. Combination of the Waves. 1.
But you forsooth, are very wise men, deeply
learned in the truth ,• we, weak, contempti-
ble, mean persons ; but you, strong, gallant.
2. Mere hirelings, and ^tme-servers — are al-
ways opposed to (5) improvements, and (6)
originUity .- so are tyrants— to liberty, and
'-'publicanism. 3. Wisdox alone is truly
fair ; vice, only appears so. 4. How like
a fawning pnblican he looks! 5. Plow
green you are, and fresh in this old world !
6. What ! can so young a thorn begin to
prick 1 7. Money — is your suk] What
should I say to youl Should I not say.
Hath a dog money? Is it possible — a cur
can lend three thousand ducats P 7. They
tell U5 to be moderate; but they, they
are to revel in profdsio?i .'
Miscellaneous. 1. Can one phenome-
non of mind be presented, without being
connected with another? if so,— how P 2.
Reputatimi—often effects that, which did not
belong to one's character. Make a child—
believe that he is considered aimable, by his
friends, and he will generally become so. 3.
Affection— is the continuous principle of tore,
—which is spiritual heat ; and hence the
very vital principle of man. 4. Must not
the tirst possible idea — of any individual,
have been the product of the relation — be-
tween two states of the mind, in reference to
external objects P
Anecdote. Danger of Bad Campany.
St. Austin compares the danger of bad com-
vany— to a. nail driven into a post; which,
after the Jirst, and second stroke, may be
drawn out with little difficulty; but being
vice driven up to the head, the pincers can
iake no hold to draw it out ; which can be
4one only by the destruction of the wood. \
131
Maxims. 1. A wounded rer utaiion is seldom
cured. 2. Conciliatory manners aJways com-
mand esteem. 3. Never deride any one's infirmi-
ties. 4. Detraction— is, a sin against juatiee. 5.
3Iodesty— has more charms than beauty. 6. No
fear should deter us from* doing good. 7. Pin not
your faith \o anotlier one's sleeve. 8. Reckless
youth— makes rueful age. 9. The example of the
good is visiblii philosophy. 10. TruA— never fears
rigid examination. 11. Sickness is felt, but not
health.
Reason. As the field of true science en-
larges, as thought becomes more free, an in-
quiry upon all subjects becomes more bold
and searching; a voice louder and still loud-
er comes up from the ho7iest and thinking
men in Christendom, calling for rationality
in religion, as weU as in every thing else ;
calling for such principles of biblical inter-
pretation, as shall show the scriptures to
be indeed, and in truth, the Word of God.
Every ray of truth, which has been sent
from heaven— to enlighten and bless man-
kind, has gained admittance into the world
by patient struggling and persevering cm-
test.
Varieties. 1. The words of Seneca, the
virtuous Pagan, put to the blush— many a
pagan christian. 2. When Socrates was in-
formed, that the judges had sentenced him
to death, he replied,—" And hath not Nature
passed the same sentence on them}-'' 4.
There is more eloquence, in the tone of voices
in the Zoo/c.9, and in the gestures of a speak-
er, than in the choice of his words.
Dear Patience— too, is born of woe,
Patience, that opens the gate
Wherethrough the soul of man must go
Up to each nobler state.
High natures— must 1)6 thunder-scax:ea,
With many a searing wrong.
Law, that shocks equity, is reason's murder.
I would not waste my spring of j'outh,
In idle dalliance; I would plant r'lchseeds,
To blossom in my manhood, and hear fruit,
VVhen I am old.
Full many a gem— of purest ray serene,
The dark unfathomed caves of ocean bear,
Full many aflow'r is born— to blush unseeii,
And waste its sweetness on the desert air.
Beautiful cloud ! with folds so soft anA fair
Swimming — in the pure — quiet air !
Thy fleeces, bathed in sunlight, while below,
Thy shadow — o'er the vale moves slow :
Where, 'midst their labor, pause the reaper Xrhiiy
As cool it comes — along the grain.
Beautiful cloud ! I taould I were with thee
In thy calm way — o'er land and sea :
To rest — on thy unrolling skirts, and look
On Ear^ — as on an open book;
On streams, that tie her realms, with silver 6a7ul»^
And the long ways, that seam her lands ,
And hear her humming cities, and the sound
Of the great oceon— breaking round
132
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
373. Remember, that Nature abhors mo-
notony, or sameness of sound, as much as
she does a vacuum. Hence, give variety in
emphasis,inJiections, and leaves, if they often
occur. 1. (3) Bd.ppy, (5) h\xppy, (6) h^kp-
"py pair! none but the (2) brave! (6)
none but the (5) brave,- none (8) but the
brave deserve the/u;r/ 2. (6) What a piece
of v;ork — is man ! how noble in (5) rea-
sfm! \iovf infinite in (6) faculties! in (4)
form, and (5) moving, how express and
(6) admirable ! in action, how Uke an an-
gel/ in apprehension, (4) how Uke a God/
3. My JUDGMENT — approves this measure,
and my whole heakt — is in it : all that I
have ,' (4) all that I am ,• and all tlmt I
HOPE, in this life, I am now ready here to
stake upon it ; and I leave off as I began ;
th't (4) sink or swim ; (5) live or die ,•
survive or (6) perish, — I am for the decia-
RATiox. It is my living sentiment, and (2)
by the blessing of God, it shall be my dying
sentiment : (5) Independence — (6) now
and Independence (9) foueveii !
3T3. Effect. What is the use of reading,
speaking, and singing, if the proper ejfect is
not jjroduced 1 If the singing in our church
choirs, and the reading and speaking in tlie
desk and pulpit, were what they ought to
be, and what tliey may be, the house of God
would be more thronged than theatres ever
liave been. Oh ! when will the best of truths
be delivered in the best of manners ? May
the stars of elocution and music, be more
numerous than the stais of heaven !
Because I c&nnoi flatter, and speak /air,
Smile in man's /ace, smooth, deceive and coy.
Deck with French words, and apish courtesy,
I must be held— a rflucorous enemy.
Cannot a plain man live, and think no harm.
But thus his simple (rMtA— must be abused.
By silken, sly, insinuating Jacks I
Tho' plunged in ills, and exercised in care.
Yet, never let the noble mind despair :
When prest by dangers, and beset hy foes.
Heaven its timely succour doth interpose, l/rrief,)
And, (when our virtue sinks, o'erwhelmed with
By unforeseen expedients— brings relief.
If there's a sin — more deeply black than others.
Distinguished from the list of common crimes,
And Icffion— in itself, and doubly dear
To the dark prince of hell— it is hypocrisy.
Ye gentle ffales, beneath my body blow,
And softly lay me— on the waves below.
Wisdom — ^tnok up her harp, and stood in place
Of frequent concourse — stood in every g-ate,
By every way, and walked in every street.
And, lifting up her voice, proclaimed : Be wise.
Ye fools ! be of an understanding heart.
Forsake the wicked : come not near his house:
Va.ss by: make haste: depart, a.ud t\irn away.
Me follow — me, whose ways are pleasantness,
^hose pathB are peace, whose end is perfect joy
Maxims. 1, A fa3thful/rien<Z--\f a strong
defence. 2. Avoid that -which you blamt in others.
3. By doing nothing, we learn to do ill 4. Con-
fession of a fault, makes half amends for it. 5
Dependence and obedience, necessarily belong to
youth. 6. Every art — is best taught by example.
7. Great designs require great consideration. 8.
Misfortune is a touchstone of friendship. 9.
Never sport with pain, or poverty. 10. Put no
faith in tale-bearers.
Anecdote. Point of Law Blackstone,
speaking of the right of a wife to dovjer, as-
serts, that if land abide in the husbana a sin-
gle moment, the wife shall be endowed there-
of; and he adds, that the doctrine was ex-
tended very far, oy a jury in Wales, where
the father and son were hanged at the same
time ; but the son was supposed to survive
tlie father, by appearing to struggle the long-
er ; whereby he became seized of an estate
by survivorship ; in consequence of which
seizure, his wife — obtained a verdict for her
doiver.
Riclies and Talent. Nothing is more
common than to see station and riches — pre-
ferred to talent and goodness ; and yet few
things are more absurd. The peculiar supe-
riority of talent and goodness — over station
and riches, may be seen from hence ; — that
the influence of the former — will always be
the greatest, in that government, which is
the purest; while that of the latter — will al-
ways be the greatest — in the government
that is the most corrupt : so that from the
preponderance of the one, we may infer the
soundness and vigor of the commonwealtli ;
but from the other, its dotage and degeneracy.
Varieties. 1. Indolence and indecision,
tho' not vices in themselves, generally pre-
pare the way for much sin and misery. 2
If the mind be properly cultivated, it will
produce a storehouse of precious /rwiY,?,- but
if neglected, it will be overrun with noxious
zueeds and poisonous plants. 3. A kind
benefactor — makes one happy — as soon as he
can, and as much as he can. 4. The only
sure basis cf every government, is in the af-
fection of a people, rendered contented, and
happy, by the Justness and mildness, with
which they are ruled. 5. As moisture is re-
quired to the formation of every seed, so natu-
ral truth — to the formation of first princij)le»
They whom
J^ature's works can charm, with Ood himself
Hold converse ! grow familiar, day by day,
With His conceptions, act upon His plan,
And form to His — the relish of their souls.
Our present acts, tho' slightly we pass them hv
Are 60 much seed— sown for Eternity.
The deoil can cite scripture for nis purpose-
Art toil soul, producing- holy toft?ieJs,
h like a villain with a smiling cheek ;
A goodly apple, rotten at the heart;
0, what a goo-ilv outside— falsehood hath!
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
133
3y4.* A s the princi'ples of elocution are
few and simple, and as practice alone makes
[terfect, there are all kinds of examples pro-
vided for those, who are determined to de-
velop their minds through their bodies, and
become all that God and nature — intended
them to be. As the ear is most intimately
connected with the affections — ihe motive-
power of the intellect, it is absolutely neces-
sary that the student should exercise aloud,
that the voicf and ear, as well as the thoughts
nnd feelings , may be cultivated in harmony
and :orrespondence. If, then, he finds the
task severe, let him persevere, and never
mind it.
373. Examples. 1. The queen of i)ew-
mark, in reproving her son, Hamlet, on ac-
count of his conduct towards his step-fa.ther,
whom she married, shortly after the murder
of the king, her husband, says to him, "Ham-
let, you have your father much offended."
To which he replies, with a circumflex on
you, ''Madam, (3) you — have my father
much offended." He mcajit his oivn father :
she — his step-father; he would ako intimate,
that she was accessory to his father's mur-
der,- and his peculiar reply, was like daggers
m her soul. 2. In the following reply of
Death to Satan, there is a frequent occurrence
of circumjlexes, mingled with contempt'.
'< And recicon'st th^u thyself with spirits of
heaven, hell-doomed, and breath'st dejvdnce
here, and sc^m, where I reign king ? and,
to enrage thee more, — thy king, and lord ?"
The voice is circumflected on heaven, hell-
doomed, king and thy, nearly an octave. 3.
Come, show me what thoul't d^^; woul't
weep? wouV t figtit ? woul't fast? woul't tear
thyself? r\\ do't. Dost thou come here to
V)hine? to outface me, with leaping in her
pravi 1 be buried quick with her, and so will
7^; and if thou prate of mountains, let them
throw MILLIONS of acres on us, till our
ground, singeing her pate against the burn-
ing zone, make Ossa — like a wart. Nay,
an thoul't mouthe, i'U rant as well as tlio^i.
Anecdote. A clergyman, once traveling
in a stage-co^c\\, was abruptly asked by one
of the passengers, if any of the heathens
wpuld go io heaven. " Sir," answered the
clergyman, "I am not appointed judge of
the toorld, and. consequently, cannot tell;
but, if ever you get to heo.v?:., you shall
either f?id some ^' ...em tliere, or a good
reason v.Jiy iney are not there."
Too High or too Iiow. In pulpit elo-
quence, the grand difficulty is to give the
subject all the dignity it so fully deserves,
without attaching any importance to our-
selves. The christian minister cannot think
too highly of his Master, or too humbly of
himself. This is the secret art which capti-
vates and hnproves an audience, and which
all who see, will fancy they could imitate ;
while manv who try, win not succeed, be-
rause ttiey are not influenced by proper rtM-
lives al d do not use the right means.
M
Proverbs. 1. Forbearanu — ji requisite in
youth, in middle age, and in old age. 2. Peculiar-
ities— are ea^Wy acquired ; but it is verv difficult to
eradicate them. 3. Good principles aie ot no use
to us, unless we are governed by them. 4. Co-
quetry— is the vice of u small mind. 5. Pure /net-
als — shine brighter, the more they are rubbed. 6.
Pride— lives on very costly food,—hs keeper's
happiness. 7. Extretrus — are generally hurtful ,
for they often expose us to damage, or render ua
ridiculous. 8. In the days of affluence, always
think of poverty. 9. Never let want come ujx>n
you, and make you remember the days o( plenty.
10. No one can become a good reader or speaker^
in a few weeks, or a few months.
Woman. I have alvi'ays observed, says
Ledyard, that women, in all countries, are
civil, obliging, tender, and humane; that
they are- inclined to be gay and cheerful, tim-
orous and modest, and that they do not, like
man, hesitate to perform a generous action.
Not haughty, arrogant, or supercilious, they
are full of courtesy, and fond oi society; more
hable, in general, to err than man, but in
general, also, more virtuous, and performing
more good actions than he. To a woman,
whether civilized or savage, I never address-
ed myself in the language of decency and
friendship, without receiving a decent and
friendly answer. With man it has been often
oiherv)ise. In wandering through the barren
plains of inhospitable Denmark; thro' hon-
est Sweden, and frozen Lapland, rude and
churlish Finland, unprincipled Russia, and
the wide-spread regions of the wandering
Tartar; if hungry, dry, cold, wet, or sick,
the vwmen — have ever been friendly to me
and itniformly so ; and to add to tliis virtue,
(so worthy to be called benevolence,) their
actions have been performed in so free and
kind a manner, that if I were dry, I drank
the sweetest draught, and \i hungry, ate the
coarsest morsel, wiih a double relish.
Varieties. 1. When Baron, the actor, '
caine from hearing one of Massillon^s ser-
mons, he said to one of his comrades of tlx
stage ; bore is an orator; we — are only ac
tors. 2. Soine people — wash themselves ior
the sake of being clea?i; others, for the sake
oi appearing so. 3. Oi all the pursuits, by
which property is acejuired, none is prefera-
ble to agriculture, — none more productive,
and none more worthy of a gentleman. 4.
It is a maxim with unprincipled politicians,
to destroy, where they cannot intimidate,
nor persuade. 5. Good humor, and menial
charms, are as much superior to external
beauty, as mind is superior to matter. 6.
Be wise, be prudent, be discreet, and tem-
perate, in all things.
Patriots have toiled, and in their country's cause
Bled nobly, and their deeds, as they deserve,
Keceive proud recompense. We give In charge
Their names— to the sweet lyre. Tlie historic muse
Proud of her treasure, marches with it— down
To latest time»; and sculpture in her turn.
Gives bond, in stone-&aiX ever-during brass
To guard them — and immortalize her trust.
134
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
3 7 6. In toxations. The intonations are
opposite to monotones, and mean the rise and
fall of the voice, in its natural movements
through a sentence: they are demonstrated
in music, and here, in elocutim. In all com-
mon kinds of reading and speaking, the voice
should not generally rise and fall more than
one note, in its passage from syUable to syl-
lable, and from word to word: its movement
will then be gentle, easy and fiowing. But
when the passion, or sentiment to be exhibit-
ed, is powerfully awakening or exciting, it
may rise or fall several notes, according to
the predominance of feeling.
SIT. Our (6) SIGHT— is the most (4) per-
fect, and most (5) delightful — of all our
senses. (4) It fills the mind with the largest
variety of (3) ideas; (5) converses with its
objects at the greatest (6) distance; and con-
tinues the longest in (5) ac/ion, without being
(4) tired— ox (3) satiated, with its proper e?i-
Joyments. The (6) sense of (8) teelixg,
can, indeed, give us the idea of (5) extenswti,
(6) sfuipe, and all other properties of matter,
th't are perceived by the (5) eije, except (4)
colors. (3) At the same time— it is very much
(5) straightened— B.nd (4) confined in its ope-
rations, to the (3) number, (4) hulk, and (5)
distance, of its peculiar objects.
378. When we read, or speak, without any
feeling, the voice ranges between our first
and fourth notes; when there is a moderate
degree of feeling, and the subject somewhat
inter esting,\i ranges between our second and
sixth notes; when there is a high degree of
frel-ng and interest, it ranges between our
fxirth and eighth notes; descending, how-
ever, to the third and first, in a cadence, or
close of the effcyrt. It is highly necessary to
keep the voice afioat, and never let it run
aground ; that is, let X\\e feeling and thought
keep it on the proper pitches, and do not let
it descend to the first, or ground-note, till the
piece is completed ; except in depressed mo-
notony. Memorize the preceding, and talk
it off in an easy, graceful and appropriate
manner.
Abstract Question. Which is more pro-
bable, that owr Judgment, in respect to exter-
nal phenomena, has been warped, by compar-
ini? their operations with those of the mind;
or, that our metaphysical mistakes have been
occasioned, by forming a false analogy be-
tween its internal operations, and outward
ijipearances ?
The midnight moon— serenely smiles
O'er nature's soft repose ;
No towering doud obscures the sky,
No ruffling tempest blows.
Now, every posjton — sinks to rest;
The throbbing heart lies still ;
And varying schemes of life— no more
Distract the laboring wiU.
Proverbs 1. A clear efnsdenee ft^rs no ac-
cusation. 2. An opefi door will tempt a saint. 3
Confidence — is the companion of success. 4.
Cruelty to a woman is— the crime of a monster. 5.
A smart reproof is better than smooth deceit. G. A dd
not trouble to the grief -worn heart. 7. Affeciation
—is at best a deformity. 8. Bear misfortunes with
patience and fortitude. 9. A good maxim is nevei
out of season. 10. Ambiticnr-neyer looks behind.
11. A wise man wants but little. 12. Knouiledgc
—makes no one happy.
Anecdote. A tragedy of JEschylus was
once represented before tlie Athenians, in
which it was said of one of the characters,
" that he cared more to be just, than to uppea)
so." At these words, all eyes were instantly
turned upon Aristides, as the man who, of
all the Greeks, most merited that distinguish
ed character: and ever after he received, by
universal consent, the surname of — " Tht
Just.^''
Courtesy. St. Paul, addressing lumself to
christians of all ^ades and classes, even down
to menial servants, exhorts them to be cour-
teous. Courteousness — must mean, therefore,
a something, which is within the reach of all
sorts of people; and, in its primary and best
sense, is exactly such a behavior, as sponta-
neously springs from a heart, warm with
benevolence, and unwilling to give needless
pain, or uneasiness to a fellow-being. We
have no more right, wantonly or carelessly
to wound the mind, than to wound the body
of a fellow-being ; and, in many instances.
the former — is the more cruel of the two.
Varieties. 1. Some start in Hfe, withcuJ
any leading object at all ; some, with a low
aim, and some, with a high one ; and just in
proportion to the elevation at which they aim,
will generally be their success. 2. Guard
against fraud, and imposition ; and forego
some advantages, rather than gain them at a
risk, that cannot be ascertained. 3. In tlie
determination of doubtful and intricate cases,
the nicest discrimination, and great solidity
of Judgment, are required. 4. We have an
instinctive expectation of finding nature
everywhere the same, — always coiisisteni,
md'truc io herself ; hnt whence this expec-
tation:'^ 5. Is there not something in the
native air of true freedom, to alter, expand,
and improve the external form, as well as the
internal P 6. Is not affluence-^ snare, and
poverty,— Si temptation? 7. Man is a true
epitome of the spiritual w'or Id, or world of
mind; and to know himself i is the perfection
of wisdom.
CURIOSITY.
It came from Hearen,— it reign'd in Eden's shades,
It roves on earth— and. every walk invades :
Childhood— and age— alike its influence own.
It haunts the beggar'>s nook, the monarches throtte'
Hangs o'er the cradle, leans above the bier.
Gazed on old Babel^s tower,— and lingeis hen
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
135
3T9* iNTOTfATTONS AND MeLODT OF
Spkech. By the first — is meant the move-
ment of the voice through the different notes
of the scale, As-cending and DE-scending,
with an appropriate and agreeable variety
of sounds ; by the second, an agreeable suc-
cession of sounds, either in speech or song.
A dull repetition of words or sounds, on
* nearly the same pitch, is very grating to the
ear, and disgusting to correct taste ; and yet
it is one of the most common faults of the
bar, the senate and pulpit ,- indeed, in every
p ace where there is public speaking: which
is the melancholy result of the usual course
of teaching children to read.
380. Examples partially exiiibited.
1 (5) Seest thou a man (5) diligent in his (6) bu-
siness ? (5) He shall stand before (4) kings, (3)
he shallnotstand before (5) mean men. 2. (3)
0 swear not by the (6) moon, the (6) inconstant
(4) moon, (3) that monthly (5) changes in its
circled (3) orb. 3. Said Mr. Pitt, to his aged
accuser, in debate, (4) "But (6) youth, it
seems, is not my (6) only (3) crime, (4) I have
been accused — of (5) acting (6) a (8) theatri-
cal part." 4. (5) Standing on the ascent of
the (6) past, we survey the (5) present, and
(4) extend our views into (3) futitrUy. 5.
(5) No one — will ever be the (4) happier, for
(5) talents, or (4) riches, (3) unless he makes
a right (3) use of them. 6. (5) Truths — have
(4) life in them ; and the (6) effect of that
life is (3) unceasing expansion. 7. (6) He,
who loves the (5) Lord, with all his (4) heart,
and his neighbor as (4) himself, needs no (5)
compass, or (4) helm to steer his (3) course ,•
because (5) truth and (4) love are his (3)
wind and (2) tide. N. B. The inflections, cir-
cumflexes, &c., commence with the accented
vowel, which is supposed to be on the note
indicated by the preceding figure.
381. Promiscuous Examples without
NoTATiox. The predominant characteristic
of the female mind is affection : and that of
tlie male mind is thought : tho' both have af-
fection and thought ; but disparity — does not
imply inferioriiy. The sexes are intended
for different spheres of life, and are created
in conformity to their destination, by Him,
who bids the oak — brave the fury of the
tempest, and the Alpine ^oi^er — lean its
cheek on the bosom of eternal snow.
Abstract Q,uestiGUs. Is not that pro-
pensity of the human mind, which seeks for
a medium of commuiLication, between two
physical phenomena, to be traced to the fact,
that every admitted truth, is derived from a
medium of knowledge ; and that there is a
connection among all intellectual phenome-
na ; so much so, that we cannot conceive a
new idea, without a medium of communica-
tion?
liaconics. 1. By mindinj our oum business,
we shall be more useful, more benevolent, more
respected, and ten times happier. 2. Thai stu-
dent will live miserably, who lies down, like a
camel, under his burden. 3. Remember, while
you live, it is by looks — that men deceive. 4. A
foolish friend may cause more woe, Than could
indeed the wisest foe. 5. He, who confides in a
person of no honor, may consider himself very
lu^ky, if he is not a sufferer by it. 6. The co?idi-
tion of mankind is such, that we must not believe
every smoodi speech — the cover of a kind inten-
tion. 7. AVho is wise? He who /earns from erer?/
one. 8. Who is rich ? He, who is contented. 9.
Nothing is so dumb— as deep emotion. 10. Where
there is much mystery, there is generally much
ignorance. 11. Catch not soon at offence. 12.
Whoso loseth his spirits, loseth all.
Anecdote. Choice of a Husband. An
Athenian, who was hesitating, whether to
give his daughter in marriage to a man of
worth with a small fortune, or to a rich man,
who had no other recommendation, went to
consult Themistocles on the subject. "I
would bestow my daughter," said Themisto-
cles, " upon a man without money, rather
than upon money without a man!''
True Plillosopliy — consists in doing all
the good that we can, in learning all the
good we can, in teaching to others all the
good we can, in bearing, to the best of our
ability, the various ills of life, and in enjoys
ing, with gratitude, every honest pleasure-
that comes in our way.
Varieties. 1. Should not ovu- m^enifi07?5,
as well as our actions — be good? 2. Tnie
love — is ot'slo7v growth, mutual and recipro-
cal, and founded on esteem. 3. Graces, and
accomplishments — are too often designed for
beaux-caching, and coquetry. 4. There is
time for all things. 6. An individual — in-
clined to magnify every good, and minify
every eml — must be a pleasing companion,
or partner — for life, — whether male or fe-
male. 6. Knowledge — is not tvisdom ,- it is
only the raw material, from which the beau-
tiful fabric of wisdom is produced; there-
fore, let us not spend our days in gathering
materials, and live, and die, without a shel-
ter. 7. Every evil — has its limit,' which,
when passed, plunges the wicked into mis-
ery. 8. One thief in the house, is more to be
dreaded than ten — in the street. 9. Tho
more haste, generally the worst speed. 10.
The moral government, under which we live,
is a kingdom of uses ; and whatever we pos-
sess, is given us for use ; and with it, the op-
portunity and power of using it.
Thou art, O God, the life and light
Of all this wondrous world we see,
Its glow by day, its smile hy night,
.Are but reflections — caught from lh«e;
Where'er we turn, thy glories shine,
And all things/atr and bright are thip.e.
136
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
38*. iNTOiTATioifs Continued. Listen
attentively, to a person under the influence
of nature, of his own feelings and thoughts :
he relates stories, supports arguments, com-
mands those under his authority, speaks to
persons at a distance, utters exclamations of
anger and rage, joy and rapture, pours
forth lamentations of sorrow and grief,
breathes affection, love, &c. in different /;i^c/i-
es, tones, qualities, emphasis, infection, and
cvrcumfiexes, elevations and depressions of
voice. The only possibility of success, there-
fore, is — to get perfect control of the vocal
organs, by practicing these principles, and
conforming the whole manner to the sense
and objects of the composition.
383. Intonation and Melodt. These
examples are given as general guides; the
figures refer to the notes in the Diatonic
Scale. 1. (4) But, (6) from the (4) tomb, (5)
the (4) voice of (5) nature (6) cries, (6) And,
(5) in our (4) ashes, (5) live (4) their won-(3)
ted (2) fires. 2. But (5) yonder comes, (4)
rejoicing in the (6) east, (5) The (4) powerful
(3) king of (2) day. 3. (6) Awake ! (6)
ARISE ! (6) or (5) be (3) forever (2) fallen.
4. (3) He expired in a (5) victualing hou&Q,
(4) which I hope (5j I (3) shall (2) not. 7.
(5) Fair (6) angel, thy (5) desire, which tends
to (6) KNOW The works of (5) God, doth (4)
merit (3) praise. 8 (5) Such (4) honors Ilion
to (6) HER lover paid, And (5) peaceful slept
(4) the mighty (3) Hector's (2) shade. Note,
Construct a scale on faint ruled paper, and
place the words on it as indicated ; the same
as notes are on the musical staff.
Miscellaneous. 1. Beauty — is the out-
ward form of goodness : and this is the rea-
son, we love it instinctively, without think-
ing why we love : but we cease to love, when
we find it unaccompanied with truth and
goodness. 2. Make not your opinions, the
criterion of right and wrong: but make
right and wrong — the criterion of your ac-
tions and principles.
Few — bring back at eve,
Immaculate, tlie manners of the mom ;
Something we thought— is blotted, we resolved-
la shaken, we renounced — returns again.
There is no greater punishment of vice —
Than that it have its own wiU;
Hence, guilty — infernal love becomes the
Most deadly hate.
The intent, and not the deed,
XB \n o\a power ; and tAcr«/br«, who dahes greatly,
Does greatly.
6. Words — are things; a small drop of
ink., (billing like dew — ) upon thought, pro-
duces that, which makes thousands, perhaps
MILLIONS think. 7. Something — is at all
tim es — flowing into us.
Too much the beautiful — ^we prize ,
Tlie useful — often we derjrue.
Proverbs. 1. Tb remedy for injunes j«v-
iiol to remmiber them. 2. To read, ard not under-
stand, is to pursue, and not overtake. 3. Truth re-
fines, but does not obscure. 4. He who teaches,
often learns himself. 5. Worth— has been undei
rated, ever since ivealth—hsis beer, overrated. G
Antiquity— cannot sanction an error, nor noveh*j
injure a trutfi. 7. A man m a passion, rides a
horse that runs away with him. 8. A small kaJi 0
will sink a great ship. 9. Never forget a good
turn. 10. Lying— is lh.e\ice of a slave. 11. Self-
co7iceit — is the attendant of ignoranc*. 12. The
love of society is natural.
Aliecdote. The emperor of China, in-
quired of Sir George Staunton, about the
manner in which physicians were paid in
England. When he was made to understand
what the practice was, he exclaimed, — " Can
any man in England afford to be ill ^ Now,
I have four physicians, and pay alloi them
a weekly salary ; but the moment I am sick,
that salary is stopped, till I am well again ;
therefore, my indisposition is never of long
duration. "
Woman. The prevailing manners of an
age depend, more than we are aware of, or
are willing to allow, on the conduct of the
women : this is one of the principal tilings
on which the great machine of human society
turns. Those, who allow the influence which
female graces have in contributing to polish
the manners of men, would do well to reflect,
how great an influence female morals must
also have on their conduct. How much,
then, is it to be regretted, that women — should
ever sit down, contented, to polish, when they
are able to reform — to entertain, when they
might instruct. Nothing delights men more
than their strength of understanding, when
true gentleness of manners is its associate ;
united,they become irresistible orators, blcss'd
with the power of persuasion, fraught with
the sweetness of instruction, making woman
the highest ornament of human nature.
Varieties. 1. Fear — is a bad preserver
of anything intended to endure,- but love — ■
will generally ensure ^fZeZi/?/, even to ihe end.
2. He, who knowingly defends the wrong
side of a question, pays a very bad compli-
ment to his liearers: as much as to say ; False.'
Iwod, supported by my talents, is strongei
than trutfi, supported by yours. 3. Before a
man should be convicted of a libel, the jury
must be satisfied, that it was his intention tc
libel ; not to state facts, which he believed to
be true, or, reasonings, which he thongut
just. 4. The difference between ttxe word
of God, and the compositynis of man, is as
great, as between real flame and painted
flame. 5. Lussimulation, even the most in-
norim^, IS ever productive of embarrassmentsi
whether tlie design is evil, or not, artifice is
always dangerous, and aln.ost inevitably d\»
graceful.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION
137
384. Revisions. Let all the preceding
principles be reviewed, with an illustration of
each, and endeavor to fix them, permanently,
in the mind, by seeing their truth, and feeling
their power in practice ; so that you can write
a work yourself on the philosophy of mind
and voice. Remember, that nothing is yours,
till you make it your own, by understanding
it scientifically, raiionalty and affectuously,
lUid then by applying it to its proper object :
do not forget effects, causes, ends, tlieir suc-
cessive order, and simultaneous developtnent.
eve's lament on leaving paradise.
(Plaintive, with quantity.)
O, unexpected stroke, worse than of Death.'
Must I thus leave thee, Paradise ? thus leave
Thee, native soil, these liappy walks and shades,
Fit iiauntof g-oifs? where I had hoped to spend,
{Quiet, tho' sad,) the respite of that day,
That must be mortal to us both ;
O floivers, (thai never will in other climate grow,)
My early visitation, and my last
At ev'n, which I bred up, with tender hand.
From the first opening hud, and gave ye names,'
Wlw, now, shall rear you to the sun, and rank
Your tribes, and water from the ambrosial/ownr?
Thee, (lastly,) nuptial bower, by me adorned
^Vith what to sight, or smell, was sweet, from thee
How shall 1 part, and whither wander — down
Into a lower world, to this — obscure
And wild ? How shall we breatlie in other air,
hess pure, accustomed to immortal fruits !
385. How mean, — how timid, — how ab-
ject, must that spirit be, which can sit down,
— contented with mediocrity. As for myself
— all that is within me is onj^re. I had ra-
ther be torn into a thousand pieces, than relax
my resolution, of reaching the sublimesi
heights of virtue — and knowledge, of good-
ness— and truth, of love — and wisdom.
Nothing is so arduous, — nothing so abmik-
ABLE, in human affairs, but may be attained
oy the industry of man. We are descended
from heaven ; thither let us go, whence we
derive our origin. Let nothing satisfy us, —
lower than the summit of all excellence.
Nominalists and Realists. TheNom-
vialisis — were a sect, the followers of Ros-
celinus and Abelard: according to these
philosophers, there are no existences in na-
ture corresponding to general terms, and the
objects of our attention in all our general
speculations, are not ideas, but words. The
Realists — were their opponents, and adliercd
to the principles of Aristotle.
Q/if— may the spirits of the dead — descend
To watcli — the silent slumbers of ?l friend;
To hover — round his evening walk — unseen,
And hold sweet converse — on the dusky green;
To hail the spot — where ^rs« their friendship grew.
And heaven — and nature — opened to their view.
Oft, when he trims his cheerful hearth, and sees
A smiling circle — emulou.<5 to please,
2%€fe— may these gentle guests— delight to dwell,
And bless the «cene— they loved in life so well.
18 M2
Liaconicg. 1. The grea jattle and coniat
among politicians is — not how the government
shall be administered, but who shall administer ii.
2. They who go to church out of vanity, or curi-
osity, and not for worship and instruction, should
not value themselves on account of their religion,
for it is not worth a straw. 3. Allow lime for
consideration; everything is badly executed, that
is done hy force or violeyice. 4. Occasional mirth,
is not incompatible with wisdom; and the manor
reserved habits, m^y sometimes be, gay. 5. Happy
are they, who draw lessons of prudence— from iho
dangers, in which others are involved. 6. Elo-
quence—csm pierce the reluctant wonder of the
world, and make even monarchs tremble on their
thrones.
Anecdote. Spinola. "Pray, of what did
your brother rfie.?" said the Marquis Spinola,
one day to Sir Horace Vere. " He died, sir,"
replied he, " of having nothing to do." "Alas I
sir," said Spinola, " that is enough to kill any
general of us aZZ." Mostesquieu says, " We,
in general, place idleness among the beati-
tudes of heaven ; it should rather, I tliink, be
put amid the tortures of hell. Austin calls it
— the burying a man alive."
Female Education. How greatly is it
to be regretted, that for the benefit of both
sexes, women are not generally so educated,
that tlieir conversations might be still much
more useful to us, as well as beneficial to
themselves! If, instead of filling their heads
with trifles, or worse than trifles, they were
early taught what might be really useful,
they would not then be so continually in
pursuit of silly, ridiculous, expensive, and
many times criminal amusement; neither
would their conversation be so insipid and
impertinent, as it too often is. On the con^
trary, were their minds properly improved
with knowledge, which it is certain they are
exceedingly capable of, how much more
agreeable would they be to themselves, and
how much more improving and delightful to
us ? How truly charming does beauty ap-
pear, when adorned by good nature, good
sense, and knowledge ? And when beauty .
fadcSf as soon it must, there wiU then 1)6
those qualities and accomplishments remain'
ing, which cannot fail to command great ra
gard, esteem, and affection.
VARIETIES.
But — shall we wear these glories for a day,
Or shall they last, and we rejoice in them?
While there is hope, do not distrust the gods.
But wait, at least, till Cesar's near approach,
Force us to yield. Twill never be too late —
To sue for chains, and own a.(onqueror.
In faith, and hope, the world will disagree,
But all mankind's concern— is charity.
'Tis education — forms the common viind,
Just as \'i^ twig is bent, the frfe's inclined.
The mind, that would be happy, must be greai
Great in its wishes, gruat in its surveys;
Extended viiws, a ;iar jow mind extend.
.38
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
386. As SO much depends upon the proper
•riovement of the voice, through the diiFerent
notes of the scale, and as our primary in-
struction in reading is often diametrically op-
posed to what is natural, it is deemed neces-
sary to be more explicit in diredioiw, as well
as in exLmples. Imitate, with the voice, ac-
companioi by corresponding motions of the
hand, tht) gentle undulations of the waters,
when the waves run moderately high ; let-
ting the movement of your voice resemble
Uiat of a small boat. Observe the various
movements of different kinds of birds through
the air, some bobbing up and down, others
moving more gracefully ; some flapping their
wings, others sailing, soaring : but the move-
ments of the voice are infinitely more vari-
ous than all other external motions; for it
contains them all.
THE EIGHT NOTES OF THE SCALE.
6. cries, and
5. from the the nature in our eslive
4. But tomb voice of ash- their won-
3. ted
2. fires.
Blessed — we sometimes are ! and I amnoto
Happy in qalet feelings ; for tJie tones —
Of a pleasant company o{ friends — >
Were in my ear, just now, and gentler thoughts
From spirits, whose high character I know
And I retain their influence, as the air —
Retains \hft softness — of departed day.
There is a spell — in every floiver,
A sweetness — in each sprai/,
And every simple bird — has j^ower—
To please us — with its lay.
And there is music — on (he breeze,
That sports along the glade,
And crystal dew-drops — on the trees,
The gems — hy fancy made.
O, there is joy — and happiness,
In every thing I see,
Which bids my soul rise up — and bless
'J'he God, that blesses ine
Metliod. In speaking extempore, or in
wn/ing-, METHOD, or the proper arrangement
of the thoughts, is of the first importance ;
to attain which, you must^a:, in your mind,
the precise object you have in view, and
never lose sight of it; then, determine the
grand divisi/ms ; which should be natural,
and distinct; not an unnecessary thought,
or illustration — should be admitted: and
even in the amplification of the subject, eve-
ry par^ should have its proper j)Zacf, and all
— present a whole.
Anecdote. Mr. Summerjield. It is said,
of the late Mr. Summerfield, that being asked
by a bishop, where he was born, he replied,
" I -was born in England, and boni again in
Ireland:' " What do you mean .?" inquired
file bishop. " Art th.ou a master in Israel, and
knawest not those things '!" was the reply.
liacoiiicg. 1. The antiilote, io Ae bant fill :rv-
fluence of flattery is, for every o.ie to fxamine
himself, and truly estimate his own qualities, and
character. 2. Let us make ourselves steadfast in
what is certainly true, and we shall be able to
answer objections, or reject them as unworthy of an
answer. 3. Argument — cannot disprove /ac</ no
two opposing _/acte can be produced; all objec-
tions to a/act must therefore be negative. 4. Ed-
ucation— includes all the influences, that serve to
unfold the faculties, — and determine the chur
acter ; thus involving the WCTitaZ, and physical. 5
To render good for evil, is God-like ; to rendei
good for good, is man-like ; to render e^:il for evU, is
beastAxke ; to render evil tor good— is deviWike.
Varieties. Has a wise and good God —
furnished us with desires, which have no cor-
respondent objects, and raised expectations
in our breasts, with no other view but to dis-
apj)oi?it them'? Are we to be forever in
search of happiness, without arriving at it,
either in this world or in the next ? Are we
formed with a passionate longing for immor-
tality, and yet destined to j)erish, after this
short period of existence ? Are we prompt-
ed to the noblest actions, and supported
through life, under the severest hardships
and most delicate temptations, by the hopes
of a reward, which is visionary and chimeri-
cal,— by the expectation of praises, of which
it is utterly impossible for us, ever to have
the least knowledge or enjoyment ?
Effects of Knowledge. The more
widely knowledge is spread, the more will
they be prized, whose happy lot it is — ^to ex-
tend its bounds, by discovering new truths,
to multiply its uses — by inventmg new modes
of applying it in practice. Real knowledge
— never prompted either turbulence, or ii>n-
belief; but its progress is the forerunner o"
liberality and enlightened toleration. Who-
so rfrm^ these, let ]\\m. tremble; for he may
be well assured, that their day is at length
come, and must put to sudden flight the evil
spirits of tyranny and persecution, wliicl:
haunted the long night, now gone down the
sky.
VARIETIES.
Soft jjeace she brings wherever she arrives;
She builds our quiet, as she forms our lives;
liuys the xo\x%h.paili of peevish nature even,
And opens, in each breast, a little heaven
.Man—\s tlie rugged lofty j^ine,
That frowns o'er many a t^at-e-beal short {
Woman''s the slender— graceful vine,
Whose curling tendrils— round ittwme,
And deck its rough bark — sweetly o'er.
Teach me to soothe the helpless orphan's grief,
With lively aid — the widow's woes assuage
Tomts'rt/'s moving cries— to yield relief.
And be the sure resource of drooping age.
Our doubts — are traitors.
And make us lose the good — we oft might wm.
By fearing to attempt.
PRINCirLES OF ELOCUTION.
139
887. Cadence — means a descent, or fall
of the voice : here, it means the proper man-
ner of closing a sentence. In the preceding
examples, the pupil sees how it is made.
The best cadence, that which rests most
pleasantly on ihe ear, is the fall of a triad;
i. e. a regular gradation of three notes from
the prevalent pitch of voice ; which is gen-
erally the fourth or fifth : tho' diiierent voices
'die keyed on different pitches: hence, each
must be governed by his own peculiarities
in this respect. Beware of confounding ca-
dence with inflections; and never end a sen-
tence with a feeble and depressed utterance.
The' nature — weigh our talents, and dispense,
To every man, liis modicum of seiise,
Yet — muca — depends, as in tlie tiller''s toil,
On cidturi, and the sowing of the soil.
The brave man — is not he, who feels no /ear,
For tfiat — were stupid — and irrational ; —
But he, whose noble soul his fear subdues, [from.
And bravely dares the danger, wliich lie shrinks
He holds no parly with uimianly/ea"*;
Where dicty bids, lie confidently steers;
Faces a thousand dangers at her call,
And trusting in his God, surmounts them all.
Whatisif/e."
'TIS not to stalk about, and draw in fresh air,
From time to time, or gaze upon the sun;
'Tis to be free.
388. Word-Painting. There is noth-
ing in any of the other fine arts, but what is
involved in -oratory. The letters are analo-
gous to uncompounded 'paints; words — to
paints prepared for use; and, when arranged
into appropriate and significant sentences,
they form pictures of the ideas on the can-
vas of the imagination: hence, composition,
whether written or spoken, is like a picture,
exhibiting a great variety of /eafMres, not
only with promr7ience, but with degrees of
prominence : to do which, the painter,
speaker, or writer, applies shades of the
same color to features of the same class, and
opposing colors to those of different classes.
Crovernment. The ordinary division of
governments into republican, monarchical,
and despotic, appears essentially erroneoiis;
for there are but two kinds of government,
good and bad : governments are national
and special. The essence of the former —
consists in the will of the nation constitu-
tionally expressed; that of the latter, where
thej-e are other sources of power, or right,
than the will of'the nation.
Anecdote. Fu?ictual Hearer. A wo-
man, who always used to attend public wor-
ship with great punctuality, and took care
to be always in time, was asked how it was
— she could always come so early; she an-
swered very wisely, "that it was part of
her religion — not to disturb the religion of
other sy
I hate to see a scholar gape,
And yawn upon his seat,
Or lay his head upon his desk.
As if almost asleep.
Laconics. 1. No cl.Ktige in '.xtetnnl appear-
ance, can alter that, which is radically wrong. 2.
Seize an opportunity, when it presents itself; if
once lost, it may never be regained. 3. Vicioii$
men, endeavor to impose on the world, by assum-
ing a setnblance of virtue, to conceal their l)ad
habits, and evil propensities. 4. Beware of self-
love, for it hardens the hear:, and shut-s the mind to
all that is good and true. 5. The excessive pleas-
ure one feels — in talking of himself, ought to inako
him apprehensive, tliat he affords little to his ai*-
sitor. G. In our intercourse with the world, wo
should often ask ourselves this question — }Iow
would I like to be treated thus? 7. In all aees
and countries, unprincipled men may be found,
who will slander the most upiight character, and
find otiiers as basy as thonsdves, to join iii the pro-
pagation of \.\\g\v falsehoods .
Confinement of Debtors. The prosper »
ity of a people is proportionate to the num-
ber of hands and minds usefully employed.
To the community, sedition is a fever, cor-
ruption is a ga?igre?ie, and idleness is an
atrophy. Whatever body, and whatever so-
ciety — wastes more than it acquires, must
gradually decay: and every being, that con-
tinues to he fed, and ceases to labor, takes
away something from the public stock. The
co7ifineme?it, therefore, oi a7iy man in the
sloth and darkness of a prison, is a loss to
the nation, and no gai7i to the creditor.
For, of the multitudes, who are pining in
those cells of misery, a very S7nall part is
suspected of any fraudulent act, by which
they retain, what belongs to others. The
rest are imprisoned by the wantonness of
pride, the malignity of revejige, or the acri-
mony of disappointed expectation.
VARIETIES.
'Tis slander :
Wliose edge — is sliirper tlian the sword, whose tongua
Outvenonis all tlie worms o{ Nile; whose breath —
Rides on the siwrting' winds, and dotli belie
' All corners of the world : fci?igs, queens, and states,
Maids and mntrons, the secrets of the p-ave —
This viperous slander entens.
Mercy to him that shows it, is the rule,
And righteous liinitation of its act,
By which heaven moves, in pardoning guilt) man.
And he, that shows none, (being ripe in years.
And cffiiscioxis — of the outrage he conmiits,)
Stiall setk it, and not /j»d it, in his turn.
His words — are bonds; his oaths — are oracles;
Hi« love — sijuxre; his thoughts— immactilate ;
His ttar.s— pure messe7igers, sent from his lieart:
His heari— is as far from /rowrf,— as heaven— (mm eaith.
Be earnest! — why sliouldst thou for custom^s sake,
Lay a cold hand upon thy heart's warm pulse,
And crush those feelings back,wh\c]\,uttered,mi^kQ
Links in the chain of love? Why thus convui^
A soul, that overflows with sympathy
For kindred souls, when thou art called to be
The Hearfs Apostle, loving, pure, and trtte?
The smooth hypocrisies, the polished lies.
The cold de ad /orm— and hollow mockeries
Current among the matiy, by Ihe feio.
Who know their manliood, should be held in scorn
Spefik freely thy free thought— and otJier souls
To thine shall answer— as from living coals
Together kindled, light and heal are bon\!
240
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
389. Dynamics. This, in mechanical plii-
losophy, means the science of moving-powers ;
in elocutmi and singing, it relates to the
force, loudness, Jiarshness, strength, rougfi-
ness, softness, swell, diininisli, smoothness,
abiniptness, gentleness of voice : that is, its
qualities, which are as various as those of the
human mind ; of which, indeed, they are the
representatives. Observe — that the names of
these qualities, when spoken naturally, ex-
press, or echo, their natures. The Loud,
Rough, Soft, Smooth, Harsh, Forcible, Full,
Strong, Tremulous, Slender, &c. allof whicli
are comprehended in force, pitch, time, quan-
tity, and abruptness of voice.
390. Let the following examples be ren-
dered perfectly familiar — the feelings, tlio'ts,
words and appropriate voice: nothing, how-
ever, can be done, as it slwuld be, without
having the most important examples memo-
rized, liere and elsewhere. (Loud) " But
when loud surges — lash the sounding shore ;
(Rough) The hoarse rough voice, should like
the torrent roar." (Soft) " Soft is the strain,
when Zephyr geiitly blows; {Smooth) And
the smooth stream, in smoother numbers
flj«s." (Harsh) "On a sudden, open fly,
with- impetuous recoil and jarring sound, the
mfernal doors, and on their hinges grate harsh
thunder.'^ (Soft) " Heaven opened wide
her ever-during gates (harmonious sound)
on golden hinges turning." (Soft) "How
charming — is divine philosophy ! (Harsh)
Not harsh, and crabJied, as dull fools sup-
pose. (Soft) But musical — as is Apollo^ s
lute." (Harsh, Strong and Forcible.) " Blow
xjoind, and crack your cheeks ! rage I blow
your cataracts, and hurricane spout, till you
have drenched our steeples. You sulphuri-
ous and thought-executing fires, vaunt couri-
ers to oafe-cleaving thunderbolts ; and tliou,
all shaking tliunder, strike flat the thick ro-
tundity of the world."
(Soft and Smooth.)
How sweet the moon-light sleeps upon this bank;
Here will we sit, and let the sounds of music.
Creep in our ears ; soft stillness, and the niffkt,
Become the touched of sweet harmony.
(Quick and Joyotis.)
Let the merry bells ring round.
And the jocund rebeck sound,
To nvany a youth— and many a maid.
Dancing— in the checkered shade.
A want of occupation — is not rest,
A mind quite vacant — is a mind distressed.
As rolls the ocean's changing tide.
So — human feelings — e&&— and flow .—
And who could in a breast confide,
Where stormy passions— ever glow I
Remote from cities — lived a swain,
iJnvexed— with ail the cares of gain;
His head — was silvered o'er with aire,
And long erperience — made him naffe.
Maxims. I. The credit that is gel hy a lie,
— only lasts till the truth conies out. 2. Zeal,
mixed with love, is harmless — as tiie dove. 3.
A covetous man is, as he always fancies, in want.
4. Hypocrites— fust cheat the world, and at last,
themselves. 5. The borrower is slave to the lender,
and the security — to both. 6. Some are too stif
to bend, and too old to mend. 7. Truth has al-
ways a sure foundation. 8. He, who draws
others into evil courses — is the devil's agent. 9.
To do good, is the right way to find good. 10.
A spur in the head—\& worth two in the heel. II.
Better spared, than ill spent. 12. Years teach
more than books.
Anecdote. Love and Liberty. When an
Armenian prince — had been taken captive
with his princess, by Cyrus, and was asked,
wliat he would give to be restored to his king-
dom and liberty, he replied : " As for my
kingdom and liberty, I value iliem not; but
if my blood — would redeem my princess, I
would cheerfully give it for her." When
Cyrus had liberated them both, the princesa
was asked, what she thought of Cyrus ? To
which she replied, " I did not observe him ;
my luhole attention was fixed upon the gene-
rous man, who would have purchased my
liberty with his life."
Prejudice — may be considered as a con-
tinual false medium of viewing things ; for
prejudiced persons — not only never speak
well, but also, never think well, of those
whom they dislike, and the whole character
and conduct is considered — with an eye to
that particular thing which offeiids them.
Varieties. 1 . Every thing that is an ob-
ject of taste, sculpture, painting, architecture,
gardening, husbandry, poetTy, and music —
come within the scope of the orator. 2. In a
government, maintained by the arm of pow-
er, there is no certainty of duration ; but one
cemented by mutual kindness, all the best
feelings of the heart are enlisted in its sup-
port. 3. Who was the greater tyrant, Diony-
sius or the bloody Mary ? 4. Beauty, unac
companied by virtue, is like a. flower, vfit'i
outjoerfume; its brillia7icy may Tema'm, hut
its sweetness is gone ; all that was precvms
in it, has evaporated. 5. We might as well
tlirow oil on a burning- house to put out the
fire, as to take ardent spirits intothe stomach,
to lessen the effects of a hot sun, or severe
exercise. 6. The understanding must be
elevated above the will, to control its desires;
but it must be enlightened by the truth, that
it may not err.
The pathway — to the grave — may be the same.
And the proud man — shall tread it, — and the/f?w,
"With his bowed head, shall bear him company.
But the temper — of the invisible mind,
The^o^/-like— and undying ijtfe/lect,
These are distinctions, that will live in heaven.
When timo,-~is a forgotten circum^ldii-e.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
141
891. Dtwamics Coittijtuei). These con-
trasts produce great effects, when properly
exhibited, both in elocution and music. The
rushing loud, indicates dread, alarm, warn-
ing, &c. ; the soft, tlieir opposites : the tend-
ency of vidistinctness is, to remove objects to
a distance, throwing them into the back-
ground of the picture ; and of fullness, to
bring them into the /ore-ground, making
them very prominent; thus — the volyph-
onist deceives, or imposes upon the ear, mak-
ing his sounds correspond to those, he would
represent, near by, and at a distance.
393. Forcible. Now storming /wn/ rose,
and clamor ; such as heard in heaven, till
now, was never: arms on armor, clashing,
brayed horrible discord ,- and the maddening
wheels of brazen chariots raged. Full: high
on a throne — of ro7jal state, which far out-
slione the wealth of Ormus, and of Inde;
or where the gorgeous East, with richest
hand, showers on her kings barbaric, pearl
and gold, Satan, exalted, sat. Strong.-
him, the Almighty Power hurled headlong,
flaming from the ethereal skies with hideous
ruin and combustion, doivn to bottomless
perdition — there to dwell in adamantine
chains, and penal fire, — who durst defy the
Omnipotent to arms.
So MILLIONS— are smit— with the glare of a toy :
They grasp at a pebble— and call it— a gem,
And tinsel— is gold, (if it glitters,) to them;
Hence, dazzled with beauty, the lover is smit,
Tlie /lero- with honor, tlie ,poe«— with wit;
The fop — with \\\s feather, hxssniiff-box and cane,
riie nymph with hur novel, the merchant with gain:
Kacii finical priest, and polite pulpiteer,
Who dazzles \he fancy, and tickles the ear,
With exquisite tropes, and musical style,
As gay as a tulip — as polished as oil,
Sell truth-aXihe shrine of polite cio^ttmce,
To please the soft taste, and allure the gay sense.
Miscellaneous. 1 . Fair sir, you spit on
me — on Wednesday last ; you spumed me —
such a day ; another time — you called me
dog ; and for these courtesies, I'll lend thee
thus mucli moneys. 2. I stand — in the pre-
sence— of Almighty God, and of the world;
and I declare to you, tliat if you lose this
charter, never, no never — will you get an-
other. We are now, perhaps, arrived at the
variing point. Here, even here, we stand —
on tlie brink o? fate I Pause! for heaven's
sake, pause. 3. Can you raise the dead?
Pursue and overtake the wings of time ? And
can you bring about again, the hours, the
DATS, the YEARS, that made me happy?
4. But grant — that others can, with equal
glory, look down on pleasure, and the bait of
sense, where — shall we find a man, that bears
afflictions, great and majestic in his ills, like
Cato?
Oh then, liow blind— to all that truth requires,
Who think il freedom, where a part — aspire.
Maxims. 1. Al* is soon ready ir an onlerly
house. 2. Bacchus 1 as drowned more than Nep-
tune. 3. Despair — has ruined some, but presump-
tion— multitudes. 4. Flattery— sils in the parlor,
while plain-dealing is kicked out of doors. 5. He
is not drunk for nothing, who pays his reckoning
with his reason. 6. If tae woiTd knew what passe?
in my mind, what would it thi7ik of me. 7. Give
neither counsel nor salt, till you are asked for A. 3.
Close not a letter — without reading it, nor drink
ivater — without seeing it. 9. A fool, and his money^
are soon parted. 1 0. If few words — will not make
you wise, many will not
Anecdote. Charity Sermon. Dean Svrift
— was requested to preach a charity sermon ;
but was cautioned about having it too long :
he replied, that they should have nothing to
fear on that score. He chose for his text
these words — " He that hath pity on the poor,
lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he
hath given — will he pay him again." The
Dean, after looking around, and repeating
his text in a still more emphatic manner,
added — " My beloved friends, you hear the
terms of the loan; and now, if you like the
security, — dovm with your dust.'" The re-
sult was, as might be expected, — a very large
collection.
Precept and Example. Exainple —
works more cures than precept; for words,
without practice, are but councils without ef-
fect. When we do as we say, it is a confir-
mation of the rule ; but when our lives and
doctrines do not agree, it looks as if the lessffn
were either too hard for us, or the advice not
worth following. If a priest — design to edify
by his sermons, concerning the punishment
of the other world, let him renounce his lust,
pride, avarice, and contentiousness ; for who-
ever would make another believe a danger,
must first show that he is apprehensive of it
himself.
Varieties. 1. The first book read, and
the last one laid aside, in the chiUVs library,
is the moilier: every look, ivord, /rme, and
gesture, nay, even dress itself — makes an*
everlasting impression. 2. One who is cmi-
scious of qualities, deserving of respect, and
attention, is seldom solicitous about tliem;
but a contemptible spirit — wishes to hide it-
self from its own view, and that of oMers, by
show, bluster and arrogant pretensions. 3.
The blood of a coward, would stain the char-
acter of an honorable man ; hence, when we
chastise such wretches, we should do it with
the utmost calmness of /ew/)er. 4. Cultivate
the habit — of directing the mind, intently, to
whatever is presented to it; this — is the foun-
dation of a sound intellectual character. C.
We are too apt, when a jest is turned upon
ourselves, to think that iyisufferable, in an-
other, which we looked upon as very pretty
and facetious, when the humor was our ovm.
Never puTch&f.t friendship by gifts.
142
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
393. Worus — are paints, the voice -^ the
brush, the mind — the painter ,• hut science,
practice^ genius, taste, judgment and emo-
tion— are necessary — in order to paint well :
and there is as much difference hetween a
good and bad reader, as there is hetween a
good painter and a mere dauber. What
gives expression to painting! Emphasis.
We look upon some pictures and remark,
" that is a strong outline ;" " a very express-
ive countenance:^^ this is emphasis: again,
we'.ook upon others, and there is a softness,
ile'icacy, and tenderness, that melts the soul,
as she contemplates them ; this is emotion.
394. Tlirow the following lines on the
canvas of your imagination; i. e. picture
them out there.
BEAUTY, WIT AND GOLD.
In hex bower — a widow dwelt;
At her feet — three suitors knelt :
Each— adored the widow much,
Each — essayed her heart to touch ;
One — had wit, and one — liad gold,
And one — was cast in heauty^s mould ;
Guess — which was it — won the prize,
Purse, or tongue, or handsome eyes ?
First, appeared the handsome man,
Proudly peeping o'er her fan;
Red his lips, and white his skin;
Could such beauty — fail to win ?
Then— stepped forth — the man of gold,
Cash he counted, coin he told,
Wealth— ihe burden of his tale;
Could such golden projects fail?
TTien, the man of ivit, and sense,
Moved her — with his eloquence ;
Now, she heard him — with a sigh;
Now — she blushed, she knew not why :
Then, she smiled — to hear him speak,
Then, the tear — was on her cheek:
Beauty, vanish I gold, depart .'
Wit, has won the widoiv^s heart.
Is PoLiTKXKss, as in everything etee, con-
nected with the formation of character, we
are too apt to begin on the outside, instead of
the inside: instead of heginiiing with the
heart, and tiusting to that to form the man-
ners, many hegin with the manners, and
leave the heart to chance and influences.
The golden rule — contains the very life and
mul of politeness : " Do unto others — as you
would they should do unto t/ow." Unless
children and ^jouth are taught — by precept
and example, to abhor what is selfish, and
prefer another's pleasure and comfort to their
own, their politeness will be entirely artifi-
cial, and used only when interest and policy
dictate. True politeness — is perfeci freedom
and ease, treating others — just as you love to
be treated. Nature — is always graceftil : af-
fectation, with all her art, can never produce
anything half so pleasing. The very perfec-
tion of elegance — is to imitate nature ; how
imitation ! Anxiety about the opinions o^
others — fetters the freedom of nature, and
tends to awkwardness ; all would appear
well, if they never tried to assume — ^what
they do not possess. Every one is respectable
and pleasing, so long as he or she, is perfectly
natural and truthful, and speaks and ads
from the impulses of an honest and affection-
ate heart, without any anxiety as to what
others think.
liaconics. 1. Modesty — in your discourse,
will give a hcstre — to truth, — and excuse — to your
errors. 2. Some — are silent, for want of matter, or
assurance; others — are talkative, for want of
sense. 3. To judge of men — by their actions, one
would suppose that a great proportion was mad
and that the world — was one immense mad-hou&e.
4. Prodigals — are rich, for a moment — economists,
forever. 5. To do unto others, as we would they
should do to MS, is a golden maxim, that cannot be
too deeply impressed on our minds. 6. Continue
to add a little — to what was originally a little, and
you will make it a great deal. 7. The value — of
sound, correct principles, early implanted in the
human mind, is incalculable.
Those who are talentless, themselves, are
ihe first to talk ^bout the conceit of others;
for mediocrity — bears but one flower -
ENVY.
Anecdote. Too Hard. About one hun-
dred years ago. Mahogany — was introduced
in England as ballast for a ship, that sailed
from the West Indies ; and one Dr. Gibbons
wished some furniture made of it : but the
workmen, finding it too hard for their tools,
laid it aside. Another effort was made ; but
the cabinet-maker said it was too hard for hia
tools. The Doctor told him, he must get
stronger tools then : he did so, and his effort
was crovmed with success. Remember this,
ye who think the subject of elocution, as here
treated, too difficult : and if you carmot find
a way, make one. Press on !
Varieties. 1 . A good reader may become
a good speaker, singer, painter and sculptor .-
for there is nothing in any of these arts, that
may not be seen in true delivery. 2. Old
Parr, who died at the advanced age of 152,
gave this advice to his friends ; " Keep your
head cool by temperance, your feet warm by
exercise: rise early, and go early to bed;
and if you are inclined to grow fat, keep
your eyes open, and your mouth shut.'''' Are
not these excellent life-pills ? 3. As the lark
— sings at the dawn of day, and the nightin-
gale at even, so, should we show forth the
loving kindness of the Lord — every morn-
ing, and his faithfulness — every night. 4.
Is not the science of salvation — the greatest
of all the sciences]
Without a star, or angel— for tlieir guide.
Who worship God, shall j/ind him : humble Love,
(And not proud Reason,) keeps the door of heaven .
duch Itetter — to have the rtaMy, than the ] I-we— finds admission, where Science-fails.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
143
395. MonuLATiox — sispiifles the accom-
modation of the voice, (in its diversiJEications
of all these principles,) to every variety and
shade of thought and feeling. The upper
pitches of voice, we know, aie used in calling
persons at a distance, for impassioned em-
phasis of certain kinds, and for very earnest
argti'ments; the middle pitches — for general
conversation, and easy familiar speaking, of
a descriptive and didactic character ; and tlie
iower ones, for cadences, and the exhibition
of emphasis in grave and solemn reading and
■speaking.
396. Who— can describe, who delineate —
the cheering, the enlivening ray ? who — the
looks of love ? who — the soft benignant vi-
brations of the benevolent eye? who — the
twilight, the day of hope? who — the internal
efforts of the mind, wrapt in gentleness and
humility, to effect good, to diminish evil, and
increase present and eternal happiness T who
— all the secret impulses and powers, collect-
ed in the aspect of the defender, or energy of
truth ? of the bold friend, or subtle foe — of
wisdom? who — the poefs eye, in a fine
phrenzy rolling, glancing from heaven — to
earth, from earth — to heaven, while imagina-
tion — bodies forth the fo7-m of things un-
known.
IVotes. The pitcJi of tiie voice is exceedingly important in
twry branch of our subject, and particularly, in the higher parts;
and this — amonj tlie rest. You must not often raise your voice to
the eighth note ; for it will be harsh and unpleasant to the ear, and
very apt to break : nor drop it to the first note ; for then your ar-
ticulation will be difficult and indistinct, and you cannot impart
any life and spirit to your manner and matter; as tliere is little or
BO compass below this pitch: both these extreaies must be care-
jull) avoided.
Patrick Henry's Treason. When this
worthy ^a^rio^, (who gave thefirstiinpulse to
the ball of the revolution,) introduced his ce-
lebrated resolution on the stamp act, in the
Virginia House of Burgesses, in 1765, as he
descanted on the tyranny of that obnoxious
act, exclaimed — '^^ Cesar — had his Brutus;
Charles the First, his Cromwell; and George
the Third''- — " Treason /" cried the speaker ;
^treason; ireuson,- thkason;" re-echoed
from every part of the house. It was one of
those trying moments, which are decisive of
character ,• hut Benry faltered not for an iw-
stant ; and rising to a loftier attitude, and
fixing on the speaker — an eye, flashing with
fire, continued — "may pkofit — by these
examples: if this be treason, make the most
of it."
The hills,
Roek-ribb'd — and ancient as the sun ; the vales —
Stretching in pensive quietness — between;
The veneral)le woods ; rivers, that move
In majesty, and the complaining brooks, [all,
That make the meadows green; and, pour'd rourd
Old oeean''s gray and melancholy waste;
Are but the solemn decorations all —
Of the great tomb of man.
Maxims. 1. Tht follies of youth — are foo.;l foi
repe7itance— in o\(i age. 2. Trutli—ma.y languish,
but it can never die. 3. Wlien a vain man hear*
another praised, he thinks himself injured. 4. An
tiquity— IS not nlwatjs a mark of truth. 5. Tha
trial is not /air— where affection is judge, t
Business— Is the salt of life. 7. Dependence — is i
poor trade. 8. He, who lives upon hope, has bu
a slender diet. 9. Always taking out of the mea
tub, and never putting in, soon comes to the bot
torn. 10. He, who thinks to deceive Gnd, deceive*
himself
Anecdote. Aji ill thing. Xenophanus
an old sage, was far from letting a false mo
desty lead him into crime and indiscretion,
when he was upbraided, and called timorous,
because he would not venture his money at
any of the games. "I confess," said ne,
" that I am exceedingly timoi'ous, for I dare
not do an ill thing.'
Education. It is the duty of the instruc-
tors of youth to be patient with the dull, and
steady with tlie froward, — to encourage the
timid, and repress the insolent, — fully to em-
ploy the minds of their pupils, without over-
burdening them, — to awaken their fear,
without exciting their dislike, — to communi-
cate the stores of knowledge, according to the
capacity of the learner, and to enforce obedi-
ence by the strictness of discipline. Above
all, it is their bounden" duty, to be ever on the
watch, and to check the first beginnings of
vice. For, valuable as knowledge may be,
virtue is infinitely more valuable; and worse
tlian useless are these mental accomplish-
ments, which are accompanied by depravity
of heart.
Varieties. 1. Can charcoal — paint ^re,-
chalk — light, or colors — live and breathe?
2. Tattlers — are among the most despicable
of bad tilings ; yet even they — have their use;
for they serve to check the licentious7iess —
of the tongues of those, who, without the feai
of being called to account, through the instru
mentality of these babbling knaves, would
run riot in backbiting and slander.
'Tis the mind, that makes the body rich ;
And, as the sun — breaks the darkest clout',
So, honor — ^peareth — in the meanest habit.
No: let the eagle — change his plume,
The leaf—hs hue, the /<>?«>— its bloom;
But ties — around the heart were spun.
That could not, would not, be undone.
Oh, who — the exquisite delighUs can tell,
The joy, which mutual confidence imparls?
Or who — can paint the charm unspeakable,
Which links, in tender bands, two faithful heartnf
6. Many things — are easier felt, than tnUU
7. It is no proof of a man's understanding,
to be able to affirm — whatever he pleases;
but, to be able to discern, that what is true,
is true, and that what is, false, is false— is the
mark and character of intelligence.
iVamre— sells evwytliing for labor.
144
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
397. Modulation CoivxiiftrED. The
situatvm of the public reader and speaker,
calls for the employment of the most refined
art in the management of his voice: he
snould address a whole assembly with as
much apparent ease and pleasure to himself
and audience, as tho' there were but a single
person present. In addressing an auditory,
which meets for information, or amuse-
ment, or both, the judicious speaker — will
adopt his ordinary and most familiar voice ;
to show that he rises without bias, or preju-
dice, that he wishes reason, not passion, should
guide them all. He will endeavor to be
heard by the most distant hearers, without
offending the ear of the nearest one, by mak-
mg all his tones audible, distinct and na-
tural.
Friendship! thou soft, propitious power,
Sweet regent of the social hour,
Sublime thy joj/s, nor understood,
But by the virtuous, and the good.
Ambition is, at 'a distance,
A goodly prospect, tempting to the view ;
The height delights us, and the mountain-Xop
Looks beautiful, because 'tis near to heaven;
But we never think how sandy's ihefoundation;[ii.
What storms will batter, and w\ml tempests s/iaA;e
O be a man ; and let prondreason — tread
In triumph, on eacli rebel jiassion^s head.
At thirty, man suspects himself a/ooZ /
Knows it at forty, and reforms his plan ;
At fifty, chides his infamous delay,
Pushes his pruder.: purpose— to resolve,
In all the magnanimity of thought,
Resolves and re-iesolves — then, tf/es the same.
398. Some tell us, that when commencing
an address, the voice should ])e directed to
those most distant; but tliis is evidently
irrong. At the beginning, the mind is natu-
rally clear and serene, the passions unaiva-
ktned; if the speaker adopt this high pitch,
how can it be elevated, afterwards, agreeably
to those emotions and sentiments, which re-
quire still higher pitches'! To strain the
voice tltus, destroys all solemnity, weight
and dignity, and gives, to what one says, a
squeaking ejfeminacy, unbecoming a manly
5nd impressive speaker; it makes the voice
harsh and unmusical, and also produces
hnarseness.
Awecdote. Speculation. A capitalist,
and shrewd observer of men and things, be-
ing asked, what he thought of the specula-
tifms now afloat, replied—" They are like a
cold bath,— to derive any benefit from which,
it is necessary to be very quick in, and very
soon ow/."
Not to the ensanguin'd field of death alone
Is valor limited : she sits— serene
111 the deliberate council; sagely scans
The source of action; weighs, prevents, provides,
And scorns to count her glories, from the feats
Of hruial force alone.
Maxims. 1. A hraad hat—dmcn not alwa^
cover a wise head. 2. Burn not your house — to
frighten away the mice. 3. Drinking water, ne"v
ther makes a man sick, nor his wife a widow. 4
He has riches enough, who need neither borroti
or flatter. 5. True wisdom— is to know what i*
best worth knowing, and to do what is best worth
doing. 6. Many things appear too bad to keep, and
too good to throw away. 1. Keep a thing seven
years, and you will find use for it. 8. "We cannol
pluck thorns from another's bosom, without pla-
cing roses in our own. 9. Better a half loaf than
no bread. 10. Draw iwt thy bow before the arrow
be fixed.
Experience. By what strange /ataZi^i;
is it, that having examples before our eyes, we
do not profit by them 1 Why is our experi-
ence, with regard to the misfortunes of others^
of so little use ? In a word, xohy is it, that
we are to learn wisdom and prudence at our
own expense ? Yet such is the/a#e of man !
Surrounded by misfortunes, we are supphed
with means to escape them ; but, blinded by
caprice, prejudice and pride, we neglect tlie
proffered aid, and it is only by the tears we
shed, in consequence of our own errors, that
we learn to detest them.
Varieties. 1. Give to all persons, whom
you respect, (with whom you walk, or whom
you may meet,) especially ladies, the wall
side of the walk or street. 2. If we think
our evil alloivable, tho' we do it not, it is a^)-
propriated to us. 3. Why does the pendu-
lum of a clock — continue to move .' Because
of the uniform operation of gravitation.
What is gravitation 1 4. Humility — is the
child of wisdom : therefore, beware of self-
conceit, and an unteachable disposition. 5.
Psychology— is the science, that treats of tlie
essence — and nature of the human soul, and
of the mode — by which it flows into the ac-
tions of the body. 6. The true way to store
the memory is — to develop the affection.?.
7. The only way to shun evils, or sins, is to
fight against them. 8. Reading and obser-
vation— are the food of the young intellect,
and indispensable to it(& growth. 9. Is it pos-
sible, that Aear/-fi-iends will ever separate ?
10. All effects are produced by life, and na-
ture
Now vivid stars shine out, in brightening^/es,
A.nd boundless cether glows, till the fair moon
Shows her broad visage— in the crimson'd east;
Now, stooping, seems to kiss tlie passing cloud,
Now, o'er the pure cerulean — rides sublime.
Nature, great parent! whose directing hatid
Rolls round the seasons— of the changing year,
How mighty, how majestic, are thy works !
With what a pleasant dread— they swell the sotU,
That sees, astonished, and astonish'd, sings!
You too, ye Kinds, that now begin to blow,
With boist'rons sweep, I raise my voice to yon.
Where are your stores, you viewless beingi, say,
Where your aerial magazines — reser\'ed
Against the day of tempest ferilous*
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
145
399. SiTvEiNGTH OF VoicE. The voice
is weak, or strong, in proportion to the less,
cr greater, number of organs and muscles,
that are brought into action. If one uses
only the upper part of the chest, his voice
will be weak : if he uses the whole body,
as ne should do, (not in the most powerful
manner, of course, on common occasions,)
his voice will be strong. Hence, to strength-
en a weak voice, the student must practice
expeUing the vowel sounds, using all the
abdominal and dorsal nerves and muscles :
in addition to which, he should read and re-
cite when standing or sitting, and walking
on a level flain, and up hill: success will
be the result of faithful practice.
So soft, so elegant, so/air,
Sure, somelhing more lliau hiiman^s there.
Upon my lute — tliere is one string
Broken; the c/iords— were drawn loo/ast:
My heart — is like that string; it tried
Too much, and snapt in twain at ktst.
She ivill, and she will not, slie grants and she de-
Coiisenis, retracts, advances, and thenjiies. [nies;
Mental fragrance — stilt will last,
When our youthful chartns are past.
If liule labor, little are our gains;
Man's fortunes — are according to his pains.
Delightfid task — to rear the lender thought,
'Yo teach the young idea — how to shoot,
To pour the fresh instruction o'er the mind,
To breathe ih' enliv'ning spirit, and to fix
The generous purpose in the glowing breast.
400. Demosthenes — had three particular
defects ; first, weakness of the voice ; which
he strengthened by declaiming on the sea-
shore, amid the roar of waters ; which effort
would tend directly to bring into use the
lower parts of the body ; second, shortness
of breath ; which he remedied by repeating
his orations as he walked up hill ; which act
serves to bring into use the appropriate or-
gans, and fully inflate the lungs: and third,
a thick, mumbling way of speaking; which
he overcame by reading and reciting whh
pebbles in his mouth ; which required him
to make a greater effort from below, and
open his mouth wider. Examine yourself
and act accordingly.
Inconsistency. Montaigne — condemns
crtielti/, as the most odious of aZZ vices ; yet
he confesses, that hunting — was his favorite
diversion. He acknowledges the inconsist-
eiicy of man's conduct, but he does not as-
cribe it to the right cause; which is the pre-
dominance, at the time, oi ihose associations
it awakens, conducing to pleasure. If he
had not been accustomed to it, the associa-
tions of hunting, would have been -painful,
and his aversion to cruelty in the abstract,
would have been realized in the concrete and
varticulars.
Then, pugnm. turn, thy cares/oref o
All earth-horn cares — are wrong;
ilfan— wants but ^'^fe— here below,
Nor wants that liule — long.
BRONSON. 10
Proverbs. 1. To subdue a tri/.ng error, do
not incur a greater. 2. Anger and haste — lundor
good counsel. 3. All complain of want ofmejnory
but none of want of judgment. 4. Gord men ara
a public good, and bad men — a public calamity
5. Human laws reach not our tfioughts. 6. Ru-
lers— have no power over souls. 7. No one ever
suffered— by not speaking ill of others. 8. Silly
people are generally pleased with silhj tfmigs. 9
Zeal, without knowledge, is religious wildfire. 10
Tlie example of a good man— is visible philos-
ophy.
Anecdote. Clients' Bones. A certain
mechanic, having occasion to boil some cat-
tle's feet, emptied the bones near the court
house. A lawyer, observing them, inquired
of a bystander, what they were. " I believe
they are clients'' bones,''"' replied the wit, " a»
they appear to be well picked.''''
Tlie Deceiver. A Base Character. Must
not that man be abandoned, even to all man
ner of humanity, who can deceive a woman 1
with appearances of affection and kindness,
for no other end, but to torment her with
more ease and authority ? Is a^iything more
unlike a gentleman, than, when his Jionor is
engaged for the performing his promises,
because nothing but that can oblige him to
it, to become afterwards false to his word,
and be alone, the occasion of misery to one,
whose happiness he but lately pretended was
dearer to him than his own ? Ought such a
one to be trusted in his common affairs ? or
treated, but as one whose honesty — consisted
only in his capacity of being otherwise.
Varieties. 1. Is it strange, that beauti-
ful powers should wither and die ? 2. Trust
thyself; every heart vibrates to that iron
string. 3. Our J.menca7t character is mark-
ed by a more than average delight — in ac-
curate perception; which is shown by the
currency of the fty-word — ' ' no mistake.'''' 4.
In sickness, and languor, give us a strain
oi poetry, or a profound sentence, and we are
refreshed; when the great Herder was dy-
ing, he said to \{\b friends, who were V)eep-
ing around him : " Give me some great
thought.'" Blessed are they, who minister to
the cry of the soul. 5. The christian sees,
in all that befalls the human race, whether
it be good or evil, only the manifestations
of Divine Love, as exercised in training and
preparing souls, for the approach of that
perfection, which they are one day destined
to realize. 6. For every friend, that we
lose for truth, God gives us a better one.
The love of praise, howe'er concealed by art,
Reigns, more or less, and glows in every heart:
The proud — to gain it — toils on toils endure,
The modest— shun it, but to make it sure;
O'er globes and sceptres, now on thrones it owellS;
Now trims the midnight lamp — in college cells.
'Tis tory, whig; it ploti, prays, preaches, pleads.
Harangues in senates, speaks in Tnoftqiierad-y:
It aids the dancer''s heel, the ivriter^s head.
And heaps the plain — with mountains of the dMd,
Nor ends with life; but nods — m sable plitmea.
Adorns our hearse, aid falters — on our tcmbs.
146
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
■401 . Transition — means, in speech, the
changes of pitch, from one note to another ;
as from the eighth to the third : or from tlie
sixth to the Jirst ,- and vice versa ; to corres-
pond in variety and character, to the senti-
ment and emotion. In singing, it means
changing the place of the key-note, so as to
keep the tune within the scale of twenty-two
degrees. In transition — the pitches of voice
are not only changed, but its qualities, agreea-
bly to the nature and object of the composi-
tion ; however, there must never be any Sac-
rifice of other principles — all the proportions
must be preserved. Example :
An hour passed on ; the Turk awoke.
That (6) bright dream— (3) was his last.
He (5) woke — to hear his sewirj/'s shriek, [Crec^-/"
(8) "To arms! they(6)co7ne.' the (8) Oreek! the (10)
He woke— to die — midst (o) flame, and (5) smoke.
And (6) shout, and (3) ffroan, and sabre stroke,
And death-shots falling thick and fast
As lightnings — from the mountain-clovLA ;
And heard with voice as trumpet loud,
Bozzarris — cheer his band.
(8) Strike I till the last armed /oe expires ;
(9) Strike I for your (6) altars and your (8) fires ,
(10) Strike! for the green graves of your sires,
(8) God— and your native land.
409> To succeed in these higher parts of
oratory, one must throw himself into the con-
dition, and shape, he wishes to fill, or be, and
bring the body into perfect sul^^ction : by as-
suming the appropriate language of action
and earnestness, he may work himself into
a7iy frame of mind, that the subject demands.
He must be sure to keep up the life, spirit,
and energy of the composition ; and let there
be a light and glow in his style. He must
also cultivate a bold and determined manner ;
for if he takes no special interest in what he
IS reading or speaking, he may rest assured
others will not.
liO ! from the regions of the north.
The reddening storm of battle poure,
(5) Rolls along the trembling earth,
(6) Fastens on the Olynthian towers ; [brave ?
(8) Where rests the sword? Where sleep the
(9) Awake ' IS> Cecropia's ally save
(6) From the fury of the blast ;
(8) Burst the storm — on PhocVs walls ;
(10) Rise, or Greece {8) forever falls :
(12) Up I or (10) /reed<??«— breathes her (6) last.
(4) The jarring states— oftse^tiiou* now,
(5) View the patriot's hand on high ;
(2) Thunder — gathering on his brow,
(6) Lightning— {[ashing from his eye :—
(8) Grasp the shield — and draw the (6) sword .
(9) Lead us to (8) Philippics lord ;
(6) I^t IS (10) conquer him,— (5) or (2) die.
THE BIBLE.
Behold the Book, whose leaves display
Jeeus, the hfe, the truth, the way ;
Read It with diligence and prayer,
Scar'h it, and yon shall find him there.
Proverbs. 1. Be just to others, thai you may
be just to yourself. 2. The mind of the idler—
never knows what it wishes for. 3. Every ros*
has its thorn. 4. There is nothing good, that
may not be converted to evil purposes. 5. Few
persons are aware — of the importance of rigid
economy. 6. Do not suffer yourself to be deceived
— by outward appearances. 7. Never take ad-
vantage of another man's ignorance. 8. The
word, that has gone forth — can never be recalled.
9. A bird in the hand, is worth two in the bush.
10. That load appears light, which is borne with
cheerfulness. 11. Virtue is the forerunner m
happiness. 12. Foresight — is the eye of prwt/ejiee.
Anecdote. Obey Orders. A brave vete-
ran officer, reconnoitering a battery, which
was considered impregnable, and which it
was necessary to storm, laconically answered
the engineers, who were endeavoring to dis-
suade him from the attempt; — " Gentlemen,
you may think and say what you please:
all I know, is, — that the American Jlag-
must be hoisted on the ramparts to-morrow
morning ; for I have tfie order in my pocket. ^^
Effects of Perseverance. All the per-
formances of human art, at which we look
with praise or wonder, are instances of the
resistless force of perseverance ; it is by thi$
that the quarry becomes a jjyramid, and that
distant countries are united with canals and
rail-roads. If a man was to compare the ef-
fect of a single stroke of a pickaxe, or of one
impression of the spade, with the general de-
sign and last result, he would be overwhelm
ed by the sense of their disproportion ,• yet
those petty operations, incessantly continued,
in time, surmount the greatest difficulties, and
mountains are levelled, and oceans bounded
by the slender force of human beings.
Varieties. 1 . Can Omnipotence do tilings
incompatible and contradictory ? 2. S/. Au-
gustine described the nature of God, as a cir-
cle, whose centre was everywhere, and his
circumference nowhere. 3. The walls of ru,de
minds are scrawled all over with facts and
with thoughts : then shall one bring a lan-
tern, and read the inscriptions { 4. " My chil-
dren," said an old man to his 6o«/s, scared by
a figure in the dark entry, "you will never
see anything worse than yourselves.''^ 6.
Some one says, " There are no prodigies, but
the first death, and the first night, that deserve
astonishment and sadness!" 6. When we
have broken our god of Tradition, and ceas-
ed from our god of Persuasion, then, God
may fire our hearts, with his own presence ;
but not before. 7. No love can be bound by
oath, or covenant, to secure it against a higkci
love.
Ood — scatters love — on every side.
Freely — among his children all ,•
And always — hearts are open wide.
Wherein some grains may fall.
To know and lote God, is everything.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
U7
403. Male akd Female Voices. The
voices of men — are generally an octave lower
than tliose of women,- or, comparatively,
meii's voices are like the bass viol, and vjo-
men's voices like the violin. The voice is
made grave, that is, to run on lower pitches,
by elongating, and enlarging the vocal
chords i and it is made acute, that is, to run
on higher pitches, by shortening and dimiii-
ishing them ; in connection, however, with
tlie size cf the chest, which always has its
mfluence. Few are aware of the extent to
wliich the voice is capable of being cultivat-
ed ; and hence, we should beware of setting
limits to it.
If every one's internal care
Were written on his brow,
How many would our pity share
Who raise our envy now!
The fatal secret, when revealed,
Of e'-ery aching breast,
Would fully prove, that while concealed,
Their lot appears the best.
How calm, how beautiful, comes on
The stilly hours, when storms are gone;
When warring winds have died away,
And clouds, beneath the glancing ray,
Melt off, and leave the land and sea,
Sleeping — in bright tranquillity.
*04:. To acquire the ability to change, at
will, your pitch of voice, so as to be able
lO adapt the manner to the matter, prac-
.ice throwing the voice on different pitches,
varying from one to Jive, five to eight,
eight to one, and in other ways ; also, recite
such pieces as have a number and variety of
speakers, as found in dirilogues ,• and imitate
tlie voice and manner of each, as far as pos-
sible. But remember, no one can accomplish
much, witliout committing the examples to
memory; thus, after long practice in this
way, you may make the book talk and speak.
All developments are from within — out, not
from vnthout — in.
Miscellaneous. 1. Two things are in-
cumbent on the historian; to avoid stating
what \s false, and fully and fairly to place be-
fore us the truth. 2. One of the greatest blun-
ders an orator can commit is, to deviate into
abstruse expressions, and out of the beaten
track. 3. Man — was created for a state of
order, and he was in order, till he fell, or be-
came depraved ; or, what is the same thing,
disordered — i. e. the reverse of order. 4. Man
is in order, when he acts from supreme love
to the L&rd, and charity towards his neigh-
bor, in obedience to tlie Divine Will ,• but he
is depraved, and disordered, in the degree he
acts from the love of self, and the love of the
world. 5. No man is compelled to evil ; his
consent only makes it his.
A diamond,
Tho' set in horn, is still a diamonti,
Ani sparkles— as m purest gold.
Maxims. 1. Bad counsel conibunJs the ad-
viser. 2. No one can do wrong, without suffering
wrong. 3. He is greatest, who is most useful 4.
Love — and you shall be loved. 5 A great man —
is willing to be little. 6. Blame — is safer than
praise. 7. All the devils respect virtue. 8. A
sincere word was never lost. 9. Cwrjes— always
recoil upon the head of him, who imprecates them.
10. God — will not make himself manifest to cow-
ards. 11 . The love of society is natural.
Anecdote. An old alderman, after lia ving
lived for fifty years on the fat of the land, and
losing his great toe with a mortification, in-
sisted, to his dying day, that he owed it to two
grapes, which he ate one day, after dinner;
he said, he felt them lie cold at his stomach
the moment they were eaten.
education. The time, which we usually
bestow on the instruction of our children — in
principles, the reasons of which they do not
understand, is worse than lost ; it is teaching
them to resign their faculties to authority; it
is improving their memories, instead of their
understandings ; it is giving them credulity
instead of knowledge, and it is preparing
tliem for any kind of slavery which can be
imposed on them. Whereas, if we assisted
them in making experiments on themselves,
induced them to attend to the consequence of
every action, to adjust their little deviations,
and fairly and freely to exercise their powers,
tliey would collect facts which nothing could
controvert. These facts they would deposit
in their memories, as secure and eternal trea-
sures ; they would be materials for reflection,
and, in time, be formed into principles of co7i-
duci, which no circumstances or temptations
could remove. This would be a method of
forming a man, who would answer the end
of his being, and make himself and others
happy.
Varieties. 1. Did not the Greek 7;M/o«o-
phy — corrupt the simplicity of the christian
religion ? 2. There are two sorts of popular
corruption ; one, when the people do not ob-
serve the laws; the other, when they are
corrupted by the laws. 3. Cesar — added the
punishment of confiscation, for this reason ;
lest the rich, by preserving their estates, should
become bolder in the perpetration of crime.
4. No localities can bound the dominion, or
the superiority of man. 5. What constitutes
a church? Divine goodness and truth, con-
joined by love, and exemplified in the life.
6. Madame de Stacl's idea, that architecture
— is like frozen music, must have been sug-
gested on a cold day. 7. We are often made
to feel, that there is another youth and age
than that which is measured fi-om the year of
our natural birth; some thoughts always
find us young, and keep us so; such a
thought is the love of the Universal and Eter'
nal Beauty,
148
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
405. Sttle — comprehends all the princi-
ples of elocution, and denotes the manner in
which different kinds of cemposition should
be read, or spoken : of course, there are as
many kinds of style, as there are of compo-
sition,- and unless a person has command of
body and mind, he cannot harmonize his
manner and matter. If in writing, style —
means proper words, in proper places ; in
speaking, it must signify, proper sounds in
proper places. Ex.
What is wit? a meteor, bright and rare,
Th't comes and go&i, we know not whence, or where;
A brilliant nothing— out of something wrought,
A mental vacuum — by condensing thought.
O the eye's eloquence,
{ Ttoin-hom with thought.) outstrips tlie tardy voice ;
Far swifter — than the nimble lightning^s flash,
The sluggish thunder-peal, that follows it.
True ctourage — but from opposition grows,
And what are fifty — what — a thousand slaves,
Matched to lh»j sineio — of a single arm.
That strikes for liberty ?
406. What causeth the earth to hring fortli
and yield her increase P Is it not the light
and heat of the sun, that unlocks her native
energies and gives them their power ] In an
analogous manner should tlie light of the
thought, and the heat of its accompanying
affection, act upon the mind, which will com-
municate the influence received to the whole
body, and the body to the voice and actions.
This is what is meant by imbibing the au-
thor's feelings, and bringing before you all
the circumstances, and plunging amid the
living scenes, and feeling that whatever you
describe, is actually present, and passing be-
fore your mind.
407. Lyceums and Debating societies, are
admirable associations for the improvement
of mind, and cultivation of talent, for pub-
lic or private speaking. Franklin and Ro-
ger Sherman, (the oiit sprinter, and theo^A-
er a shoe-maker,) rose from obscurity to great
eminence, and usefulness, by their own ef-
forts: so may we, by using the proper
means. It was in a debating society, that
Lord Brougham first displayed his superior
talents and unrivaled eloquence ; and there,
also, Hexry Clat, the greatest American
orator, commenced his brilliant career. A
word to those who would be wise is enough.
Anecdote. A7i appropriate Sign. A man
who had established a tippling-house, being
about to erect his sign, requested his neigh-
bors advice — what inscription to put upon
it. His friend replied, " I advise you to write
on it — Drunkards and Beggars made here.^^
Honar'i — a sacred tie, the law of kings,
Ths noble mind's — distinguishing perfection.
That aids and strengthens virtue, when it meets her,
And imitates her actions, where she is not:
It ought jioJ 10 je Slurried with
Proverl>s. 1. A good word for a had one— ^la
worth much, and costs little. 2. • He, who knowa
not when to be siletit, knows not when to speak.
3. Oppression — causes rebellion. 4. AVhere con-
tent is, there is a feast. 5. The drunkard continu-
ally assaults his own life. 6. Show me a liar,
and I will show you a t/iief. 7. That which helps
one man, may hinder atiother. 8. A good educon
tion is the foundation of happiness. 9, Most folliea
owe their origin to self-love. 10. No tree — takes so
deep a root z-n prejudice. 11. Inform yourself, and
instruct others. 12. Truth — jS the only borid of
friendship.
Learning. We have been often told, that
"a little learning is a dangerous thing," and
we may be just as weU assured, that a little
bread is not the safest of all things ; it would
be far better to have plenty of both : but the
sophism — of those who u.se this argument, is,
that they represent the choice between little
and much; whereas our election must be
made between little — and Jione at all; if the
choice is to be — ^between a snaall portion of
information, or of food, and absolute ignn-
ranee, or starvation, common t^nse gives it-
decision in the homely proverb — " half a loai
is better than no bread."
Varieties. 1. The best and surest course
is — never to have recourse to deception, bu'
2jrove ourselves, in every circumstance of life,
equally upright and sincere. 2. Th^^ most
consummate hypocrite — cannot, at all times
conceal the workings of his mind. 3. When
we employ money — to good purposes, it is 2
great blessing ; but when we use it for ev.:
and wicked ends, or become so devoted to i {
as to endeavor to acquire it by dishones:
means, it is a great curse. 4. None are sc
fond of secrets, as those who do not mean to
keep them: such persons covet them, as
spendthrifts do mony, for the purpose of cir
culation. 5. Burke — called the French rev-
olutionists, "the ablest architects of ruin,
that the world ever saw." 6. Trifles — always
require exuberance of ornament ; the build-
ing that has no strength, can be valued only
for the grace of its decorations. 7. We can-
not part with our heart-fHeiids : we cannot
let oiu" angels go.
Nor fame I slight, nor for \\&t favors call ;
She comes unlcok^d for, if she comes at ail.
But, if the purchase cost so dear a price,
As soothing/o%, or exalting vice;
And if the muse— must flatter lawless sway,
And follow still where /omme leads the way;
Or, if no basis — bear my rising name,
But the fall'n ruins of a7iothefs fame ;
Then, teach me. heaven, to scorn the guilty bayc .
Drive from mybreast that wretched lust of pruKe.
Unblemish''d let me live, or die— unknown:
O, grant me honest fame, or grant me rioni.
'TIS siveet—xc htttr
The song and oar— of Adria's gondolici
(By distance melloweii,) o'er tJie water* sweep.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION
149
W8. Public speakers ought to live longer,
and enjoy better health, than other persons ;
and if they conform to the principles here
taught, and the laws 9f hfe and health gener-
ally, this will be the result. Pulmonary dis-
eases may be thrown off by these exercises ;
the author being a living witness, having been
given over at three different times with con-
Bumption. The celebrated Cuvier and Dr.
Brown, the metaphysician, and many others
that might be mentioned, are also witnesses
of this truth. One reason is, that natural
speaking induces one to use a very large
quantity of air, wliereby the capacity of the
kings is much enlarged, the quantity of air
increased, and the blood more perfectly puri-
fied ; the use of the whole body insures a free
circulation, and, of course, contributes to
universal health.
Think'st thou— there are no serpents in the world,
But those, which slide along the grassy sod,
And sting the luckless foot, that presses them?
There are, who, in the path of social life,
Do bask their spotted skins, \n fortune's sun,
And stii^ the soul, aye, till its healthful frame
Is changed to secret, festering, sore disease;
So deadly — is its wound.
The brave, 'tis sure, do never shun the light;
Just are their thoughts, and open are their tempers;
Still are they found— in the fair face of day.
And heaven, and men — are judges of their actions.
409. Diseases of the Throat — are con-
nected, particularly, with those parts of the
body, which are involved in breathing, and
relate to the understanding, or reasoning fa-
culties of the mind: thus, thinking and
breathing are inseparably connected toge-
ther ; as are feeling and acting ; hence, the
predominance of thought, in the exercise of
the voice, or in any kind of action, and zeal
without knowledge, tend directly to such per-
versions of mind and body, as induce, not only
diseases of the throat, but even pulmonary
diseases : if, then, we will to be free, in any re-
spect, we must return to truth and nature ; for
they will guide the obedient in the right way.
Miscellaneous. 1. Whatever one pos-
sesses, becomes doubly valuable, by having
the happiness of dividing it with a friend.
2. He who loves riches more than \n& friend,
does not deserve to be loved. 3. He who
would pass the latter part of his life with
fumor, and usefulness, must, when he is
vowng-, consider that he shall one day be old;
and when he is old, remember that he has
once been young. 4. The rolling planets,
and the glorious sun. Still kee^ that order,
which tliey first begun ; But v^rretched man,
alone, has gone astray, swerved from his
God, and walks another way. 5. The old —
live in the past, as the young do — in the fu-
ture. (). Fix upon a high standard of char-
acrer : to he thought weU of— is not suffunent:
the paint you are to aim at, is, the neatest
possible degree of usefulness. 7. He who
only aims at little, will accomplish but little.
Anecdote. A silly, but very pretty wo-
man, complained to the celebrated and beau-
tiful Sophia Arnold, of the number of her
admirers, and wished to know how she
should get rid of them. " Oh, my dear,"
(was the satiric reply,) " it is very easy for
you to do it : yoa have only to speak.^''
Proverbs. 1. Those, wlio possess any rcai
excellence, think and say, the least about it. 2
The active only, have the true relish of life. 3.
Many there are, who are everi/thing by turns, and
nothing — long. 4. To treat trifles — as matters of
importance, is to show our own wnimportance. 5.
Gritf^ cherished unseen, is genuine; while that,
which has witnesses, may be affected, 6. Error —
does not so often arise from our ignorance of the
truth, as an unwillingness to receive it. 7. Some —
mistake t\\e,love — for the practice of virtue, and are
not so much good themselves, as they are the
friends of goodness. 8. To love any one, and not
do him good, when there is ability and opportu-
nity, IS a contradiction. 9. Pity — will always be
his portion in adversity, who acted with kindness
in prosperity, 10. The best mode of proving any
science, is by exhibiting it.
A Good Slxample. Mr. Clay, in a de-
bate upon the Loan Bill, remarked, that, for
twenty or thirty years, neither he nor his
wife, had owed any man a dollar. Both of
them, many years gone by, had come to the
conclusion, that the best principle of economy
was this, — " never to go in debt. To indulge
your wants when you were able to do so, and
to repress them when you are not able to in-
dulge them." The example is not only an
excellent one for itself, but comes from a high
source. To repress a want — is one of the
wisest, safest, and most necessary principles
of political economy. It prevents, not only
the dangerous practice of living beyond our
means, but encourages the safe precedent of
living within them. If all who could, would
live within their means, the world would be
much happier and much better than it is.
Henry Clay and his noble housewife — give
us an example worthy of all imitation.
Varieties. 1 . Is pride — a mark of talent?
2. Byron says, of Jack Bunting, " He knew
not what to do, and so he swore :" so we may
say of many a one's preposterous use of book^
— He knew not what to do, and so he read,
Wit''s— a. feather— Pope nas said.
And ladiis—do not doubt it :
For those, who've Iturt—witliin the head,
Ejepiay the most — about it.
They sin, who tell us love can die;
Its holy flame forever i)u.r»elh ;
From heaven it came, to heaven re<um«lA.
Forgiveness— to the injured does belong ;
But they ne'er pardon, who have done the wrong.
Be thou as chaste as ice, as pure as snoip,
Thou Shalt not escape calumny.
n2
150
41 3i Dkliveri — addresses itself to the
mind jrough two mediums, the eye and the
ear: hence, it naturally divides itself into
two parts, voice and gesture ; both of which
must be sedulously cultivated, under the
guidance of proper feeling, and correct
thought. That style is the best, which is tlie
most transparent ; hence the grand aim of
the elocutionist should be — perfect transpa-
rencij ; and when this part is attained, he
will be listened to with pleasure, be perfectly
understood, and do justice to his subject,
his powers, and his audience.
411. YouNo Gentlemex, — (said Wil-
liam Wirt,) you do not, I hope, expect from
me, an oration for display. At my time of
life, and worn down, as I am, by the toils of
a laborious profession, you can no longer
look for the spirit and buoyancy of youth.
Spuing — is the season for fiowers ; but J— am
in the autumn of life, and you will, I hope,
accept from me, the fruits of my experi-
ence, in lieu of the more showy, but less
substantial blossoms of Spring. I could
not have been tempted hither, for the pue-
rile purpose of display. My visit has a
much graver motive and object. It is the
hope of making some suggestions, that may
be serviceable in the journey of life, that is
before you ; of calling into action some dor-
mant energy ; of pointing your exertions to
some attainable end of practical utility ; in
short, the hope of contributing, in some
small degree, towards making you happier
in yourselves, and more useful to your
co-"ntry.
41 a. ThQ conversational — must be deliv-
ered in the most natural, easy, familiar, dis-
tinct, and agreenhle manner; the narrative
and didactive, with a clear and distinct artic-
ulation, correct emphasis, proper inflections,
and appropriate modulations ; because, it is
not so much your object to excite the affec-
tions, as to inform the understanding : the
argumentative, and reasoning, demand great
' deliberation, slowness, distinctness, frequent
pauses, candor, strong emphasis and occa-
sional vehemence. No one can become a
good reader and speaker, without mnch prac-
tice and many failures.
Pioneers. The " eccentric'' man — is gen-
erally the pio7ieer of mankind, cutting his
way the first — into the gloomy depths of un-
explored science, cr'^^'commg difficulties,thai
would check meaner spirits, and theii — hold-
ing up the light of his knowledge— to guide
thousands, who, but for him, would be wan-
dering about in all the uncertainty of igno-
rance, or be held in .ne fetters of some self-
ish policy, which they had not, of themselves
— ^the energy to throw off.
Tis not itt/o%— not to scorn a. fool.
And scarce in human wisdom— lo do more.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCD HON.
Proverbs. 1. Constant nccupattoti^—'ihuVi
out temptation. 2. A flatterer— is a most danger
ous enemy. 3. Unless we aim at perfection, we
shall never attain it. 4. They who love the loi\^
est, love the best. 5. Pleasure — is not the rule toi
rest, but for health. 6. The president is but the
/lead-servant of the people. 7. Knoiv'ed^e—\s not
truly ours, till we have given it away. 8. Our
debts, and our sim, are generally greater ths-r we
suppose. 9. Some folks — are like snakes in th*J
grass. 10. i/e— injuries the good, who spares the
bad. 11. Beauty will neither feed or clothe us.
12. Woman''s work is never done.
Anecdote. What for? After the close
of the Revolutionary war, the king of Great
Britain — ordered a thanksgiving to be kept
throughout the kingdom. A minister of the
gospel inquired of him, " For ivhat arc we
to give thanks? that your majesty has lost
thirteen of your best provinces .^" The king
answered, " No.'' " Is it then, that your ma-
jesty has lost one hundred thousand lives of
your best subjects?" "No, no!" said tlie
king. " Is it then, that we have expended, and
lost, a hundred millions of money, and for
the defeat and tarnishing of your majesty's
arms?" "No such thing," — said the king
pleasantly. " What then, is the object of the
thanksgiving '?" " Oh, give thanks that it is
no worse."
Varieties. 1. Who do^s not see, in Ce»
sar's Commentaries, the radical elements of
the present French character 1 2. " A man,"
says Oliver Cromwell, " never rises so high,
as when he knows not whither he is going."
3. The virtue, that vain persons affect to des-
pvie, might have savedAhem ; while the beaur'
ty, they so highly prized, is the cause of their
ruin. 4. He, who flatters, without design-
ing to benefit by it, is a fool ; and whoever
encourages that flattery, that has sense
enough to see through, is a vain coxcomb. 5.
The business of the teacher — is not so much
to communicate knowledge to the pupil, as
to set him to thinking, and show him how
to educate himself; tliat is, he must rather
teach him the way to the fountain, than car-
ry him to the water. 6. Many buy cheap^
and sell dear ; i. e. make as good bargains as
they can ; which is a trial of skill, between
two knaves, to see which shall overreach the
other ; but honest men set their price and
adhere to it. 7. If you put a chain round
the neck of a slave, the other end fastens it
self around your own.
Would you then learn to dissipate the band
Of these huge threatening difficulties dire,
That, in the tceajfc man's way — like lions stand,
His soul appal, and damp his rising^rp.'
Resolve, resolve, and to be men aspiie.
Exert that noblest privilege, alone.
Here to mankind indulged : control desirtf
Let godlike reason, from her sovereign throne,
Speak the commandingword-Iwill, and it is dona
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
151
413. Earnestkess of Manner — is of
vital importance in sustaining a transparent
style ; and this must be imbi])ed internally,
and felt witli all the truth and certainty of
nature. By proper exercises on these prin-
ciples, a person may acquire the power of
passing, at will, from grave to gay, and from
lively to severe, without confounding one
with the other: there are times, however,
when they may be united ; as in the hunim'-
i/us and pathetic, togetlier.
Drcathes there a man with soul so dead.
Who never, to himself hath said,
" This — is my oicn, my native land ?"
Whoso heart — ^Jiatli ne'er within him burned.
As home— his footsteps he hath turned,
From wandeting on aforeijrn strand ?
J f such there breathe, go mark him well :
For him, no minstrel raptures swell ;
High tho' his titles, powers, or peff.
The wre<cA— concentred all in self.
Living — shall forfeit fair renown.
And, doubly dying, shall go down
To the vile dust, from whence he sprung,
Unwept^d, unhonored, and unsung.
414. The following are the terms usually
applied to style, in writing, and also in speak-
ing ,' each of which has its distinctive charac-
, teristics; though all of them have something
m common. Bombastic, dry, elegant, epis-
tolary, flowing, harsfi, laconic, lofty, loose,
terse, tumid, verbose. There are also styles
of occasion, time, place, &c.: such as the
style of the bar, of the legislature, and of the
pulpit; also the draniatic style, comedy,
{high and low,) farce and tragedy.
Illiterate and selfish people, are often op-
posed to persons traveling through the coun-
try, to lecture on any subject whatever; and
especially, on such as the grumblers are ig-
norant of. But are not books and newspa-
pers, itinerants too 1 In olden time, the wor-
slipers of the goddess Diana, were violentl3'
opposed to the Apostles ; because, thro' their
preaching of the cross, their craft was in
danger. The liberally educated, and those
who are in favor of a universal spread of
knowledge, are ready to bid them "God
speed," if they and their subject are praise-
worthy.
Anecdote. A Kingly Dinner in Nature^s
Palace. Cyrus, king of Persia, was to dine
with one of his friends ; and, on being asked
to name the place, and the viands with which
he would have his table spread, he replied,
" Prepare the banquet at the side of the river,
and let one loaf of bread be the only rfwA."
Bright, as the pillar, rose at Heaven's command:
When Israel — marched along the desert land.
Blazed through the night— on lonely wilds afar,
And told the path, — a never-setting star ;
So, heavnnly Genius, in thy course divine,
Hope— id thy star, her light— ia ever thine.
Proverbs. 1. People generally lOvc t7ut^
more tha.r\ goodness ; knowledge more than /t>Zi-
ness. 2. Never magnanimity — fell to the ground.
3. He, who would gather immortal palms, must
not he hindered by the name of goodness, but
must expUre — if it be goodness. 4. JVo author
was ever written down, by any but himself, b
Better be a nettle in the side of your friend, than
his echo. 6. Surmise is the gossamer, that malice
blows on fair reputation; the corroding dew, that
destroys the choicest blossoms. 7. A genera
prostration of morals — must be the inevitable re-
sult of the diffusion of bad principles. 8. To
know— is one thing ; and to do— is another. 9.
Candor— ]ends an open ear to all men. 10. .drt
— is never so beautiful, as when it reflects the
philosophy o{ religion and of man.
We cannot honor our country — with too
deep a reverence ,• we cannot love her — with
an affection too pure and fervent ; we can-
not serve her — with an energy of purpose, or
a faithfulness oi zeal — too steadfast and ar-
dent. And what is o\ir country ? It is not
the East, with her hills and her valleys, with
her countless sails, and the rocky ramparts
of her shores. It is not the North, with her
thousand villages, and her harvest-home, witli
her frontiers of the lake, and the ocean. P, is
not the West, with her forest-sea., and her
inland isles, with her luxuriant expanses,
clothed in the verdant com ,- with her beauti-
ful Ohio, and her majestic Missouri. Nor is
it yet tlie Soutli, opulent in the mimic snow
of the cotton, in the rich plantations of the
rustling cane, and in the golden robes of the
rice-field. What are ttiese, but the sister
families of one greater, better, holier family,
OUR COUNTRY ]
VARIETIES,
Give thy thoughts no tongue.
Nor any unproportior.ed thought his act.
Be thou familiar ; but by no means vulgar.
The friends thou hast, and their adoption tried,
Orapple them to thy soul, with hooks of steel ;
But do not dull thy palm— with entertainment
Of ev'ry new hatched, uvfledg'd comrade. Beware
Of entrance into quarrel I but, being in.
Bear it, that the opposer — may beware of thee.
Give every man thine ear, but few thy voice, [ment.
Take each man's censure, but reserve thy judg-
Costly thy habit — as thy purse can buy.
But not expressed infancy ; rich, not giudy •
For the apparel— oft proclaims the man.
Neither a borrower, nor a lender be ;
For loan — oft loses both itself and friend.
And borrowing — dulls the edge of husbandry.
This above aZ^— to thine own self he true.
And it must follow, as the night the day.
Thou canst not, then— be /aZse to any man.
Dare to be true — nothing — can need a lie ;
The fault that needs it— grows two— thereby.
What do you think of marriage ?
I take it, as those that deny purgatory {
It locally contains or heaven or hell;
There is no third place in it.
152
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
415. Beware of a slavish attention to
rules; for nothing should supercede Nature,
who knows more than^r^; therefore, let Aer
stand in the foreground, with art for her
servant. Emotion — is the soul of oratory :
one flash of passion on the cheek, one beam
oi feeling from the eye, one thrilling note of
sensibility from the tongue, one stroke of
hearty emphasis from the arm, have infinite'
ly more value, than all the rhetorical rules
and flourishes of ancient or modern times.
The great rule is — be ix earnest. This is
what Demx)sthenes more than intimated, in
tlrice declaring, that the most important
UiLig in eloquence, was action. There will
be no execution without ^re.
Wlioever thinks^ must see, that man — wa.s made
To face the storm, not languish in the shade;
Action — his sphere, and, for that sphere designed,
Eternal pleasures — open on his mind.
For tliis — fair hope — leads on th' impassioned soul,
Through Ufe'^s wild labyrinth— to her distant goal :
Paints, in each dream, to fan the genial flame,
The pomp of riches, and the pride of fame;
Or, fondly gives reflection's cooler eye,
A glance, an image, of a future sky.
]VoteS« The standard for propriety, and force, in public
speaking is— to speak just as one would naturally express himself
in earnest conversation in private company. Such should we all
do, if left to ourselves, and early pains were not taken to substitute
an artificial method, for that which is natural. Beware of im-
agining that you must read in a different way, with different tones
And cadences, from that of common speaking.
Anecdote. The severity of the laws of
Draco, is proverbial; he punished all sorts
of crime, and even idleness, with death :
hence, De-wia-des said — "He writes his
laws, not with ink — but with blood.'''' On
being asked why he did so, he replied, — that
the smallest crime deserved death, and that
there was not o. greater punishment he could
find out, for greater crimes.
Miscellaneous. 1. Envy — is the daugh-
ter oi pride, the author oi revenge and mur-
ier, the beginning of secret sedition and the
perpetual tormentor of virtue; it is the filthy
slime of the soul, a venom, a poison, that
consumeth the^esj^, and drieth up the mar-
row of the bones. 2. What a pity it is, that
there are so many quarter and half men and
women, who can take delight in gossip, be-
cause they are not great enougli for any
thing else.
Were I so tali— as to reach the pole,
And grasp the ocean — with a span,
I would be measured — by my soul,
The mind''s — the standard of the man.
4. What is the difference between loving
the minds, and the persons of our friends ?
5. How different is the affection, the thought,
action, form and manners of the male, from
the affection, thought, action, form and man-
ners oi ihe female.
Then/ar«oeZ/,— I'd rather make
My b.id — upon some icy lake,
Whcii thawing suns — begin to shine,
Ty&\ .rust a love— as f Use as ihiru.
The slomoyt— -hat i no «ar».
liaconics. 1. Gou has given us vocai organs
and reason to use them. 2. True gesture — is the
language of nature, and makes its way to the
heart, without the utterance of a single word. 3.
Coarseness and vulgarity — are the effects of a bad
education; they cannot be chargeable to nature
4. Close observation, and an extensive knowledge
of human nature alone, will enable one to adapt
himself to all sorts of character. 5. Painting—
describes what the object is in itsdf: poetry — wha4
it inspires or suggests : one — represents the fisible,
the other — both the risible and the invisible. 6.
It is uncandid self-will, that condemns without a
hearing. 7. The mind — wills to he free; and tlie
signs of the tirae-s — proclaim the approach of its
restoration.
Woman. The Hg-A< education of this sex
is of the utmost importance to human life.
There is nothing, that is more desirable for
the common good of all the world; since, as
they are mothers and mistresses oi families,
they have for some time the care of the ed-
ucation of their children of both sorts ; they
are intrusted with that, which is of the
greatest consequence to human life. As the
health and strength, or weakness oi our bodies,
is very much owing to their methods of
treating us when we were young; so — the
soundness or folly of our minds is not less
owing to their first tempers and ways of
thinking, which we eagerly received from
the love, tenderness, authority, and constant
conversation of our mothers. As we call our
first language our mother -tongue, so — we
may as justly call owe first tempers our moth-
er-ievcv^exs ; and perhaps it may be found
more easy to forget the la?iguage, than to
part entirely with those tempers we learned
in the nursery. It is, therefore, to be la-
mented, that the sex, on whom so much de-
pends, who have the first forming both of
our bodies and our minds, are not only edu-
cated in pride, but in the silliest and most
contemptible pari of it. Girls are indulged
in great vanity; and mankind seem to con-
sider them in no other view than as so many
painted idols, who are to allure and gratify
their passions.
Varieties. 1. Was England — Justified
in her late loarlike proceeding against Chi-
na? 2. Fit language there is none, for the
heart's deepest things. 3. The honor of a
maid — is her name; and 7io legacy is so rich
as honesty. 4. O, how bitter a thing it is —
to look into happiness — thro' another''s eysb.
Ungrateful man, with liquorish draughts,
And morsels unctuous, greases his pure iTiini
That from it — all consideration slips.
To persist
In doing wrong, extenuates not wrong,
But makes it much more heavy.
He cannot be a perfect man.
Not being tried or tutored in the world :
Experience is by industry achieved,
And perfecUd—hy the swift course of time
A confused report — passed thro' my ears,
But, full o( hurry, like a morning dream.
It vanished— 'in the busimsa of the day.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
163
416. The Declamatokt and Horta-
roRT — indicate a deep interest for the per-
sons addressed, a Jiorror of the evil they are
entreated to avoid, and an exalted estimate
of the good, they are exhorted to pursue.
The exhibition of the strongest feehng, re-
quires such a degree of self-control, as, in the
very torrent, tempest and whirlwind of pas-
sion, possesses a temperance to give it
smoothness. The Dramatic — sometimes
calls for the exercise of all the vocal and
mental powers: hence, one must consider
the character represented, the circumstances
under which he acted, the state of feeling he
possessed, and every thing pertaining to the
ecene with which he was connected.
417. Rolla's Address to the Peru-
vians. My brave associates — -partners — of
my toil, my feelings, and my fame! Can
Rolla's words — add vigor — to the virtuous
'iner gies, wMxch. inspire yoxxr hearts? No;
you have judged as I have, the foulness of
the cvahy plea, by which these bold invaders
would delude you. Your generous spirit
has compared, as mine has, the motives,
which, in a war like tliis, can animate their
minds and ours. They, by a strange frenzy
driven, fight iox power, for plunder, and ex-
tended rule; we,ior our country, our altars,
and our homes. They — follow an adventur-
er, whom they fear, and obey a. power, which
they hate; we — serve a monarch whom we
love, — a God, whom we adore. Whene'er
they move in anger, desolation — tracks their
progress ! Whene'er they pause in amity,
affliction — mourns their friendship. They
boast, they come but to improve our state,
enlarge our thoughts, and free us from the
yoke of error ! Yes — they will give enUght-
ened freedom to our minds, who are themi-
selves the slaves of passion, avarice, a.m\ pride.
They offer us their protection. Yes, s^uch
protection — as vultures — give to lambs —
covering, and devouring them. They call
on us to barter all of good, we have inherited
and proved, for the desperate chance of some-
thing better, vfhich. they promise. Be our
plain answer this : The throne — we honor
— is the people^ s choice; the lav^s we rever-
ence— are our hra\e fathers* legacy ; the faith
we follow— teaches us to live in bonds of cha-
rity with all mankind, and die — with hope
of bliss — beyond the grave. Tell your in-
vaders this, and tell fliem too, we seek no
change; and, least of all, such change as
they would bring us.
GAMBLING.
Oh ! vice accursed, that lur'sf. thy victim on
With specious smiles, and faise deluding hopes —
Smiles — ihaidestroy, and hopes — that bring despair,
Infatuation — dangetojis and destructive,
Pleasure most visionary, [{delight, how transient!
frduie ofhonnr, angtiish, and dismay!
20
Proverbs. 1. The fnore--womcn M/ok mto
their glasses, the less— ihcy attend to their houses
2. Works, and not words, are the proof of love. 3.
There is no better )ooking-glas5, tli-m a ime/riend.
i. When we obey our superiors, we instruct our
inferiors. 5. Tiieie is more trouble in having no-
thing to do, than in having much to do. 6. The
best throw of the dice— is to throw them away. 7.
Virtue, that parleys, is near the surrender. 8. The
spirit of <m«/i— dwelleth in meekness. 9. Resist a
temptation, till you conquer it. 10. Plain dealing
is a jewel.
Anecdote. Faithful unto Death. Whftn
the venerable Polycarp — was tempted by
Herod, the proconsul, to deny, and blaspheme
the Lord Jestjs Christ, he answered, —
" Eighty and six years — ^have I served my
Lord and Savior,— and in all that time —
he never did me any injury, but always
good ; and therefore, I cannot, in conscience,
reproach my King and my Redeemer."
A Wife 5 not an Artist. When a man
of sense comes to marry, it is a companion he
wants, and not an artist. It is not merely a
creature who can paint, and play, and sing,
and dance. It is a being who can comfort
and counsel him; one who can reason and
reflect, and feel and Judge, and discourse and
discriminate ; one who can assist him in his
affairs, lighten his sorrows, purify his joys,
strengthen hisprinciples and educate his childr
ren. Such is the woman who is fit for a mo-
ther, and the mistress of a ftimily. A woman
of tlie former description may occasionally
figure in a drawing-room, and excite the ad"
miration of the company; but is entirely
unfit for a helpmate to man, and to train up
a child in the way he should go.
Varieties. 1. He, who is cautvms an«!
prudent, is generally secure from many dan-
gers, to which many others are exposed. 2
A fool may ask more questions in an hotir
than a wise man may answer in seven years
3. The manner in which words are delivered
contribute mainly to the effects they are to
produce, and the importance which is attach-
ed to them. 4. Shall this greatest of free na-
tions be the best ? 6. One of the greatest
obstacles to knowledge and excellence, is in-
dolence. 6. One hour's sleep before midnight,
is worth two afterward. 7. Science, or learn'
ing, is of little use, unless guided by good
sense
J>/en— use a diflbrent speecft— in different climes,
But Nature hath ont voice, and only one.
Her wandering moan, her stars, her golden sun.
Her vooods and waters, in all lands and times.
In one deep son^ proclaim the wondrous story.
They tell it to each other— ia the sky,
l/pon tht winds they send it— sounding high,
Jehovahs wisdom, goodness, power, and glory.
I bear it come from mountain, diff, and tret.
Ten thousand voices— in one voice united ;
On every side— the song encircles me,
The whole round world reveres— and is delighted.
Ah ! why, when hcaverv-^A eart/i— lift up their voit^
Ah I why should man alone, no.- looriMy, nou«o««?
154
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
4:18. The merging of the Diatonic Scale
in tire Musical Staff, as .some have done in
elocution, is evidently incorrect; for then, the
exact pitch of voice is fixed, and all must
talte that pitch, whether it be in accordance
with the voice, or not. But in the simple di-
atonic scale, as here presented, each one
takes hi^ lowest natural note for his tonic, or
key-nott-t, and then, passes to the mediiun
range of pitches. Different voices are often
keyed on different pitches; and to bring
♦.hem all to the same pitch, is as arbitrary as
P7'ocrusie's bedstead, a.ccordm^ to Hudribras:
"This iron bedstead, Ihey do fetch,
To try our hopes upon ;
If w^e're too sAort, we must be stretched,
Cut off— if we're too long.''''
Beware of all racks ; be natural, or nothing.
What the weak head — with strongest bias rules.
Is (0) PKiDE ; the neter- failing vice of fools.
A soul, without reflection, like a pile,
Without inhabitant — to ruin runs.
Wit — is fine language — to advantage dressed ;
Better often thought, but ne'er so well expressed.
Our needful knowledge, like our needfuiybod,
Unhedged, lies open — in life's common^e/-d,
And bids all — tcelcome — to the vital /easr.
Let sense — be ever in your view ;
Nothing is lovely, that is not true.
419. Suggestions. Let the pupils me-
morize any of the proverbs, laconics, maX'
ims, or questions, and recite them on occa-
sions like tlie following : when they first as-
semble in tlie school-room ; or, meet together
in a social cii'cle : let them also carry on a
kind of conversation, or dialogue w^ith them,
and each strive to get one appropriate to the
supposed state, charade)', &c. of another: or
use them in a variety of ways, that their in-
genuity may suggest.
Pride. There is no passion so universal,
or that steals into the heart more impercep-
tibly, and covers itself under more disgui-
ses, than pride ; and yet, there is not a sin-
gle view of human nature, which is not suf-
ficient to extinguish in us all the secret
f<t?.ds of pride and sink the conscious soul —
tc the lowesfv _ epths of humility.
Anecdote. Sterling Integrity. In 1778,
while congress was sitting in Philadelphia,
frequent attempts were made, by the British
officers, and agents, to bribe several of the
members. Governor Johnstone — authorized
tlie following proposal, to be made to Col.
Joseph Reed : " That if he would engage his
interest to promote the objects of the British,
he should receive thirty thousand dol-
LAiis, and any office in the colonies, in his
majestj 's gift. Col. Reed — indignantly re-
plied,— " I pm not worth purchasing ; but
such as I am, the king of Groat Britain is
not rich enough to buy me."
Ijaconics. 1. Any vic^ation of lavf~\i t
breach of morality. 2. M^tsic, in all its variety,
is essentially one ; and so is speecA, tho' infinitely
diversified. 3. Literary people — are of\en unplea*
ant companions in mixed society; because they
have not always the power of adapting them-
selves to others. 4. It is pedantry — to introduce
foreign words into our language, when we have
pure English words to express all that llie exotics
contain ; with the advantage of being intelligib!«»
to every one. 5. ^Vhatever is merely artific'ial, is
unnatural; which is opposed to general etoqutnce.
6. There can he no great advances made, in gen-
uine scientific truth, without well regulated affec-
tions. 7. We can be almost anything we choose;
if we will a thing to be done, no matter how high
the aim, success is nearly certain.
Anger. Of all passions — there is not one
so extravagant and outrageous as this; ot/ter
passions solicit and mislead us : but this —
runs away with us by force, hurries us as
weU to our own, as to another^s ruin : it often
falls upon the wrong person, and discharges
its wrath on the innocent instead of the guil-
ty. It spares neither /ne nd nor foe ; but tears
all to pieces, and casts imman nature into a
perpetual warfare.
VARIETIES.
All the world^s — a stage.
And all the m^n and women — merely players :
They have their exits, and their entrances ;
And one man, in his time, plays many parte,
His acts — being seven ages. At first, the infant,
Mewling and puking in tlie nurse's arms ;
And then, the whining school-hoy, with his satchel,
And shining morning/ace, creeping like snail,
Unwilingly, to school. And then, the lover;
Sighing like a furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress' eyebroio : Then, a soldier.
Full of strange oaths, and bearded like liie panl,
Jealous in honor, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the tannon'5 mouth : And then ihejustict;
In fair round belly, with good capon lined,
With eyes severe, and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise salts and modern instances.
And so he plays Ais part: The sixth age— shifts
Into tne lean and slipper'd pantaloon ;
With spectacles on nose, and pouch on sidi;
His youthful hose, wdl saved, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank ; and his big manly vciw,
Turning again toward childish treble — pipes,
And whistles in his sound : Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness, and mere oblivion ;
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sanscueri/ihir.g.
Charity, decent, modest, easy, kind,
Softens the high, and rears the abject mind ;
Knows, with just reins, and gentle hand, to gllidc
Betwixt vile shame — and arbitrary pride.
Not soon provoked, she easily forgives ;
And much — she suffers, as she much — believea.
Soft peace she brings, wherever she arrives ;
She builds our quiet, as she torms our lives;
Lays the rough paths — of peevish nature even
And opens, in each heart, a lililp heave7i.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
155
4:80. The Sle^tuer characteristic of !
Voice. In all cases, endeavor to express by
the voice and gesture, the sense and feeling,
that are designed to be conveyed by the
words; i. e. teU the whole truth. Most of
Lie following words, that Shakspeare puts
into the mouth of Hotspur, descriptive of a
dandy, requires the use of this peculiarity of
voice, in order to exhibit their full meaning.
Conceive how a blunt, straight-forward, hon-
e»i soldier would make his defence, when
unjustly accused by his f nical superior, of
unsoldier-like conduct; and then recite the
following.
My liege — I did deny no prisoners.
But I remember, when xhefght was done,
When I was dry with rage, and extreme toil,
Breathless, and faint, leaning upon my sword,
Came there a certain lord ; neat, trimly dress'd;
Fresh as a bridegroom; and his chin, new reap'd,
Showed like sttiiible-\mu\ — at harvest home.
He was perfumed like a milliner;
And, 'twixt h\s finger and his thumb, he held
A pouncet-hox^ which, ever and anon,
He gave his nose. And still he smiPd] and talk%
And as the soldiers — bore dead bodies by.
He called them untaught knaves, unmannerly,
To bring a slovenly, unhandsome corse
Betwixt the wind — and his nobility.
With many holiday, and lady terms.
He questioned me ; amongst the rest, demanded
My prisoners, in her majesty's behalf;
r then, all smarting with my wounds, being gall'd
To be so pestered with a popinjay.
Out of my grief— and my impatience.
Answered negligently, — 1 know not what —
He should, or should not; for he made me mad,
To see him shine so brisk, and smell so sweet,
And talk so like a waiting gentlewoman, [mark,)
Of guns, and drums, and ivounds, (heaven save the
And telling me the sovreign''st thing on earth,
Was spermaceti — for an inward bruise :
And that it was great ^%, (so it was,)
That villanous saltpetre — should be digged.
Out of the bowels of the harmless earth.
Which many a good^ tall fellow had destroyed
So cowardly ; and, but for these vile guns,
He would himsefhave been a soldier:
This bald, unjointed chat of his, my loid,
I answered indirectly, as I said ;
And I beseech you, let not his report
Come current, for an accusation,
betwixt my love, and your high majesty.
Number. Umty — is an abstract concep-
tion, resembling primary, or incorporeal
matter, in its general aggregate; one — ap-
pertains to things, capable of being num-
bered, and may be compared to matter,
rendered visible under a particular form.
Number is not infinite, any more than mat-
ter is ; but it is the source of that indefinite
divisibility, into equal parts, which is the
property of all bodies. Thus, unity and one
aw to 'ie distinguished from each otiier.
P/r-iSy— makes dainty.
Maxims. 1. Some are aleH in the btginning^
but negligent in the end. 2. Fear— is ofttm con-
cealed under a show o^ daring. 3. The remedy i.^
often worse than tlie disease. 4. K faint heart nev-
er won a fair lady. 5. No man is free, who does
not govern himself. 6. An angry man opens his
mouth, and shuts his eyes. 7. Such as give ear to
slanderers, are as bad as slanderers themselves.
8. A cheerful manner denotes a gentle nature. 9.
Proud looks lose hearts, but courteous tvordi—win
them. 10. Brevity is tlie soul of eloquence.
Anecdote. Self-interest. When Dr.
Franklin applied to the king of Prussia to
lend his assistance to America, — " Pray D(x;-
tor," says he, " what is the ofrject you mean
to attain!" '^Liberty, Sire," replied the phi*
losopher ; " Liberty! that freedom, which is
the birthright of all men." Tl^e king, after a
abort pause, made this memorable answer :
" I was born a jjrince, and am become a king;
and I will not use the powers I possess, to
the ruin of my own trade."
Of Liying. Lying — supplies those who
are addicted to it — with a plausible apology
for every crime, and with a supposed shelter
from every punishment. It tempts them to
rush into danger — from the mere expecta-
tion of impunity ; and, when practiced with
frequent success, it teaches them to confound
the gradations of guilt; from the effects of
which tliere is, in their imaginations, at
least one sure and common protection. It
corrupts the early simplicity of youth; it
blasts the fairest blossoms of genius; and
will most assuredly counteract every effort,
by which we may hope to improve the tal-
ents, and mature the virtues of those wliom
it infects.
"Varieties. \. A very moderate power^
exercised by perseverance, will effect — what
direct force could never accomplish. 2. We
must not deduce an argument against the use
of a thing, from an occasional abuse of it. 3.
Should we let a painful and cold attention to
manner and voice, chill the warmth of our
hearts, in our fervency and zeal in a good
cause] 4. Youth — often rush on, impetu-
ously, in the pursuit of every gratification,
heedless of consequences. 5. Tlie adherence
to truth — produces much good ; and its ap-
pearances— much mischief. 6. Every one,
who does not grow better, as he grows older^
is a spendthrift of tliat time, which is more
precious than gold. 7. Obedience to fho
truths of the Word, is the life of all; for
truths are the laws of the heavens, and of the
church ; obedience — implies the reception of
them; so far as we receive, so far we are
alive, by the coming of the kingdom wUhin
us.
Whoe'er, amidst the sons
Of reason, valor, liberty, and virtue.
Displays distinguished merit, is a ncbh
Of Nature^s own making.
156
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
4ai. Tkemor or Voice — resembles the
trill in singing, and may be indicated in tliis
manner, — ^^ ^-^.^-.^-v.^-w ; the voice ranging
from a quarter of a tone, to several tones.
It is made deep in the throat, witli a drop-
ping of the jaw ; and when properly used,
it is very effective and heart-stirring : espe-
cially, in the higher kinds of oratory. It
heightens Joij, mirth, rapture, and exulta-
tum; adds pungency to scorn, contempt, and
sarcasm : deepens the notes of sorrow, and
enhances those of distress : often witnessed
in children, when manifesting their delights.
There are several degrees, from the gjvss to
tlie most refined.
4:3a. 1. Said Falstaff, of Ms ragged regi-
ment, " I'll not march through Coventry
with them, that's^a/ ,• no eye hath seen such
^cm-ea-ows." Almost every word requires a
kind of chuckle, especially the italic ones
and by making a motion with the chin, up
and down, the shake of the voice will corres-
pond to the sign, — ^^ — ^-^^^.^^^^ . 2. In
this example we have an instance of a refin-
ed tremor of voice ; but the right feeling is ne-
cessary to produce it naturally. Queen Cath-
arine said, in commending her daughter to
Henry, " And a little to love hej^for her moth-
er's sake; who loved him — heaven knovjs
how dearly.^' The coloring matter of the
voice is feeling — passion, which gives rise to
the qualities of voice; thus, we employ
harsh tones in speaking of what we disap-
prove, and euphoneous ones in describing the
objects of love, complacency, admiration, &c.
433. In extemporaneous speaking, or
speaking from manuscript, (i. e. making it
talk,) when the speaker is under the influ-
ence of strong passion, the voice is apt to be
carried to the higher pitches : how shall he
regain his medium pitch 1 by changing the
passion to one requiring Iwv notes; thus,
the surface of his flow of voice, will present
the appearance of a country with mountains,
hills, and dales. Elocution — relates more to
the words and thoughts of others ,- oratory
to our own. To become a good reader and
speaker, one must be perfect in ehcution,
which relates to words : in logic, which re-
lates to thoughts ; and in rhetoric, which ap-
pertains to the affections : thus involving
ends, causes, and effects.
Anecdote. Aged Gallantry. A gallant
old gentleman, by the name of Page, who
was something of a rhymester, finding a la-
dy's glove at a watering-place, presented it
to her, with the following lines :
" If from your glove — you take the letter g,
YoiT glove — is love — which /devote to — thee.'"
To which the lady returned the following
answer :
" If from your Page, you take the letter p>
Your rag!— is age —an! I :at won't do for me."
Proverbs. 1. Proud persons have fcvvr«i.
friends. 2. Mildness — governs belter than anger.
3. No hope should influence -as to do evil. 4. Feio
things are impossible to skdl and industry. 5.
Diligence — is the mistress of success. 6. Conscience
is never dilatory '::i her warnings. 7. A vain
hope flattereth the heart of u.fool. 8. Moderate
speed is a sure help to all proceedings. 9. Liber-
ality of knowledge makes no one the poorer. 10.
If you endeavor to be honest, you struggle with
yourself.
Names. A man, that should call every thing
by its right naw^e, would hardly pass through
the streets, without being knocked down as a
common enemy.
Varieties. 1. In 1840, there were in the
United States, five hundred and eighty-four
thousand whites, who could not read or
write; five thousand, seven hundred and
seventy-three deaf and dumb ; five thous-
and and twenty-four blind ; fourteen thous-
and five hundred and eight insane, or idiots,
and two millions four hundred and eighty-
seven thousand slaves. 2. As our popula-
tion increases thirty-four per cent, in ten
years, at this rate, in 1850, our seventeen
millions will be twenty-two millions : in
1860, thirty millions ; and in 1900, ninety-
five miUions. 3. The regular increase of the
N. E. states is fourteen per cent ; of the mid-
dle states twenty-five per cent. ; of the south'
em twenty-two per cent. ; and of the west-
em — sixty-eight per cent. 4. Many persons
are more anxious to know who Melchisedec
was, or what was Paul's thorn in the flesh,
than to know what they shall do to be saverL
5. To cure anger, sip. of a glass of water, till
the fit goes off. 6. An infallible remedy for
anxiety — "cast thy burden upon the Lord,
and he shall sustain thee."
TRY ; TRY AGAIN.
'Tis a lesson — you should hud,
Try, try again ;
If ai first — you don't succeed,
Try, try again ;
Then your courage should appear,
For, if you will persevere,
You will conquer, never fear ;
Try, try again.
Once, or twice, though you should /at/,
Try, try again ;
If you would, at last, prevail,
Try, try again ;
If we strive, 'tis no disgrace,
Though we may not win the race ;
What should you do in the case?
Try, try again.
If you find your task is hard,
Try, iry again;
Time will bring you your reward.
Try, try again;
All that other folks can do,
Why, w\\\i patience, siiould not you t
Only kteep this rule in view,
Thy, TRY »GAIN.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
157
4a*. Before entering on a consideration
and illustration of the Passions, the pupil is
urged to revise the preceding lessons and
exercises ; but do not be deceived with the
idea, that thinki7ig about them is enough,
or reading them over silently; join practice
with thought, and the effects are yours. One
of the great difficulties in thinking about
any art or science, and witnessing the efforts
oi others in their presentation, is — that one's
taste is so far in advance of his own jrractice,
that he becomes disgusted with it, and des-
pairs of his success. Let us remember that
nothing is truly our own, that we do not
u?idersta7id, love and practice.
hamlet's instructions on delivery.
Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced
Jt to you; trippingly ou the toiigue. But if you
mouth it, as many of our players do, I had as lief
the town-crier had spoke my lines. And do not
saw the air too much with j'our hand; but use all
frently; for in the very torrent, tempest, and, as I
may say, whiklwind of your passion, you must
acquire and beget a temperance, that may give it
smoothness. Oh! it offends me to the soul,, to hear
a robustious, periwig-psiled fellow tear a passion
to tatters, to very rags, to split the ears of the
groundlijigs ; who, (for the most part.) are capa-
ble of nothing, but inexplicable dumb-show and
noise. I would have such a fellow^ whipped for
o'erdoing Urmagant, it out-Herod's Herod. Pray
you, avoid it. Be not too tame, neither; but let
your own discretion be your tutor. Suit the ac-
tion— to the word, the wo"-! — to the action; witli
this special observance, that you o'erstep not the
modesty of nature: for anything, so overdone, is
from the purpose of playing ; whose end, both at
l\\e first, and now, was, and is — to hold, as 'twere,
the mirror up to nature; to show virtue her own
feature, scorn — her own image, — and the very age
and body of the time, his form and pressure. Now,
this overdone, or come tardy off, though it may
make the unskillful laugh, cannot but make the
judicious — grieve: the censure of one of which,
must, in your allowance, o'erweigh a whole thea-
tre of others. OJi! there be players that I have
seen play, and heard- others ^rafse, and that high-
ly, tliat, neither having the accent of christian, nor
the gait of christian, pagan, nor ?nan, have so
strutted and belloived, that I have thought some
of nature's journeymen had made men, and not
made them well; they imitated humanity so abom-
inably.
4:35. Tendencies of our Lang-uage.
As our language abounds in monosyllables,
it affords good means to deliver our thoughts
in few sounds, and thereby favors despatch,
which is one of our characteristics ; and
when we use words of more than one sylla-
ble, we readily contract them some, by our
rapid pronunciation, or by the omission of
Bome vowel; as, drown'd, walk'd, dips; in-
stead of drown-ed, walk-ed, dip-peth, &c,;
tind even proper names of several syllables,
when familiarized, often dwindle down into
monosyllables; whereas, in other languages,
they receive a softel turn, by the addition
ot a new syllable.
Proverbs. 1. Beauty is ip longer am/able,
than while virtue adorns it. 2. Past services
should never be forgotten. 3. A knoion enemy ia
better than a treacherous friend. 4. Don't engage
in any undertaking, if your conscience says no
to it. 5. Benefits and injuries receive their value
from the intention. 6. We should give by choice,
and not by hazard. 7. He, that does £cod to a>i.
other, from proper motives, does good a:fco to him-
self. 8. He that is false to God can never be tru4
to man. 9. A good principle is sure to produce a
good practice. 10. None are truly wise, but thoee
that are pure in heart.
Anecdote. Contrary. A womn.n, having
fallen into a river, her husbajid went to look
for her, proceeding up stream from where
she fell in. The bystanders asked him if
he was mad? she could not have gone
against the stream. The man answered :
' ' She was obstinate and contrary in her life-
time, and I suppose for certain she is so at
her death:'
Intuition. We cannot have an idea of
one, without the idea of another to which it
is related. We then get the idea of two,
by contemplating them both; referring, ab-
stractly, to one of them. We say one and
one are equal to two; one one, is less than
two ones; therefore, one does not equal two.
One and one, are the parts of tv^o, and the
parts of a thing are equal to the whole of it.
Thus, we come to the knowledge of what
has been called intuitive proposition, only
by reasoning. When such a principle ia
clearly admitted, we cannot deny its truth,
for a moment : but it is far from being,
strictly speaking, an intuitive truth.
Varieties. 1 . The virtues of the country
are with our wometi, and the only remaining
hope of the resurrection of the genius and
character of the nation, rests with them. 2.
The present — is the pa.reiit of i]\Q future. 3.
The last words of the Indian chief, who
died at Washington, in 1824, were, " When
I am gone, let the big gmis be fired over
me." 4. Beware of turning away from do-
ing good, by thinking how much good you
would do, if you only had the means. 5.
The pleasure oi thinking on important sub-
jects, with a view to communicate our tho'ta
to the unfolding minds around us, is a most
exquisite pleasure. 6. Principle and prac-
tice must go hand in hand, to make the
man, or woman. 7. The time is fast ap-
proaching, when the mind will strike out
new fields, and view itself, its Creator, and
the Universe from new positions.
HOPE.
Why do those cliffs of shadowy lint appear.
More sweet than all the landscapes shining nf.arJ
'Tis distance lends snchantment to the view,
And robes the mountain in its azure hue !
Thus with delight we linger to survey
The promis'd joys of life's unmeasur'd way
Thus from afar, each dim discover'd scene,
More pleasing seems than all the past hath be t»i
And every form that, fancy can repair.
From dark oblivion, glows divinely there.
I5tt
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
436* A just delivery consists in a distinct
articulation of words, pronounced in proper
tones, suitably varied to the sense, and the
emotions of the mind ; with due observation
of accent, the several gradations of emphasis ;
pauses or rests in proper places, and well
measured degrees of time ; and the whole ac-
companied with expressive looks, and signi-
ficant gestures. To conceive, and to execute,
are two different things ; the first may arise
fiom study and observation; the second is
{lie eftect of practice.
4i27* Rules for the ^ . When ques-
tions are not answered by yes or no ; as, Who
is that lady] In affirmative sentences ;
as — I am prepared to go : language of au-
THORiTr; as — Back to thy punishment,
false fugitive: terror; as — The hght
burns blue: surprise; as — Sir, I perceive
that thou art a prophet: reprehension;
as — You are very much to blame for suffer-
ing hiva to pass : indignation: Go — false
fellow, and let me never see your face
again : contempt ; as — To live in awe of
such a thing as / myself : exclamation :
O nature ! how honorable is thy empire J
RHETORICAL DIALOGUE, when oue OX more
persons are represented ; as — James said,
Charles, go and do as you were bidden; and
John said, he need not go at present, for I
have something for him to do: and the
FINAL pause; as — All general rules have
some exceptions.
4SJS. Important Questions. 1. Is there
more tJian one God ? 2. Was the wwld crea-
ted out of nothing ? 3. What is the mean-
ing of the expression, " let us make man in
our image, after our likeness .?" 4. By what
means can we become hapjnj ? 5. Can we
be di friend, and an enemy, at the same time ]
6. Are miracles the most convincing eviden-
ces of truth ? 7. Will dying for principles,
prove any thing more than the sincerity of
the martyr I 8. Is it possible for a created
being to merit salvation by good works ? 9.
Have we life of our own ; or are we dependent
on God for it every moment? 10. What is
the difference between good and evil? 11.
Is any law independent of its m,aker? 12.
A/e miracles — violations of nature's laws?
4*^9* Some think matter is all, and mrni-
ner little or nothing ; but if one were to
gpeak the sense of an angel in bad words, and
with a disagreeable utterance, few would
listen to him with much pleasure or profit.
The figure of Adonis, with an awkward air,
and ungraceful motion, would be disgusting
instead of pleasing.
Reader, whosoe'er thou art,
What thy Ood has given, impart ;
Hide it not within the ground;
S;nd the cup of" lessing round
Proverbs. 1. To fail, or not-'io fail ; thai
is the question. 2. He, ihat loveth pleasure, shaJI
be a poor man. 3. Flattery is a dazzling meteor
that casts a delusive glare before the mental eye
seduces the imagination, perverts the judgment,
and silences the dictates of reason. 4. Mankind
are governed more by feeling and impulse, than
by reason and reflection. 5. Our duty and true
interest, always unite. 6. An occasional hearty
laugh, is often an act of wisdom. 7. No one can
be great, who is not virtuous. 3. We make more
than half the evils we feel. 9. JVo one can esti-
mate the value of a pious, discreet, and faithful
mother. 10. The boy— is the father of the man.
Anecdote. Tallovj and Talent. Fletcher,
bishop of Nesmes, was the son of a tallow-
chandler. A great duke once endeavored to
mortify the prelate, by saying to him, at the
king's levee, that he smelt of tallow. To
which the bishop replied, "My lord, I am
the son of a chandler, it is true, and if you:
lordship had been the same, you would have
remained a chandler all the days of your life.
Disinterestedness — is the very fiower of
all the virtues, a manifestation — in the heart
of one who feels and acts from it, of heaven
on earth, — the very reflection of the sun of
Paradise. If mankind more generally, knew
how beautiful it is to serve others, from the
love of doing them good, there would not be
so much cold and narrow selfishness in the
world. When we have contributed most to
the happiness of others, we are receptive our-
selves of the most happiness.
"Varieties, 1. Never repay fem(Z?7,e5S With
wnkindness. 2. Is pride — commendable? 3.
No guarantee for the conduct of nations, or
individuals, ought to be stronger than that
which honor imposes. 4. True patriotism
labors for civil and religious liberty aU over
the world — for universal freedom ; the liber-
ty and iiappiness of the human race. 6.
What is charity, and what are its fruits? 6.
When persons are reduced to want, by their
own laziness, or vices, is it a duty to relieve
them! 7. To read Milton's Paradise Lost,
is the pleasure of but feiu. 8. The argu-
ment of the Essay on Man, is said to have
been written by Bolinghroke, and versified
by Pope. 9. Painting, Sculpture and Archi-
tecttire — are three subjects, on which nearly
all persons, of polite education, are compelled
to conceal ignorance, if they cannot display
knowledge. 10. Is labor — a blessing, or a
a curse ?
Music!— o\i\ how /aint, how weak I
Language — fades before thy spell ;
Why should feeling — ever speak,
When thou canst breathe her soul — so well
Ah! why will kings^orget— thai they a.re men.,
And MEN, that they are brethren ? [the tiea
Why delight — in human sacrifice! Why buret
Of NATURE, that should knit their souls tJgethei
In one soft band — of amity and love ?
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
159
4d€ Sttle. The character of a person's
style L'f reading and speaking depends upon
his moral perceptions of the ends, causes, and
effects of the composition: thus, sttle may
be considered the man himself, and, as every
one sees and feels, with regard to everything,
according to the state or condition of his
mind, and as tliere are and can be no two
persons alike; eacli individual will have a
manner and style pecuhar to himself; tho"
in the main, that of two persons of equal
education and intelligence, ma>' be ir. a great
iegree similar.
431. RnLEs FOR THE . When ques-
tions are answered by yes or no, they gen-
erally require the '. Exs. Are you well ?
Is he gone ? Have you got your hat ? Do
you say yes P Can he accommodate me 1
Will you call and see mel But when the
questions are emphatic, or amount to an affir-
mative,ihe^isused. ^Ve you well] As much
as to say : tell me wliether you are well. Is
he gone 1 Have you done iti All given
in an authoritative manner. Hath he said
it, and shall he not do iti He that planted
the ear, shall he not hear 1 Is he a man,
that he should repent P
433. Important Questions. 1. Is the
casket more valuable than the Jewel P 2.
Will not the safety of the community be en-
rfang-ererf, by permitting the murderer to liveP
3. Are theatres — beneficial to mankind '' 4.
Did Napolean do more hurt than good to the
world'.' 5. Were the Texans right — in re-
belling against Mexico] 6. OugJit the license
system to be abolished ] 7. Is animal mag-
netism true ] 8. Who was tlie greatest mon-
ster— Nero, or Catiline P 9. Should we act
from policy, or from principle P 10. Is not
the improvement of the mind, of the first im-
portance ]
Nature. Man is radiant with expressions.
Every feature, limb, muscle and vein, may
tell something of the energy within. The
brow, smooth or contracted, — the eye, placid,
dilated, tearful, flashing, — the lip, calm, quiv-
ering, smiling, curled, — the wliole counten-
ance, serene, distorted, pale, flushed, — the
hand, with its thousand motions, — the chest,
still or lieaving, — the attitude, relaxed or firm,
cowering or lofty, — in short, the visible char-
acteristics of the whole external man, — are
Nature's hand-writing ; and the tones and
qualities of the voice, soft, low, quiet, broken,
agitated, shrill, grave, boisterous, — are her
ORAL LANGUAGE : let the student copy and
learn. Nature is the goddess, and art and
science her ministers.
Since trifles— TTOike the fum of human things,
And half our mtjery— from our /oi62« springs:
Since life's ba^t joys— consist in peace and ease,
And few— CAn save or serve, but oZJ— can please ;
O let the ungentle spirit— leflm from henee, — *
A rtnall tinkindnas—ia a great offence.
Maxinis. 1. It does not become a law-maker,
to become a law-breaker. 2. Friendship is strongei
than kindred. 3 Idleness is the sepulchre of a liv-
ing man. 4. An orator, wilhont judgment, is like a
horse without a bridle. 5. He that kno^ws when to
speak, knows when to be silent. 6. The truest end
of life— IS to know tlie life th»t never ends. 7
Wine has drowned more than ;he sea, S. Impose
not on others a burthen which you cannot bear
yourself. ^- ^^ overcomes a stout enemy, that
overcomes his own anger. 10. Study tnankuui
as well as books.
Anecdote. Note of Interrogation (T).
Mr. Pope, the poet, who was small and dt'
formed, sneering at the ignorance of a yousig
man, who was very inquisitive, and asked a
good many impertinent questions, inquired
of iiim if he knew what an interrogation
point was ] " Yes sir," said he, " it is a little
crooked thing, like yourself, that asks ques-
tions.^''
Ideas, acquired by taste — are compound
and relative. If a man had never experi-
enced any change, in the sensation produced
by external things, on the organs of taste,
that which he now calls siueet, (if it had been
the quality, subjected to the sense,) would
have conveyed to the mind no possible idea ;
but, alternating witli the quality we call bit-
ter, contrariety — produces the first impres-
sion, and lie learns to distinguisJi the qualities
by names. The sensation — awakened by
Madeira wi7ie, must be very acute, to enable
a man to discriminate, accurately, without a
very careful comparison. Let a particular
kind of Madeira wine remain a few years on
the lees of many other kinds, and who wcul'J
detect the compound flavor, but the contriver ?
Varieties. 1. Inspire a child with right
feelings, and they will govern his actions.
hence, the truth of the old adage, Example
is better than precept. 2. The ^eat difficulty
is, that we give rules, instead of inspiring
sentiments ; it is in vain to lead the under-
.standing with rules, if the affections are not
right. 3. Benjamin West states, that his mo
ther kissed him, eagerly, when he showed her
the likeness he had sketched of his baby sis-
ter; and, he adds, — that kiss made me u
pavnter. 4. Lay by all scraps of material
things, as well as of knowledge, and th?v
will certainly come in use within seven years.
5. Gain all the information you can, learn all
that comes in your way, without being intru-
sive, and provided it does not interfere with
the faithful discharge of other duties. 6. It
was a maxim of the great William Jones,
never to lose an opportunity of learning
anything.
A wfse man poor,
Is like a sacred booh, that's never read;
To himself he lives, and to all else seems dead:
This age— thinks better of a gilded /oo?,
Than of a threadbare saint— in wi$dom''8 schoo*
160
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
433. Sttle. The numerous examples
given throughout this work, afford the neces-
sary means for illustrating all the principles
i)f elocutiQn : let the taste, andjudgmeiit, as
well as the abilities of the student — be test-
ed by a proper selection and application of
them. He must not expect too much from
others, nor take it unkindly, when thrown
upon his own resources : the best way to in-
crease our strength, is to have it often tested.
All who become orators, must make them-
selves orators.
434. Impoktant Questions. 1. If we
do well, shall we not be accepted ? 2. Which
18 more useful, fire, or water ? 3. Ought cir-
cumstantial evidence to be admitted in crim-
inal cases 1 4. Can we be too zealous in
rightly promoting a good cause '.' 5. Which
is worse, a bad education, or no education 1
6. Are not bigotry and intolerance — as des-
tructive to morality, as they are to common
sense ? 7. Are we not apt to be proud of
that which is not our own ? 8. Ought there
not to be duties on imported goods, to en-
courage domestic manufactures ? 9. Is sla-
very right ? 10. Have steamboats been the
cause of more good than evil ?
435. Ignokance and Error. It is al-
most '^s difficult to make one unlearn his er-
rurs, as to acquire knowledge. Mal-infor-
maticMi is more hopeless than won-informa-
tion ', for error is always more busy than ig-
norance. Ignorance — is a blank sheet, on
which we may V'rite ; but error — is a scrib-
bled one, from which we must first erase.
Ignorance — is contented to stand still, with
her back to the truth; but OTor — is more
jn-esumptuous, and proceeds in the same di-
rection. Ignorance has no light, but error
follows a false one. The consequence is,
that error, when she retraces her footsteps,
lias farther to go, before she can arrive at the
truth, than ignorance.
Anecdote. Virtue before Riches. The-
mistocles — had a daughter, to whom two men
were wishing to make love ; one — was very
HcJi, but a simpleton, and the other — poor,
but a very luise man : the father preferred the
lailer, — saying, " I would rather have a man
without Hches, than riches without a man^
Tbe primal duties — shine aloft, like stars ;
Thucharilies, ihaX soothe, and heal, and bless.
Are scattered at the feet of man, V\ke flowers ;
The generous inclination, the juslrwZe,
Kind tiHshes, and good actions, and pure thoughts.
No myntery is here ; no special boon
For hig\, and not for loxo ; {ox proudly graced,
A nd not for meek of lieart. The smoke ascends
To heaven as lightly from the cottage hearth,
^8 from the haughty palace. He, vi'hose soul
Fondcrs this true equality, may walk
n^i} fields of earth — witli gratitude and hope.
Our wishes letigthen — ai our sun declines.
Maxims. 1. Punctuality begets eonfidenoo.,
and is the sure road to honor and respect. 2. A
picture is a poem, without words. 3. Sensible me.i
show their sense, by saying much in few words
4. He, who thinks to cheat another, cheats hitn-
self. 5. Pride is easily seen m others ; but we
rarely see it in ourselves. 6. Wealth is not hts
who gets it, but his who enjoys it. 7. A bad book
is one of the worst of thieves. 8. Tolercitiou
should spring from charity, not from indifference
9. Too much prosperity makes mx)st men fools
10. He, who serves God, has the best master i'S
the world. 11. 0?ie love drives another out. 12
Health is better than wealth.
Influence. Few are aware of the full ex-
tent of meaning contained in this word. If
we can measure the kind and quantity of
influence, that every variety of heat and cold
has on the world of matter ; if we can tell
the influence, that une individual has on an-
other, one society on another, and one na-
tion on another, both for time and eternity;
if we can estimate the influence, that spir
itual beings have on one another, and on
the human race, collectively, and separately ;
also the influence of the Great Spirit on all
creation, then, we are able to see and realize
the mighty meaning of this important word.
Contemplate and weigh tlie influence, tJiat
different kinds of food and drink have on the
human system, by being appropriated to it3
innumerable parts; the influence on body
and mirid of keeping and violating the laws
of life, by thinking, feeling, and acting ; the
influence, which a good or bad person has on
his associates and also their influence on oth-
ers, through all coming time, as well as in the
eternal world, and you will perceive some-
thing of the importance of ceasing to do evil,
and learning to do well ; of living and prac-
ticing whdit is good and true, and thereby
being saved from all that is evil and false.
Varieties. 1. Lord Coke — wTote the fol-
lowing, which he religiously observed ; " Six
hours to sleep, to law's great study six, Four
spend in prayer, the rest to nature fix." 2.
Wm. Jones, a Vjiser economist of the fleeting
hours of life, amended the sentiment thus ;
Seven hoius to law, to soothing slumbers
5even, Ten to the world allot, and all to
heaven. 3. Tl>e truly beautiful and sublime
are to be found within the regions of nature
and probability : the false sublime sets to it-
self no bounds : it deals in thunders, earth-
quakes, tempests, and whirlwinds. 4. Is it
any pain for a bird iofly, a. fish to sunm, or
a boy to play ? 5. Confound not vociferation
with emphatic expression; for a w/i^^per
may be as discriminating as the loudest tones.
6. Speech — is the gift of God. 7. Order— .i
the same in the world, in man, and in the
church; man — is an ejitome of all \heprin
ciples of order.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
161
436. Style, &c. To accomplish your ob-
ject, study the true m-canmg and character
of the subject, so as to express the whole, in
such a way as to be perfectly understood and
felt .- thus, you will transport youi hearers
to the Acene you describe, and your earnest-
ness raise them on the tiptoe of expectation,
and your just arguments sweep everything
before them like a MOUXTAiisr torrent: to ex-
cite, to agitate, and delight, are among the
most powerful arts of persuasion: but the
impressions must be enforced on the mind by
fl command of all the sensibilities and sym-
I>athies of the soul. That your course may
be ever upward and onward, remember, none
but a GOOD man can be a perfect orator; un-
cnrrupted and incorruptible integrity is one
of the most jwwerful engines of persuasion.
437. Impohtant Questioxs. I. Is any
government — as important as the principles
it should protect and extend? 2. Should we
remain passive, when our country, or politi-
cal rights are invaded ? 3. Are hanks bene-
hcial % 4. Have the crusaders been the cause
of more evil than good? 5. Was the war
waged against the Seminoles of Florida, j'ws^.?
6. Which is the more important acquisition,
tvealth, or knowledge ? 7. Is there any neu-
tral ground between good and evil, truth and
falsehood ? 8. Which should we fear most,
the commission of a crime, or the fear of pun-
ishment ? 9. By binding the understanding,
and forcing tlie judgment, can we mend tJie
heart? 10. When proud people meet toge-
ther, are they not always unhappy? 11. Is
not common sense a very rai^e and valuable
article l 1 2. What is the use of a body, with-
out a soul?
438. Manneu and Matteii. The secret
of success in Music, as well as in Elocution,
is, to adapt tlie manner perfectly to the mat-
ter : if the subject be simple, such must be
the manner : if it be gay and lively, or solemn
and dignified, such, or such must be the
manner .• in addition to which, the performer
nmst forget himself, or rather lose himself in
the subject, body and soul, and show his re-
gard to his audience, by devoting himself to
the subject : and hence he must never try to
show himself off: but hide behind the thought
and feeling, and depend upon them to pro-
duce the effect: if tliere is any affectation,
the hold on the heart is in that proportion
relinquished. Oh, when shall we take our
appropriate place and regard use as the grand
object !
But »ur»— to foreigTi climes — we need not range,
Nor torch the aiicimt records of our race,
To leim— the dire elTect of time — and chatige,
Which, in cnirsdves, alu ! we dmily trace ;
ya*, at the darkened eye, the withered face,
Or hoary hair — 1 never will repine ;
But f-pare, 0 Time ! whate'er of mental grace,
Of ca7ia yr, Inve, or sympathy divine ;
'Vhate'er of fancv^t ray, or frienibhip's fiarae ii miiu,
BRONSON. 11
Maxims. 1. Revenge, however sweet, is
dearly bought. 2. Life is half spent, before w»*
know what it is to live. 3. The tvorld is a ivork-
shop, and the wise onfy know how to use its toois
4. A man is valued, as he makes himself valuable
5. Heaven is not to be had, merely, by tvishing for
it. 6. As often as we do good, we sacrifice. 7. Be
careful to keep your loord, even in the most trifiin^
matter. 8. Hearts may agree, tlio' heads may diC-
fe,r. 9. Honestm^n are easily boiind ; but yoi tan
never buid a knave. 10. Experience keeps a dear
school ; hxxi fools will learn in no other.
Anecdote. Curious Patriotism. Some
years ago, one of the convicts at Botany Bay,
wrote a fakce, which was acted with mucJi
applause in some of the tlieatres. Barring-
ton, the notorious pick-pocket, wrote the
prologue ,' which ended with these hnes :
True patriots we ; for, be it understood,
We letl our country — for our country's good
Ignorance — Willfulness. The ignor-
ant— oppose without discrimination. Har-
vey, for asserting the circulation of the bloody
was styled a vagabond, a quack ; and perse-
cuted, through life, by the medical profession.
In the time of Francis I., Ambrose Fare — in-
troduced the ligament, to staunch the blood
of an amputated limb, instead of boiling hot
jritch, in which the bleeding stump had for-
merly been dipped ; and he was persecuted,
with the most relentless rancour, by the Fa-
culty, who ridiculed the idea — of risking a
man's life upon a thread, when boiling pitch
l)ad stood the test for centuries. Medicines
have been proscribed as jsowow, and then pre-
scribed in great quantities ,- the proscription.^
and prescriptions being both adopted with
equal ignorance and credulity. There is no
hope for man, but a thorough and correct
education in the school of truth and goodness.
Varieties. 1. Does the nature of things
depend on tlie matter, of which they are
formed ; or on the laws of constitution, by
which matter is arranged? 2. Is not veget-
able matter formed from oxygen and hydro-
gen ; and animal matter from these two and
carbon? But what are their constituent
parts ? Were their essences created, or are
\!i\e:y eternal? 3. What large portions of tlie
world there are of which we know compara-
tively nottiin% ! and although we are familiar
with our bodies, externally, yet Iiow little of
their internals do even the best physiologists
know? 4. How much is really known of
the nature of mind? and yet there is pre-
sumption enough in some, to decide at once,
upon all the phenomena of the mind, and
prescribe its limits, 5. Thus, man clothes
himself with his fanciful knowledge, and
plays such insane trick.-! before the w<vld. 9P
make the angels ':vcep,
The^tj/ier— is out on the sunny <■«,
And the reinrfeer— bounds o'er the pMtxm free;
And the ptne— has a fringe of a softer pve>t,
And the mwi— looks bright, where niy/od kaU
h«OT.
162
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
439. Effective Sttle. The more your
reading and speaking partake of the freedom
and case of common discourse, (provided
you sustain the object and life of the compo-
sition) the more just, natural, and effective
will be your style of delivery : hence the ne-
cessity of studying nature, of avoiding all
affectatixm, and of never attempting that in
public, which is beyond your ability. Some
mar, or spoil what they are going to say, by
making so much ado over it, thinking they
must do some great thing; when it isal most
as simple as — wa^h and be clean : whatever
is not natural is not agreeable or 'persuasive.
440. Important Questioits. 1. Were
any beings ever created angels 1 2. Is it
right ever to do wrong ? 3. Why was a rev-
elation necessary ? 4. May we not protect
our person and character from assault ? 5.
Does civilization increase happiness? 6.
Which excites more curiosity, the works of
nature, or the works of art? 7. Ought a
witness to be questioned with regard to his
religious opinions, or belief? 8. Was the
general bankrupt law a benefit to the coun-
try 1 9. Why are we disposed to laugh, even
when our best friend falls down 1 10. Which
is the greatest, /ai^ A, hope, or charity? 11.
Should controversy interrupt our friendship
and esteem for each other 1 12. Have chris-
tians any right to persecute each other for
their opinions ?
4:4-1. It is much to be regretted, that our
Uachers are so illy qualified to instruct their
pupils oven in the first rudiments of reading :
and they arc all so much inclined to fall into
bad habits, and the imitation of faulty speafe-
ers, that it requkes constant watchfulness to
keep clear of the influences of a wrong bias,
and fal^e, and merely arbitrary rules. We
never can succeed in this important art, until
we take elementary instruction out of the
hands of ignoramuses, and insist upon hav-
ing persons fully competent to take charge
of the cause. Away then with the idea, that
any one can teach reading and speaking,
merely because he can call the letters, and
«peak the words so as to be understood.
Operating Circumstances* We are too
apt, in estimating a law, passed at a remote peri-
od, v» combine in our consideration, all the subse-
qaent events, which have had an influence upon
K ; instead of conforming ourselves, as we ought,
10 the circumstances, existing at the time of its
So Utb, that, when thy ntmmoni comes— to join
The innumenible cmavan, that moves
To the pade r«lms of »hade, where each shall take
His chamber — in the silent balls of death,
Thou go not, like the quarry-slave, at ni?ht,
SeoMrgtd to his dungeon ; but, nutairud and loothtd
By an wifaltering trust, approach thy fratw,
•LiiKe one, who wnps the draper) of his couch
Atout him, and lies daws— ts ptfoionf dmniu.
Maxims. 1. Happiness is the shadow of
contentment, and rests, or moves forever with itH
original 2. A drop of wisdom is worth a tun of
riches. 3. Whatever does not stand with credit^
will not stand long. 4. Business must be attend-
ed to, at the expense oi every thing else of less iuh
parlance. 5. Our states of mind differ as much
as our spirits and temper. 6. Death — cannot kiS
what never dies, — mutual love. 7. If you will
not hear reason, she wil rap you over your knuck-
les. 8. Open rebuke is better than secret love. 9.
Good counsel is thrown away on the arrogatyt
and self -conceited. 10. He, who resolves to cimetid,
has God, and all good beings on his side.
Anecdote. Vanity Repiwed "I am
very thankful, that my moutii has been open-
ed to preach without any learning^' — said
an illiterate preacher, in speaking against
educating ministers, to preach the gospel.
A gentleman present replied, " Sir, a similar
event took place in Baalambs time "
Education— should give us command of
every faculty of body, and mind — call out all
our powers of observation and reflectiun-
change the creatures of impulse, pryudice
and passion, to thinking, reasoning, and lov-
ing beings ; lead to objects of pursuits, and
habits of conduct, favorable to the happiness
of every individual, and to the whole world,
and multiply all the means of enjoyment,
and diminish, every temptation to vice and seji-
suality ; and true education will do all this.
Varieties. 1. What is moral mr/t^e.? 2.
The greatest danger to public liberty, is frona
vice and idleness. 3. He, that showeth mer-
cy, shall receive mercy. 4. Never attempt
anything more, tlian there is a prospect of
accomplishing. 5. Should not beasts — aa
well as men, be treated with kindness ? 6.
Rational liberty — is diametrically opposeo
to the wildness of anarchy. 7. We should
never ascribe bad motives, when we can sup-
pose good ones. 8. Nothing is more prejU'
dicial — to the great interests of a nation,
than uncertain and varying policy. 9. Is
it lawful — to contend witli others, on any oc-
casion? 10. Prefer tlie evident interests of
the crmimuniiy, to the suggestions of the
pride of consistency. 10. Cleanliness — 1»
next to godliness.
Why have those banished and forbidden legs
Dared once to touch a dust of England's ground >
But more than why — Why have they dared to zn&reh
So many miles upon her peaceful bosom ;
Frightening her pale-faced villagers with war,
And ostentation of despised arms?
Comest thou because the anointed king is heoce
Why, foolish boy, the king is left behind,
And in my loyal bosom lies his powe'.
Were I but now the lord of such not youth
As when brave Gaunt, thy father, and mj'self.
Rescued the Bruck Prince, that young Mars of mnt.
From forth the ranks of many thousftiid French ;
Oh, then, how quickly should tfa'.< arm U raise,
Now prisoner to the palsy, chastise thee.
And minuter cortectiofe tc thy fault 1
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION
163
44% Eloquence. What were all the
attribu es of man, his personal accompUsh-
ments, and his boasted reason, without the
faculty of SPEECH ? To excel in its use is
the highest of human arts. It enables man
to govern whole nations, and to enchant,
while he governs. The aristocracy of Elo-
quence is supreme, and, in a free country,
can never be subdued. It is the pride of
peace, and the glory of war: it rides upon
the zephyr's wings, or thunders in the storm.
Bui, there is in eloquence, in painting, the
life of the canvas, which breathes, moves,
speaks, and is full of action : so is there in
the dance, the poetry and music of motion,
the eloquence of action; whose power con-
sists in the wonderful adaptation of the gra-
ces of the body to the harmonies of 7nind.
There is eloquence in every object of taste,
both in art and nature; in sculpture, gar-
dening, architecture, poetry and music ; all
of which come within the scope and plan of
the orator, that he may comprehend that
intellectual relation, that secret clause in the
liberal professions, which, connecting one
with another, combines the influence of all.
Virtue., alone, ennobles human kind,
And power— should on her glonous footsteps wait.
Wisdom — finds tongues — in trees / books — in run
ning streams; sermons— m stones, and good— in
ivery thing.
7ou pride you — on your golden hue; [too.
Know— the poor g'tot^;-worm— hath its brightness
When men of judgment— feel, and creep their way,
Tlie jJOsiiiVe-pronounce— without delay
'Tis good^ and lovely, to be kind ;
But charity— should not be blind.
A little learning — is a dangerous thing;
Drink deep— or taste not the Pierian spring t
There, shallow draughts — intoxicate the brain,
But, drinking largely, sobers us again.
A h rae ! the laureled wreath, that murder wears,
Biood-nursed and watered with the widoioh tears,
Seems not so foul, — so tainted, — and so dead,
As waves the night-shade round the sceptic^s bed.
443. Music — is the oral language of the
affections; as words are the natural language
of the thoughts. The notes of a tune are
analogous to letters; themeasures — to words;
the strains — to sentences; and the tune, or
musical piece, to a discourse, oration, or po-
em. As there is a great variety oi affections,
and states of affection in the human mind,
so there is a great variety of tunes, through
the medium of which these affections, and
states of affection are manifested. There
are three grand divisions of music, which,
for the sake of distinction, may be denomin-
ated the upjjer, or that which relates to the
Supreme Being ; the middle, or that relating
to created, rational beings, or social music ;
and the lower, or what appertains to that
part of creation below man — called descrip'
iive music.
Ambition — is like tore,— impatient—
Both of d«Zaj/Sj— and rivals.
MaxlniS. 1. Oid age and faded Jlowers, no
remedies can revive. 2. Something should be
learned every time a book is opened. 3. A truly
great man never puts away the simplicity of the
child. 4. The gem cannot be polished without
friction, nor man— perfected, without adversity. 5.
The full stomach cannot realize the evils o[ hun-
ger. 6. When thought is agitated, truth rises. 7.
A child requires books, as much as the merchant
docs goods. 8. Learn by the vices of oAers, how
detestable your own are. 9. Judge not of men or
things, at first sight. 10. Reprove thy friend pri-
vately, and command him publicly.
Anecdote. Sharp Reply. Two country
atlor?ieys overtaking a wagoner, with two
span of horses, and, thinking to be witty at
his expense, asked him, " How it happened,
that his forward horses were so fat, and the
rear ones so lean V The wagoner, know-
ing them, answered, "That his fore span
were lawyers, and the other — clients.''''
Selflslmess — seems to be the complex of
all vices. The love of self, when predom-
inant, excludes all goodness, and perverts all
truth. It is the great enemy oi individuals ,
societies, and communities. It is the cause
of all irritation, the source of all evil. Peo-
ple, who are always thinking oi themselves,
have no time to be concerned about others;
their own pleasure or profit, is the pivot, on
which everything turns. They cannot even
conceive of disinterestedness, and will laugh
to scorn all, who appear to love others, as
well as themselves. Selfishness — is the very
essence of the first original sin, and it must
be corrected, or we are lost.
Varieties. 1. The wind, the falling of
water, humming of bees, a sweet voice read-
ing monotonously, tend to produce sleep;
this is not so much the case with musical
tones. 2. The trilling and quivering of
the voice, which please so much, correspond
to the glittering of light: as the moonbeams
playing on the waves. 3. Falling from a dis-
cord to a concord, which produces so much
sweetness in music, correspond to the affec-
tions, when brought out of a state of dislike;
and also with the taste; which is soon cloy-
ed with what is sweet alone. 4. Music has
great effect on mind and body, making us
warlike or the reverse, soft and effeminate^
grave and light, gentle, kind and pitiful^
&c., according to its nature, and perform-
ance; the reason is, because hearing is more
closely associated with feeling or spirits,
than the other senses. Observe the effect of
Yankee Doodle, God save the King, Mar
seilles Hymn, &.c. 5. When music speaks
to the affection, affection obeys, as when na-
ture speaks, nature replies.
Let gratitude — in acts of goodruss flow;
Our love t-o God, in love to man below.
Be this our joy— to calm the troubled breast,
Support the weak, and succor the distressed •
Direct the wandher, dry the widow^s tear;
The orphan guard, the sinking spirit cheer.
Tho' small our power to «t, tbo- small our skUi^
God— se*:S the heart; .^e judges- by the will.
164
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTIOjS'.
444. There are also three great divisions
in Poetry, which is closely allied to music ;
and both of them originate in the will, or
affections: and hence, the words of the
psalm, hymn, poem, and the music in which
they are sung, chanted, or played, constitute
the forms, or mediums, through which the
affections and sentiments are bodied fortli. Is
not genxiine music from heaven ? and does it
not lead there if not ■perverted ? May not the
same be said of poetry ? Woe betide the per-
son, that converts them into occasions of evil !
How blind is pride ; what eagles are we still —
In matters that belong to other men ;
What beetles — in our own.
Who fights
With passions, and overcomes them, is endued
With the best virtue.—
JVa(u7-c— to each — allots his proper sphere ;
Bat— that forsaken, we like comets are ; [broke,
Tossed thro' ihe void ; by some rude shock we're
And all our boasted ^re— is lost in smoke.
Thick waters— show no images of things ;
Friends— are each others^ mirrors, and should be
Clearer than crystal, or the mountain springs,
And free from cloud, design, or flattery.
'Tis virtxie, that they want ; and wanting its
Honor — no garments to their barks can fit.
445. The Uses of ELoatrE?fCE. In every
situation, in all the pursuits of life, may be
seen the usefulness and benefits of eloquence.
In whatever light we view this subject, it is
evident tliat oratory is not a mere castle in
the air : a fairy palace of/n'5/-work ; desti-
tute of substance and support. It is hke a
magnificent temple of Parian marble, ex-
hibiting t!ie most exact and admirable sym-
metry, and combining all the orders, varieties,
and beauties of architecture.
Habits of Industry. It is highly impor-
tant, that children should bo taught to acquire
habits of industry ; for whatever be their habits
while young, such, for the most part, must they
continue to be in after life. Children — are apt
to think it a great hardship, to be obliged to de-
vote so much time to occupations, at present
perhaps, disagreeable to them; but they ought
to be made to believe, that their tasks are not
only intended for the informing of their minds,
but for the bending of their wills. Good habits
are as easily acquired as bad ones; with the
great advantage of being the only true way to
prospsrity and happiness.
Anecdote. Conciseness. Louis XIV. who
loved a concise style, one day met a priest on
the round, whom he asked hastily — " Whence
come you 1 where are you goinf^ ? wliat do
you ivant .?" The other immediately replied,
"From Bruges, — To Paris, — A Benefice.''^
" You shall have it," replied tlie king.
Servile doubt-
Argues an impotence of mind, that says, —
We fear because we dare not meet misfortune.
Maxims. 1. Want oi punctuality s a species
of falsehood. 2. Pay as you go, and keep from
small scores. 3. He, that has his heart in hia
learning, will soon have his learning in his heart.
4. The empty stomach tias no ears. 5. A man
may talk like a wise man, and yet act like afoot.
6. Rather improve by the errors of others, than
find fault with them. 7. The devil turns his
back, when lie finds the door shut against him.
8, Better be upright, with poverty, thiin depraved
with abundance. 9. The value of things, is iioTer
so strongly realized^ a» when we are deprived of
them. 10. None are so deaf as thoKe v?ho will
not hear.
Reform. He, that looks back to the his-
tory of juankind, will often see, that in poli-
tics, jurisprudence, religion, and all the
great concerns of society, refjrm — has usu-
ally been the work of reason, slowly awaken-
ing from the lethargy of ignorance, gradu-
ally acquiring co7J/if/ence in her own strength,
and ultimately triumphing over the domin-
ion of prejudice and custom.
Varieties. 1. What is mercy and its
uses? 2. Individuals and nations, fail in
nothing they boldly, attempt, when sustained
by virtuous purpose, and determined resolu-
tion. 3. Some persons' heads are like bee-
hives: not because they are all in abuzz, but
that they have separate cells for every kind
of store. 4. What nature offers, with a smil-
ing face, fruit, herb, and grain— -are just
what man's pure instinct would cfioose for
food. 6. The majority — ought never io
trample on the feelings, or violate the just
rights — of the minority ; they should not
triumph over tlie fallen, nor make any but
temperate and equitable use of their power
6. Death is the enacted penalty of nature's
violated laws. 7. Was it causeless, that
washing — was introduced, as a religious
rite, seeing tJiat its observance is so essential
to the preservation of health?
And wlien the soul— is fullest, the hushed toiigrte,
yoicelessly trembles — like a lute unstrung.
There's beauty — in the deep ;
The wave — is bluer than the sky ;
And tho' the light — shine briglit on high.
More softly do the sfa-gems glow,
That sparkle in the depths beloiv ;
The rainbow^s tints — are only made
When on the waters they are laid,
And sun and moon — most sweetly shine
Upon the ocean^s level brine :
There's beauty in the deep.
There's music — in the deep :
It is not in the surfs rough rear,
Nor in the whispering, shelly shore —
They — are but earthly sounds, that tell
How little — of the sea-nymph's shell.
That sends its loud, clcarnote abioad,
Or winds its softness mrough the flood
Echoes through groves— with coral ga>
And dies, on spongy banks, away :
There's music in the ("eep .'
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
lot
446. Ouii Field. The oratofs^eW is the
universe of mind and matter, and his sub-
jeds, aJI that is known of God and man.
Study the principles of things, and never
rest satisfied with theresults and applications.
All distinguished speal<ers, whether they ever
paid any systematic attention to the pri7i-
ciples of elocution or not, in their most suc-
cc^fful efforts, conform to tliem; and their
imperfections are the regults of deviations
from these principles. Think correctly — ra-
ther tha.n finely ,• sound conclusions are much
better than beautiful conceptions. Be useful,
rather than showy; and speak to the pur-
pose, or not speak at all. Persons become
eminent, by the force of mind — the power
of thinking comprehensively, deeply, closely,
usefully Rest more on the thought, feeling,
and expression, than on the style ; for lan-
guage is like the atmosphere — a medium of
vision, intended not to be seen itself, but to
make otlier objects seen ; the more transpar-
ent however, the better.
Hast thou, \n feverish, and unquiet sleep^ —
Dreamt — tli't some merciless demon of the air,
Rais'd thee a/o/i,— and held thee by the hair,
Over the hrow — of a down-look'mg steep,
Gaping, bdow. into a chasm — so deep,
Th't. by tlie utmost straining of thine eye.
Thou canst no resting place descry;
Not e'en abnsh—lo save thee, shouldstthou sweep
Adown the black descent; that then, the hand
Suddenly parted- thee, and left thee there,
Holding— b\n by f7iger-Vps, the bare
And jagged ridge above, that seems as sand,
To crumble 'neath thy touch? — If so, I deem
Th't thou liasl had rather an ugly dream.
447. Vocal Music In foca^ music, there
s a union of music and language — the lan-
ruage of affection and thought; which in-
cludes the whole man. Poetry and music
ire sister arts ; their relationship being one
of fieaven -like intimacy. The essence of
poetry consists in fine perceptions, and vivid
expressions, of that subtle and mysterious
analogy, that exists between the physical and
moral world ; and it derives its power from
the correspondence of natural things with
spiritual. Its effect is to elevate the thoughts
and affections toward a higher state of ex-
istence.
Anecdote. A powerful Stimulous. When
Lord Erskine made his debut, at the bar, his
agitation almost overcame him, and he was
just about to sit down. " At that moment,"
eaid he, " I thought I felt my little children
tugging at my gown, and the idea roused me
to an exertion, of which I did not think my-
stlf capable.''
Tis not enough— your counsel still be true ;
Blunt truths more »7wc/i4«/than nice falsehoods do.
Men inu»f be tausrlit — aa if you taught them not,
And things unhiomn — propos'd aa things /org-ot.
Witlmut eood-Lreeding, truth is disapprov'd;'
T^-a: only niaket *ur;nw sense —Wow'rf.
Maxims. 1. Poverty of nunJL Is ofte.i con-
cealed under the ^tixhoi splendor. 2. Vice — is in.
famous, even in a prince; and virtue, honorable,
even in a peasant. 3. Prefer loss — to unjust gain,
and solid sense — to wit. 4. He, that would be
well spoken ofhintsdf, must speak well of others.
5. lievfty one would mend himtelf, we should all
be mended. 6. A sound mind is not tc> be shaken
with jwpular applause. 7. The best way to see
divine light, is to put out our own 8. Some
blame themselves for the purpose of being praised.
9. Nothing needs a trick, but a trick; sincerity
loathes one. 10. As virtue has itu own reward, so
vice has its own punishment.
Wliat is Wortlvl The spirit of the agi
says, — ^^ Worth — means wealth; and wis-
no3r — the art of getting it." To be rich is
considered, by most persons — a merit ; to be
poor, an offence. By ihis false standard, it is
not so important to be wise and good, as to
be rich in worldly wealth ; thus it is, every
thing, as well as every person, has its price,
and may be bought or sold ; and thus — do
we coin our hearts into gold, and exchange
our souls — for earthly gain. Hence, it is said
" a man is worth so ntuch;'" — i. e. worth just
as much as his property or money, amount
to, and no inore. Thus, wealth, worth, or
gain, is not apj^lied to science, to knowledge,
virtue, or happiness ; but to pecuniary ac-
quisition ; as if nothing but gold were gain,
and everything else were dross Thus the
body — is Lives, clothed in purple and fine
linen, and faring sumptuously every day;
while the mind — is Lazarus, lying in rags at
the gate, and fed with the crumbs, that fall
from the tables of Time and Sense.
Varieties. 1. Instead of dividing man-
kind into the luise and foolish, the good and
wicked, would it not be better to divide them
into more or /e.w wise and foolish, mwe or
less good or wicked! 2. It was a proof of
low origin, among the ancient Romans, to
make mistakes in pronouncing words ; for it
indicated tliat one had not been instructed by
a nursury maid: what is the inference':^
That those maids were well educated ; par-
ticularly, in the pronunciation of the Latin
language, and were treated by families as
favorites. How many nursery maids of our
day enjoy such a reputation, and exert such
an infiuence? Indeed, how many mothers
occupy such a pre-eminence ? Let wisdom
and affection answer, and furnish the remedy.
3. The purest and best of precepts and ex-
amples should be exhibited to our youth, in
the development of their minds, and tie for-
mation of their characters.
The seas — are quiet, when the winds are o'er;
So, calm are we, when passimts — are no more ;
For then, we know how vain it was— to boast
Ot fleeting things, so certain to be lost.
Clouds of (affliction— trova our younger eyee,
Conceal that envptiness, that age descries ;
The iourt dArk cottage, batter'd and decay'd^
Lets in new ligdt through chinks, that time has madM.
16U
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
448. The Humak Voice. Among all
the wonderful varieties of artificial instru-
ments, which discourse excellent music,
where shall we find one that can be compared
to the human voice ? And where can we
find an instrament comparable to the human
mind ] upon whose stops the real musician,
the poet, and the orator, sometimes lays his
hands, and avails himself of the entire com-
pass of its magnificent capacities ! Oh ! the
length, tlie breadth, the height, and the depth
of music and eloquence .' They are high as
heaven, deep as hell, and broad as the uni-
verse.
THE POWER OF IMAGINATION.
The lunatic, the lover, and the poet,
Are, of IMAGINATION— all compact :
One — sees more devils — than vast hdl can hold;
Thnt—\s the madman : the lover, all asfrantu;,
?ees Helen's beauty— in a brow of Egypt :
The poet's eye, in a ^ne frenzy rolling, [heaven ;
Doth glance from heaven— to earth, from earth— Ui
And, as imagination— botZies/orfA
The forms of things unknown, the poeVs pen,
Forms them to shapes, and gives to airy nothing,
A local habitation, and a name.
449. Cicero and DiMOSTHEisrES. An
orator, addressing himself more to the pas-
fiions, naturally has much pSssionate ardor :
whilst another, possessing an elevation of
ifyle and majestic gravity, is never cold,
though he has not the same vehemence;
tn this respect do these great orators differ.
Demosthenes — abounds in concise sublimity;
Cicero, — in diffuseness : the former, on ac-
count of his destroying, and consuming ev-
erything by his violence, rapidity, strength,
and vehemence, may be compared to a hurri-
cane, or thunderbolt: the latter, to a wide
extended confiagration, spreading in every
direction, with a great, constant, and irre-
nstibleflame.
Aneedote. Envy and Jealousy. Colonel
Thornton, of the British army, could not bear
to hear the Americans praised. When he
was at Charleston, S. C, some ladies were
eulogising Washington ; to which he replied,
with a scornful air, " I should be very glad to
get a sight of your Col. Washington ; I have
heard much talk about him, but have never
feen kim.^'' " Had you looked behind you, at
tlie battle of Cowpens,'" rejoined one of the
ladies, " you might easily have enjoyed that
pleasure."
With illustration jimple,yel profound, and with unfaltering leal
He spake from a warm heart, and made even cold heartt/eeZ;
nil — is eloquence — 'tis the intense,
Innpagsioned /eruor — of a mind, deep fraught
With native enagy, when touL, and sense
Burst forth, embodied in the burning- thought ;
When look, emotion, tone, and all combine ;
When the whole man — is eloquent with mind ;
& fonn that comes not to the coil or quest,
But fixnn the gifted soul, and the deep feeling breast.
The farmers patient care — and toil
Are oftener to znting— limn the so*/,
Maxims. 1. Blind men must not undeitafeo to
judge of colors. 2. Gamesters and race-horses nev-
er last long. 3. Forgiveness and smiles are the
best revenge. 4. They, are not our best friends,
who praise us to our faces. 5. An honest man's
word is as good as his bond. 6. Never fkh for
praise ; it is not worth the bait. 7. None bat a
good man can become a perfect orator 8. Culti-
vate a love of truth, and cleave to it win all your
heart. 9. Female dc^tcaci/ is the best prfctervntive
of female honor. 10. Idleness is the itfuse of
weak minds, and the holliday oi fools.
Tlie Trine in Man. There are three
things of which human beings consist, the
soul, the mind and the body ; the inmost is
the soul, the mediate is the mind, and the
ultimate the body : the first is that which re-
ceives life from Him, who is life itself; the
second, is the sphere of tl;e activities of that
hfe ; and the third, is the medium through
which those activities are manifested: but it
should be remembered, that tliere is, as the
apostle says, " a natural body, and tlierc is
a spiritual body."
Varieties. 1. Nature — makes no em'tn-
dations ; she labors for all: her^s is not mo-
saic work. 2. The more there is prosaic in
orators, poets and urtists, the less are they
natural; the less do they resemble the copi-
ous streams of the fountain. 3. The more
there is of progression, the more there is of
truth, and nature ,- and the more extensive^
general, durable, and noble is the effect:
thus is formed the least plant, and the most
exalted man. 4. Nature is everywhere sim-
ilar to herself; she never acts arbitrarily^
never contrai-y to her laws : the same wis-
dam and power produce all varieties, agreea-
ble to one law, one will. Either all things
are subject to the law of order, or nothing w
Home! liow that Hissed word— thrills the ear'
In it — what recoKxtions blend I
It tells of childhood^s scenes so dear,
And speaks — of many a cherisheil/n'eji/t
O ! through the world, where'er we rcc-fx,.
Though souls he pure — and lips be ktnd.
The heart — w'aXi fondness — turns to home,
Still turns to those — it left behind.
The bird, that soars to yonder skies.
Though nigh to heaven, still seems unblessed ;
It leaves them, and with rapture flies
Downward — to its own wwcA-loved nest.
Though beauteous scenes— may meet its view.
And breezes blow— from balmy groves,
With wing untired—m\A bosom true,
It turns — to that dear spot it loves.
When heaven—shall bid this soul depart,
This form — return to kindred earth.
May the last throb, wliich swells my heart
Heave, where it started into birth.
And should affection — shed one teat ,
Should/n'enris/itp — linger round my tomb ;
The tribuie will be doubly dear,
When given by Hiose of '■'■hoine. sweet "lome."
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
167
430. Poetry — may be written in rhyme,
or oiank verse. Rhyme is the correspond-
ance r.f sounds, in the ending of two (or
mere "1 successive or alternate words or sylla-
bles of two or more Unes, forming a couplet
jr triplet : see the various examples given.
Rythmus, in the poetic art, means the rela-
tive duration of the time occi.pied in pro-
nouncing the syllables ; in the art of music
it signifies the relative duration of the sound,
that enters into the musical composition :
sec measures of speech and song.
Lo ! the poor hviian, — whose untutored mind,
Sees God in clouds^ or hsars him in the wind :
His soul proud science— never taught to |tray
Far as the solar vcalk, or milky way ;
Yet, simple nature to his hope has given,
Behind the cloud- topp'd hill, an humble heaven; —
Some safer world — in depth of wood embraced,
Some happier island — in the watery waste;
\Vherc slaves, ouoe more, their native land behold,
So FIENDS torment — no christians thirst for gold.
451. Skips and Slides. By closely ob-
serving the movements of the voice, when
under the perfect command of the mind, you
will see that it changes its pitch, by leaps of
jne or more notes, in passing from word to
vvord, and sometimes from syllable to sylla-
ble, and also slides lipwards and downwards ;
which skips and slides are almost infinitely
diversified, expressing all the shades of tho't
and feeling, and playing upon the minds of
the listeners, with a kind of supernatural
power, the whole range of tunes from grave
to gay, from gentle to severe. The worlds
of mind and matter are full of music and
Dratory.
Even ags itself— ia cheered with music;
It wakes a glad remembrance of our youth,
CjIIs back past joys, and warms us into transports.
Nature — is the glass — reflecting God,
As, by the sea — reflected is the sun.
Too glorious to be gazed on — in his sphere.
The night
Hath been to me — a more, familiar face
Thau that of man; and, in her starry shade
Of dim, and solitary loveliness,
I learned the language — of another world.
Parting — they seemed to tread upon the air,
Twin roses, by the zephyr blown apart.
Only to meet again — more close, and share
The inward /rag-rance — of each other''s heart.
Notliiug — is made out of Notlxing.
Good, in his "Book of Nature," contends, that
liiere is no absurdity, in the supposition, of God
creating something— out of nothing; and he main-
tains, that the proposition, conveying this idea, is
only relatively absurd, and not absolutely. But it
IS absolutely absurd. When God said, "Let there
be light, and there was light," light cannot be said
to have been created out of nothing, but from God
himself; not out of God, tut by his Divine Will,
through his Divine Truth. So, we may conceive,
that God, by his Will, made atmospheric matter,
and then created it in form.
Enou-} 1 to live in tempest; die in port.
Maxims. 1. It i« .. < rter to io and not prom'
ise, than to promise and not perform. 2. A ben^
is a common tie between the giver and receiver
3. The consciousness of well doing is an ample re-
to %rd. 4. As benevolence is the most sociable of
all virtues, so it is the most extensive. 5. Do not
postpone until tomorrow, what ought lo be done
to-day. 6. Without a friend, the world is but a
wilderness. 7. The jnore we kjiow our hearts, the
less shall we be disposed to trust in ourselves. 8.
Obedience is belter than sacrifice, and is insepera-
bly wedded to happiness. 9. We should not run
out of the path of duty, lest w^e run into the path
of danger. 10. He doeth mu^h, that doeth a thing
well.
Anecdote. Bloro, duke of Milan, having
displayed before the foreign embassadors his
magnificence and his riches, which excelled
those of every other prince, said to them :
" Has a man, possessed of so much wealth
and prosperity, anything to desire in this
world?" " One thing ofily,'''' said one of
them, " a 7iail \o fix the wheel o{ fortune.''''
Swearing. Of all the crimes, that ever
disgraced society, that of swearing admits of
the least palliation. No possible benefit can
be derived from it ; and nothing but perverse-
ness and depravity of human nature, would
ever have suggested it ; yet such is its pre-
valence, that by many, it is mistaken for a
fashionable acquirement, and considered, by
unreflecting persons, as indicative oi energy
and decision of character.
Varieties. 1. Duty sounds sweetly, to
those who are in the love, and under the in-
fluence of truth and goodness: its path does
not lead thro' i\\oxny places , and over cheer-
less ivastes ; but winds pleasantly, amid
green meadows and shady groves. 2. A new
truth is, to sojne, as impossible of discovery,
as the new world was to the faithless cotem-
poraries of Columbus; they do not believe in
such a thing ; and more than this, they will
not believe in it: yet they will sit in judg-
ment on those who do believe in such a con-
traband article, and condemn them without
mercy.
THE FALLS OF NIAGARA.
The thoughts are strange that crowd into my brain,
While I look upward to thee. It would seem
As if God — pour'd thee from his " hollow hand,^^
And hung his bow upon thine awful /ron«/
And spoke, in that loud voice, which seem'd to him
Who dwelt in Fatmos — for his Saviour''s sake,
" The sound of many waters /" and had bade
Thy /ood— to chronicle the ages back.
And notch His centuries— in the eternal rocks.
Deep— callelh unto deep. And what are loa,
That hear the $«es<tcn— of that voice sublime »
O ! what are all the notes, that ever rung
From war^s vain trumpet, by thy thundering side .
Yea, what is all the riot — man can make
In his short life, to thy unceasing roar!
And yet, bold babbler what art thou— to Him
Who drown'd a wmia, and heaped the vmten fax
Above its loftiest mountains ?—a. light wave.
That breaks, and whispers— of its Maker's might
Say, johat can Chloe want? she wants a heart.
168
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
452. Observations. N« one can ever
Decome a good reader, or speaker, by reading
in a hook; because what is thus acquired
is more from tkougkt than from feeling ;
and of course, has less of freedom in it;
and we are, from the necessity of the case,
more or less constrained and mechanical.
What we hear, enters more directly into the
ajfectuous part of the mind, than what we see,
and becomes more readily a part of ourselves,
i. e. becomes conjoined instead of being ad/-
joined: relatively, as the food which we eat,
digests and is appropriated, and a plaster
that is merely stuck on the body. Thus, we
can see a philosophic reason why faith is
said to come by hearing, and tliat we walk
by faith, and not by sight : i. e. from love,
tJiat casts out the fear that hath torment ; that
fear which enslaves body and mind, instead
of making both free.
Ever distinguish substances— (torn sound ;
There is, in liberty, what gods approve ;
And only men, like gods, have taste to share ;
There is, in liberty, what pride perverts.
To serve sedition, and perplex command.
True liberty— leaves all things free, but guilt ;
And fetters everything-— hut art, and virtue ;
False liberty— holds nothing bound, but power.
And lets loose — every tie, that strengthens law.
Home — is man's ark, when trouble springs ;
When gathering tempests — shade his morrow ;
And woman's love — the bird, that brings
His peace-branch — o'er a flood of sorrow.
453. CoNauERiNG-LovE. To learn al-
most any art, or science, appears arduous, or
difficult, at first ; but if we have a heart for
any work, it soon becomes comparatively
easy. To make a common watch, or a watch
worn in a ring ; to sail over the vast ocean,
&c., seems at first, almost impossible ; yet
they are constantly practiced. The grand
secret of simplifying a science is analyzing
it ; in beginning with what is easy, and pro-
ceeding to the combinations, difficult, most
diflficult: By this method, miracles may be
wrought : the hill of science must be ascend-
ed step by step.
Conceptions. Would it not be well for
metaphysicians —to distinguish between the
conception of abstract truth, and the conception
of past perception, by calling the latter— mental
perception, as contradistinguished from all other ?
Anecdote. Rouge. A female, praising
Uie beautiful color, used by the artist on her
miniature, was told by him, that he did not
doubt she was a woman of good taste ; for
Uiey bothhoughtiheir rouge at the same shop.
True philosophy discerns
A ray of heavenly light— gilding all forms
Terrestriil,— in the vast, the minute.
The unanbiguous footsteps of a Ood,
Who gives his lustre — to an insert's wing,
And wheels his throne, upon the rolling worlds.
Maxims. 1. A people's education- is a na^
tion's best defence. 2. Let not the sun go down
upon your wrath. 3. Who aims at excellence,
will be above mediocrity ; and who aims at me-
diocrity, will fall short of it. 4. Forbearance is
a domestic je/ceZ. 5. The affection of parents is
best shown to their children, by teaching them
what is good and true. 6. Feeble are the efforts
in which the heart has no share. 7. By taking
revenge, a man is but even with his enemy; but
in passing it over— he is superior. 8. Loveliness
needs not the aid of ornament; bui is, when wi-
adorned, adorned the most. 9. No one ever diti,
nor ever can, do any one an injury, without do-
ing a ^r/a«er injury to himself. 10. It is better
not to know the truth, than to know it, and not'
do it.
Pursuit of Knowledge. He, that en
larges his curiosity after the works oi nature,
demonstrably multiplies the inlets to happi-
ness; therefore, we should cherish ardor
in the pursuit of useful knowledge, and re-
member, that a blighted spring makes a bar-
ren year, and that the vernal flowers, how-
ever beautiful and gay, are only intended by
nature as preparatives to autumnal /rwi/s.
Varieties. 1. Bimness letters should al-
ways be written with great clearness and per^
spictiity : every paragraph should be so
plain, that the dullest fellow cannot mistake
it, nor be obliged to read it twice, to under-
stand it. 2. Lawyers and their clients re-
mind one of two rows of persons at a fire ;
07ie — passing full buckets, the other return-
ing ew^j/y ones. 3. The hump of self-esteem
is so prominent on some men's heads', that
they can't keep their hats on in a windy day.
4. A crow will fly at the rate of 20 miles an
hour; a hawk, 40; and an eagle 80. 5.
The heaviest fetter, that ever weighed down
the limbs of a captive, is as the robe of the
gossamer, compared with the pledge of a
man of honor. 6. An envious person, wax-
eth lean with the fatness of his neighbor. 7,
Nature — supplies the raw material, and edii-
cation — is the mamfacturer.
The dumb shall sing, the Zawiehis crutch forego,
And leap, exulting, like the bounding roe.
Distrustful sense with modest caution speaks ;
It still looks home, and short excursions makes j
But rattling nonsense in full volleys breaks.
Come, gentle Spring, etherial mildness, come.
And, from the bosom of yon dropping cloud.
(While music wakes around,) vailed in a showet
Of shadowing roses, on the plains descend.
The man, that dares traduce, because he can.
With safety to himself, is not a man.
Slander — meets no regards from noble minds |
Only the 6ase— believe what the base utter.
If I lose mine honor, I lose myself;
Mine honor — is my life ; both grow in one ;
Take honor from me — and my life is dcn».
He was a man, take him for all in all,
I shall not looV jpon his like again.
.■^RINCIPLLS OF ELOCUTION.
Wj9
4154. Inflections and Intonations.
The author is perfectly satisfied, that most
of his predecessors have depended entirely
'XK) much upon the wfiections, to produce
variety, instead of upon the intonations of
the voice : the former, invariably maizes rne-
chanical readers and speakers; v^rhile the
latter, being founded in nature, makes natu-
ral ones : the one is of the liead, and is tlie
result of thought and calculation ; and the
other of tlie heart, and is the spontaneous ef-
fusion of the affections : the former spreads
a tail before the mind; the latter takes it
away. Is it not soP Choose ye. Nature
iknows a great deal more than art ; listen to
Iicr teachings and her verdict.
There are two hearts, whose movements thrill
In unison, so closely sweet!
That, -pulse to pulse, responsive still,
That both must heave, or cease to beat ;
There are t^vo souls, whose equal flow
In gentle streams — so calmly run.
That when they part, (they part?) ah no ;
They cannot part, — their souls are one.
No marvel woman should love goiters, they bear
So much of fanciful similitude
To her own history ; like herself, repaying,
With Buch sweet interest, all the cherishing.
That calls their beauty, and their sweetness forth ;
And, likeAer, too, dying — beneath neglect.
455. Ignorance and Ehhok. How fre-
quently an incorrect mode of pronunciatirm,
and of speaking, is caught from an ignorant
nurse, or favorite servant, which infects one
through life ! so much depends on first im-
pressions and habits. Lisping, stammering,
and smaller defects, often originate in the
same way, and not from any natural defect,
or impediment. If parents and teachers
would consider the subject, they might see
the importance of their trust, and be induced
to fulfill their respective offices in a conscien-
tious manner : to do wrong, in any way, is
a sin.
Association of Ideas. We may trace
the power of association — in the growth and
development of some of the most important
principles of human conduct. Thus, under
the feudal system, appeals from the baronial
tribunals were first granted to the royal
courts, in consequence of the delay, or refusal
o( justice ; afterwards, they were taken, on
account of the injustice or iniquity of the
sentence. In the same way, a power, ap-
pealed to from necessity, is at length resorted
to from choice -, till finally, what was once a
privilege is, in certain cases, exacted as an ob-
ligation. This principle is full of political
and social wisdom, and cannot be too deeply
studied by those, who wish to analyze the
onuses and motives of human conduct.
Tlie purest treasure, — mortal ties afford,
Is — svotiest reputation ; that — away,
Mf D are but gilded loam, and painted elay. 1
22
Maxims. 1. The tvise man thinks he knows
hul little; the /ooZ tli inks he knows it o.W. 2. He,
who cannot govern himself, cannot govern others.
3. He is a poor wretch, whose lopes are confinet!
to this world. 4. He, who employs himself well,
can never want for something to do. 5. TJmbTa,ge
should never be taken, where offence was never
intended. 6. Deride not the unfortunate. 7. l\\
conversation, avoid the extremes of ialkattvemss
and sileyice. 8. Lawyers^ gowns are often lined
with the willfubiess of their clients. 9. Good booke
are the only paper currency, that is belter than
silver or gold. 10. No man may be both accuser^
and judge. 11 . At every trifle—scorn tc take offence.
Anecdote. A Rose. A blind man, having
a shrew for his wife, was told by one of his
friends, that she was a rose. He rephe<i, " 1
do not doubt it; for I feel the thorns daily."
Laconics. He who would become dis-
tinguished in manhood, and eminently useful
to his country, and the world, must be con-
tented to pass his boyhood and youth in ob'
scurity, — learning tliat which he is to prac-
tice, when he enters upon the stage of action.
There are two kinds of education ; the liber-
al and the servile; the former puts us in
possession of the prtnciples and reasons of
actions and things, so far as they are capable
of being known or interrogated : the latter
stops short at technical rules and methods,
without attempting to understand thereasona
or principles on which they are grounded.
Varieties. 1. We may apjrrehend the
works and word of God, if we cannot fully
comprehend them. 2. A man passes, fof
what he is worth. The world is full of judg-
ment-days; and into every assembly, that a
man enters, in every action he attempts, ho
is guag'd and stamp'd. 3. It is base, and
that is the one base thing in the universe, to
receive favor, and render none. 4. How shall
we know, that Washington — was the most
prudent and judicious statesman, that ever
lived] By carefully observing his actions,
and comparing them with those of other men,
in like circumstances. 5. The union of science
and religion, is the marriage of earth and heav-
en. 6. Mankind can no more be stationary
than an individual. 7. The virtue of woinm
is often the love of reputation and quiet.
Satan's supposed speech to his legions.
Princes, PotaxtcUa,
Warriors, the flower of Heaven ! mice yoora, novo -loit,
Ifsuch astonishment as lAts— can seize
Eternal spirits ; or liave ye chosen this place,
After tlie toil of battle, to repose
Your wearied virtue, for the ease you find
To slumber liere, as in tlie vales of Heaven ?
Or, in this abject posture— \aie ye swom—
To adore the Conqueror ! who now beholds
Cherulf—3iui seraph — pollinn- in the flood.
With scat terM arms and ensipis ; till anoD
Hb swift pursuas—trom Heaven's gate»— rfiserrn
The advantage, and descending, tread us (iotOfl,
Thug droopine;. or with linked thunderbottt
Transfix us to tlie bottom of this gulff
Juxilie, ARISE, or be forever fallen
170
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
456. The PassiOjXS xnv Actio's. The
numan mind we contemplate under two
grand divisions, called Will and Understand-
ing : the former is the receptacle, or conti-
nent, of our passions, emotions, affections ;
the latter — of our thoughts. To attend to
the workings of mind, to trace the power
that external objects have over it, to discern
the nature of the emotions and affections,
and to comprehend the reasons of their be-
ing affected in a particular manner, must have
a direct influence on our pursuits, character
and happiness, as private citizens, and as
public speakers.
What notliing earthly gives, or can destroy,
The soul's calm sunshine, and the heartfelt jo?/,
I i virtue's prize.
l-A faith, and hope, the world will disagree;
But all mankind's concern — is charity.
lie gave to mercy — all he had, a tear ; [friend.
He gained from heaven, ('twas all he wished,) a
In the faithful husbandman — you see,
^Vhat all — true christian? — ought to be.
Speak of me, as I atn ,• nothing extenuate,
Nor set down aught — ni malice.
Honor, and shame, from no condition rise ;
Act well your part, there all the honor lies.
457. An accurate analysis of the passions
and affections is, to the moralist, as well as
the student in elocution, what tlie science of
anatomy, and physiology is to the physi-
cian and surgeon: it constitutes the first
principles of rational practice for both; it is,
in a moral view, the anatomy of the heart ,-
discloses why and how it beats; indicates
appearances in a sound and healthy state,
and detects diseases, with their causes, and
is much more fortunate in applying remedies.
Stages of Progress. Useful discoveries
and improvements generally have four distinct
stages in their progress to universality. The first
IS, when the theory is pronounced false, contrary to
experience, absurd and unworthy of the attention
of sensible men. The second is, when they are
claimed as having been known before; thus, de-
priving the medium— of all credit for more indus-
try, discrimination and originality, than others.
The third is, when they are denounced as perilous
utnovations, endangering the religion and morals
of socisty. The fourth is, when they are receiv-
ed as established truths by every body ; the only
wonder being, that they should ever have been
doubted, they are in such perfect harmony with
tie laws of the universe.
The meek-ey'd mom appean, mother ot dews,
At first, faint glimmering — in the dappled eart •
Till, far o'er ether— spreads the wid'uing g^Zoio ;
And, from bpfore the histre of her face,
White break the clouds away. With gutcften'd step,
Brown night— retires ; young day pourg in apace.
And ope-.is all the liwnv prospect wide.
The dripping rock, the mount xui's misty top,
Swell on the sight, and l/rightcn— with the daton.
If, on a sudden, he begins to rise,
No roan tliat liiies can count his enemies.
IJaconics. 1. All men, possessed of reai
power, are vprigkf and honest: craft is but the
substitute of power. 2. To answer ttit by reason,
is like trying to hold an eel by the tail 3. Fre-
quent intercourse often forms such a similarity,
that we not only assure a mental likeness, but
contract some resemblance in voice and features.
4. The more ideas included in our own words, and
the more cases an axiom, is applied to, the more
extensive and potverful will they be. 5. The im-
provement of the internal, will also be the im-
provement of tlie external. 6. A little vice often
deforms the whole countenance,- as one single
false trait in a portrait, makes the whole a carri-
cature. 7. The noblest talents may rust in indo-
knee; and the most moderate, by industry, may be
astonishinglt/ improved.
Anecdote. A Good Hint. A clergyman
and Garrick the tragedian, were spending
an eveniiig together ; and among otfier tojv
ics of conversation, that of delivery was in-
troduced. The man of the pulpit asked Gar-
rick. " Why is it, you are able to produce so
much more effect, with the recital of your fie-
tions, than we do. by the delivery of the
most important truths?" The man of the
stage replied — " My Lord, you speak truths,
as if they were fictions ; we speak fictions,
as if they were truths.^*
Action. To do an ill action is base ; to
do a good one, which involves you in no dan-
ger, is nothing more than common ; but it ig
the property of a truly good man, to do great
and good things, though he risk et;er?/thing
by it.
Varieties. 1 . The coin, that is most cur-
rent among mankind— is flattery : the (mly
benefit of which is, that by hearing what we
are not, we may be instructed what we ou^ht
to be. 2. Bring the entire powers of your
mind, to bear on whatever sttidy you under-
take, with a singleness of purpose, and you
will not feil of success. 3. The predtwii-
nance of a favorite study, affects ail the sub-
ordinate purposes of the intellect. 4. Vex
not thy heart, in seeking — what were far bet-
ter unfound. 5. In reference to certain pri7i
ciples and persons, unstable people cry out,
at first, "All hail," — but afterwards,
"cnucifT! cuucift!" 6. Luxtiry is an
enticing pleasure, which hath honey in her
mouth, but gall in her heart, and a stiiig in
her embrace. 7. Let your rule of action l)e,
to perform, fait hftilly, and without solicitude,
the duty of the present hour ; let the future
take care of itself.
Two tiMki are ours, tO'tiioto— and understand,
Evil, and good, and name their various band;
But voorthier far, with cheerful will, to choose
Whate'er is good, and all the ill— refuse.
Why all this toil— for triumphs of an hour?
What though we wade in wealth, or soar mfam»/
Earth's highest station ends in — " Here he Ites:"
And— <'dtw«—todt«<"— concludes her noblest song.
Virtue itself 'scapes not caiumn.cc? siiokes.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
171
4*8. The Passions. There are three
things involved in the exhibition of the -pas-
sions; viz. the tones of the %oice, the appear-
ance,of the countenance, and rhetorical ac-
tion; the first is addressed to the ear only,
the latter to the eye. Here, then, is another
language to learn, after the pupil has learned
,.he written, and the vocal languages : how-
ever, the language of the passio7is may be
said to be written — by the hand of Nature.
"./onlemplate the passions separately, and
comhmed, and seek for examples to illus-
trate them.
For praise, too dearly loved, or warmly sought,
Enfeebles all internal strength of thought ;
And the weak, within itself m\h\es,i,
TiSans, for all pleasures, on another^ breast.
Friendship, like an evergreen,
Will hrave the inclement blast,
And still retain the bloom o( spring,
When summer days — are past;
And tho' the wintry sky should lower,
And dim, the cheerful day.
She still perceives a vital power,
Unconscious — of decay.
Jealousy ! thy own green food.
Thy joy — is vengeance, death, and blood!
Thy love — is wrath! thy breath — is sighs!
Thy life — suspicious sacrifice!
459. Truth. Some men say, that " wealth
is power" — and some that ^'■talent — is power" — and
some that ^^ knowledge — is power" — and others,
that ^^ authority — is power"— but there is an apo-
thegm, that I would place on high al)ove them all,
when I assert, that, "truth— is power." Wealth
cannot purchase, talent — cannot refute, knowledge
— cannot over-reacA, authority — cannot silence
her ; they all, like Felix, tremble at her presence :
cast her into the sevenfold heated furnace of the
tyrant's wrath — fling her into the most tremend-
ous billows of popular commotion — she mounts
aloft in the ark — upon the summit of the deluge.
She is the ministering spirit, who sheds on man
that bright and indestructible principle of life,
which is given, by its mighty author, to illumin-
ate and to inspire the immortal soul — and which,
like himself, " is the same yesterday, lo-daj, and
/oret'er."
The wintry blast of death —
Kills not the buds of virtue; no: they spread
Beneath the heavenly beams — of fcri'^/iter suns,
Through endless ages — into higher poivers*
The scale of being — is a graduattd thing;
And deeper. — than the vanities of power.
On the vain pomp of glory — there is writ —
Gradation — in its hidden characters.
EPITAPH.
Here rests his head — upon the lap of earth,
A youth — 10 fortune and \ofame unknown ;
Fair science— frown'' d not — on his humble birth,
And melancholy — mark'd him for her own.
A dandy — is a thing, that would
Be a young lady — if he could;
But. as he canH, cioes all he can.
To show the ivorld — he's not a man.
The course of true love — nev .ir did run smooth.
Maxims. 1. A well instructed people, only,
can be a. free people. 2. 'J'o ask for a ICcing, wiiiv
out labor, would be to ask for a curse, instead of a
blessing. 3. No one lool s after hisotfn atTairs, u.s
well as himself. 4. Fruitless advice is like pour-
ing water on a duck^s back. 5. The more our tal-
ents are exercised, the more will they become de-
veloped. 6. Unless the laws are executed on the
great, they will not be obeyed. 7. lie, who toils
with pain, will reap with pleasure. 8. The tor-
ment of envy — is like janrf in the ei/e. 9. Laziness
often gives occasion to dishonesty. JO. The error
of an hour — may become the sorrow of a lahoii
life
Auecdote. Father Aurius said, when
Boardaloue preached at Rouen, the trades-
me7i forsook their workshops, the lawycra
their clients, and the physicians their sick,
to hear the orator: but when I preached
there, the following year, I set all things
right; every man minded his own business.
Iiuxiiry. When I behold a fashionable
ta^e, set out in all its viag7iificence, I fancy
that I see gouts and dropsies, fevers and leth-
argies, with other innumerable distempers,
lying in ambuscade among the dishes. Na-
ture delights in the most plain and simple
diet. Every animal, but man, keeps to one
dish. Herbs are the food of this species, fish
of that, and flesh of a third. Man falls upon
every thing that comes in his way ; not the
smallest fruit or excresce?ice of the earth,
scarce a berry or a mushroom can escape him.
Varieties. 1. Without exert io?i and dili-
gence, success in the pursuits of life, is rarely
attained. 2. It is the business of i\\e judge
to decide as to the points of lav), and the
duty of the_;Mror.s — to decide as to the mat-
ters of fact. 3. The essence of our liberty
is — to do whatever we please, provided we
do not violate any law, or inpire anotlter.
4. A handful of common sense is worth a
bushel of learning. 5. Few things are more
injurious to our health and constitution, than
indulgence in luxuries. 6. Did God, after
creating the u?iiverse, and putting it in mo-
tion, leave it to itself? 7. Credit — is of in-
estimable value, whether to a nation, or an
individual.
THE MINISTRY OF ANGELS.
And is there care in heaven? and is there love
In heavenly spirits — to these creatures base,
That may compassion of their evils move ? [case
There is: else, much more wretched were the
Of men than beasts. But; oh ! the exceeding grace
Of highest Heaven! that loves his creatures so :
Aud all his works — with mercy doth embrace.
That blessed angels he sends to and fro.
To serve to wicked man, — to serve his wickedybc
How oft — do they their silver bowers leave,
To come to succor us, that succor want!
How oft— do they, with golden pinions, cleave
The Riu'mg skies, like fiy'mg pursuivant,
Against foul ^en<is— to aid us militant!
They for us fight, they watch and duly ward,
And their bright squadrons round about us plant.
And all for love, and nothing for reward:
Oh ! loh u should the Ixird to man have such rugard .
172
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTIOIV.
TRANQUILLITY, &c.
460. Tranquv'-
tity appeals by the
open and compos-
ed countenance,
and a general re-
pose of the whole
body; mouth near-
ly closed ; eye-
brows a little
arched; f o r e-
head smooth; eyei
passing with an
easy motion, from
one object to
another, but not
dwelling long on
"iny ; cast of hap-
piness, bordering
on cheerfulness ;
desiring to please and be pleased ; gaity, good
humor, when the mouth opens a little more.
CHEERFULNESS IN RETIREMENT.
Now my co-mates, and brothers in exile.
Hath not old custom— ma.de this life more sweet,
Than that of painted pomp ? Are not these wdods
More free from peril, than the envious court ?
Here— feel we but the penalty ofjidam ;
The season^s difference ; as the icy fartff.
And churlish chiding of the winter's wind ;
Which, when it bites and blows upon my body,
Ev'n till I shrink with cold, I smile and say,
This is wo flattery ; these are counsellors.
That feelingly persuade me what I am:
Sweet—are the uses of adversity.
That, like a toad, ugly and venomous,
VVears yet a precious jewel in its head.
And this our life, exempt from public haunts,
Finds touffues, in trees, hooks, in running brooks.
Sermons in stones, and good in everything.
Miscellaneous. 1. Timidity — often ob-
scures the bnghtest powers of orators, at
their outset ; hike the chilling vapor, awhile
retarding the beauty of a morning in spring,-
but the day of sziccess, attained by persever-
ing efforts, when it comes, will well repay for
its late appearance, and its splendor more
than atone for its morning shade. 2. By tak-
ing in the widest possible range of authors of
all ages, one seems to create, within himself,
a sympatliy for the whole brotherhood of
man, past, present, and to come, and to ap-
proximate continually, to a view of Univer-
sal Truth, tho' never attaining it. 3. All
good speakers and writers, are addicted to
imitation : no one — can write or speak well,
who has not a strong sympathy with, and ad-
mtration for — all that is beautiful.
Anecdote. A Pun. Purcell, the famous
minster, being desired, one evening, when in
company, to make an extempore pun, asked,
" on what stibjeci .?" " The king ;" was the
answer. "O sir," said he, "the king is not
B ncbject."
I hcLie to see a boy— so rude,
That one might think him— raised
^n some wild reg^ion of the wood.
And but Aatf-civilized.
Maxims. 1. The follies we tell of otker\
are often only mirrors to reflect our own. 2.
Righteousness — ezalteth a nation ; but sin — is a
reproach to any people. 3. The best mode o.
dealing with a quarrelsome person, is, to keep
out of his way. 4. Good thotight, couched in an
appropriate simile, is like a precious stone, set in
gold. 5. Great minds may produce great vices,
as well as great virtues ; an honest man— is the
noblest work of God. 6. JVature, and natural
causes, are nothing else, than the way in which
God works. 7. 'Tis wse that constitutes posses-
sio7i. 8. No sooner is a law made, than the wick-
ed seek to evade it. 9. One lie draws ten mere
after it. 10. Idleness— buries a man alive.
Irresolution. In matters of great cc/?i-
cern, and v/hicJi must be do?ie, there is no
surer argument — of a weak mind, than irre-
solution ; to be undetermined, where the
case is so plain, and the necessity so xirgent.
To be always intending to live a new life,
but never to find time to set about it ; this is
as if a man should put off eating, and dii7ik-
ing, and sleeping, from one day and night to
another, till he is starved and destroyed.
Varieties. 1. Every evil, that we con-
quer, is a benefactor to our souls. The Sand-
wich Islander believes that the strength and
valor of the enemy he kills, passes into him-
self. Spiritually, it is so with us ,- for we
gain strength, from every temptation we
resi.st. 2. It is absurd, to think of becoming
good, in any thing, without understanding
and practicing what we learn. 3. Have we
life of our ovm ? or, are we dependent on
God for it, every moment of our lives ? 7.
All the moments of our lives, produce eter
nal consequences.
How sweet — the words oi truth.
Breathed from the /j>s— we love.
One alone
May do the task odnany, when the mind
Is active in it.
Coxcombs — are of all realms, and kind,
They're not to sex, or age confined,
Of rich, or poor, or ffreat, or small,
'Tis vanity— besets them all.
True happiness — had no localities ;
No tones provincial ; no peculiar ^arb.
Where duty went, she went ; with justice went i
And went with meekness, charity, and love.
Where'er a tear was dried ; a wounded hrnri
Bound up ; a bruised spirit— with the dew
Of sympathy anointed ; or a pang
Of honest svfferinsr soothed ; oi injury,
Repeated oft, as oft — by love— forgiven ;
Where'er an evil passion was subdued.
Or Virtue's feeble embers fanned ; where'er
A sin was heartily abjured, and left ;
Where'er a pious act wa« done, or breathed
A pious prayer, or wished a pious jcish —
There — was a hiffh — and holy place, a spot
Of sacred li<rkt, a most religious fane.
Faith— is not built— on disauisitiou'a nine,
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
17:1
I
JOY ; DELIGHT
4«1. Joy,
u pleasing ela-
tion of mind
on the actual
or assured at-
tain m e n t of
good ; or de-
fiveraiicefroin
Fo tne evil.
When moder-
ate, 11 opens
tlie counte-
nance witli
smiles, and
tlnovvs a sun-
siiine ofdelec-
lation over the
whole trame;
■when sudden
and violent, it
:» expressed by clapping the hands, exultation
and weeping, raising- the eyes to heaven, and per-
haps suffusing them w^ith tears, and giving such a
spring to the body, as to make attempts to mount
up as if it could fly : and vi^hen it is extreme, goes
into transport, rapture, and ecstasy; the voice
often raisesonvery high pitches, a)id exhilarating;
it has a wildness of look and gesture that borders
on folly, madness and sorrow^ ; hence the expres-
sion, '• frantic w^ith joy." Joy, mirth, &c., produce
a rousing, exciting, lively action.
JOY EXPECTED.
Ah ! Juliet, if the measure of thy joy
Be heaped, like mine, and that thy skill be more
To hlazen it, then sweeten, with thy breath,
This neighbor air, and let rich music's tongue
Unfold the imagin'd happiness, that both
Receive, in either,'hy this dear encounter.
See ! my lord, [veins
Would you not deem it breath''d, and that those
Did verily bear blood ? O sweet Paulina,
Make me think so twenty years together;
No settled senesof the world can match
The pleasure of that madness.
MISCELLANEOUS.
Talents — angel-hxlghx,
If wanting worth,
Are shining instruments
In false ambition''s hand — to &n\sh. faults
Illustrious, and give to infamy renown.
•Tis easiest — dealing with ihc firmest mind. [kind.
More just, when it resists, and when it yields, more
A mirror — has been well defined —
An emblem — of a thoughtful mind,
For, look upon it — when you will,
You find — it is refecting still.
Life— is a sea, where storms must rise ;
'Tlsfolly — talks of cloudless skies ;
He, who contracts his swelling sail,
Eludes the fury of the ga^e.
Anecdote. A painter — was employed in
painting as/dp, on a stage, suspended under
h3r stern. The captain, who had just got
into the boat to go astiore^ ordered the cabin
Doy to let go tlie painter. The boy went aft,
and let go tlic rope by which the painters
sta^e was held. The captain, surprised at
ihp boy's delay, cried out," Confound you for
a lazy dog; why don't you let go the paint-
er ?^^ "He's gone sir," replied the boy
" pots and all."
Maximg* 1. The o&t«e of money is worse
than the want of it. 2. Revenge is a mean plea-
sure ; but no principle is more noble, than that of
forgiving injuries. 3. Without/m?t(/s, the world
is but a wilderness. 4, Flattery to ourselves— Aoe%
not change the nature of that which is ivrong. 5
When a man is not liked, whatever he does is
amiss. 6. If a man is wifortunate, and reduced :n
the world, it is easy to find faiilt with him. 7. \
pure heart makes the tongue impressive. 8. A
man's best fortune, or his worst— is a vrife. i
Health is better than wealth. 10. Unexperienced
persons think all things easy.
Free Scliools j or t/ie road to JJanoj'open
to all. When the rich man — is called from
the possession of his treasures, he divides
them as he wills, among his children and heirs.
But an equal Providence deals not so with
the living treasures of the mind. There are
childre?!, jnst growing up in the bosom of
obscurity, in town and country, who have in-
herited nothing but poverty and health, and
who will, in a few years, be striving, in stern
contention, with the great intellects of the
land. Our system of free schools, has opened
a straight way from tlie threshold of every
abode, however humble, in the village, or in
the city, to the high-places of usefulness, in-
fluence and hmiar. And it is left for each,
by the cultivation of every talent, by watch-
ing, with an eagle-eye, for every chance of
improvement; by bounding forward like a
gray-hound, at the most distant glimpse of
honorable opportunity ; by grappling, as witli
hooks, the prize, when it is won ; by redeem-
ing time, by defying temptation, and scoi-n-
ing sensual pleasures ; to make liimself use-
ful, honored and happy.
Varieties. 1. God, who loveth all his
creatures, and is no respecter of persons,
would have us be good for our own sakes.
2. What is the difference, between the love
of being wise, and the love of wisdom?
3. Every age has its own predominant
features, taste and proj^ensities, that eacli
may be fitted, and inclined, to discharge the
offices allotted to it. 4. God has planted in
the irrational brute, memory, sense, and «/>♦
petite; but to rational man — he has given
all these, and superadded thought, intelli-
gence, will, immortal reason, and undying af-
fectijon. 5. All orders of good and truth are
capable of an infinite display of the varieties.
proper to that order; and of an infinite mulr
tiplication of each.
Wwric .' thou rest of lift, and balm of agt,
To cseer man's patA— through thi» dark pils-ixnciX,
In every state— be thou my partner made :
By night, by day, in sunshine, and rn shade ;
Teach me, while here, tin strain that angeUs slug.
From hearts devout, to Heaven's Eternal King ;
Tune my last breath— with pure seraphic tow,
And hymn my passage— lo the choir above.
So very still, that ec/io— seems to listen ;
We almost Aear— the music of the rphera,
^id fancy, that 'vr catch the note; o( aigtis. *
174
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
MIRTH, JOLLY LAUGHTER.
4:6a. When
deligh* arises
from ludicrous
or fugitive amuse-
ments, in which
others share with
us, it is called
MIRTH, LAUGHTEK
OR SCKRRIMENT ;
which opens the
mouth horizon-
tally, shrivels the
nose, raises the
cheeks higli, les-
sens the aperture
of the eyes, and
fills them with
tears.
INVOCATION OF THE GODDESS OF MIRTH.
But come, thou goddess, fair and free,
In heav'n yclep'd Euphosyne ;
And of men — heart-easing mirth;
Whom lovely Venus bore :
Haste thee, nymph, and bring with thee
Jest and youthful Jolity,
Quips, and cranks., and wanton wiles,
Nods, and becks and wreathed smiles,
Such as hang on Habeas cheek.
And love to live in dimple sleek ;
Sport, that wrinkled Care derides,
And Laughter, holding both his sides;
Come, and trip it as you go
On the light fantastic toe,
And in thy right hand — lead with thee
The mountain-nymph, sw^eet Liberty.
mirth and melancholy.
Now, by two-headed Janus,
Nature liath iramed strange fellows in her times ;
Some, that will evermore peep through their eyes.
And laugh, like parrots at a fcag--piper ;
And others — of such vinegar aspect,
Tliat they'll not show their teeth in way of smile,
Though Nestor swear the jo«t be laughable.
463. Theatres. If the lofty powers of
the rnaater tragedian were concentrated to
the development of mind, in the presence
of those, only, who can appreciate his gen-
ius; if the public display of them, on the
stage, were unaccompanied by any of those
excressences, which cling, i7icubus-like, to
modem theatres ; the evil of which the phi-
lanthropist and pati-iot complain, would
fe-eem to be trifiing. But when he throws
himself in the midst of such scenes, as he
must necessarily meet, in all the theatres of
the present day, he gives the sanction of his
presence^ his example and reputctvm, to
some of the mosf; monstrous abuses, which
exist among men. Although his moral char-
acter may be irreproachable, yet a man is al-
ways known by the company he keeps ; and,
ill spite of himself and his fronds, he is
identified with all tlie theatres, in which he
performs : his character is assimilated to his
debased associates, who boast of his society ;
itnd npe his greatness. It is because he is
among them, that they are countenanced by
so laj'ge a portion of the American people.
Maxiiug. 1. He, that hearkens to counsel, 18
wise. 2. Courage — ought to have eyes, and ears,
as well as arms. 3. Credit, lost, is like a broken
looking-glass. 4. It is sweet to do good unseen,
and in secret. 5. Nature — unites the beautiful witli
the useful: hence, handsome is, that handsome
does. 6. The mob hath many heads, but no brains.
7. A siiperiorm'md cares but little about drss.s, pro-
vided it be decent. 8. The world — is a large ar.d
interesting book, and is opened to us day and
night. 9. Vanity— venders beauty contemptible.
10. Vows, made in storms, are forgotten in calms;
because they are the offspring of /ear.
Anecdote. Play upon words. A poor
drunken loafer — was picked up in the street.,
by the watchman, when the following decis-
ion was made : There is no sense in his head,
no cents in his pocket, and a powerful scent
in his breath: he was of course sent to the
watchhouse.
The Feet. There are seven bones in the
ankle, five in the metatarsals, and fourteen
phalanges in the /oo^, which are strongly fas-
tened together by means of a gristle, which
yields — so as to enable us to tread, with equal
ease, on level or unequal surfaces. We often
hear of the small feet of the Chinese ladies ;
and we also see some ladies in a christian
land who try to make themselves heathens,
by wearing a very small shoe, under the false
notion, that it is genteel to have small feet.
Genteel to have corns, impeded circulation y
and all their train of horrors! Oh, when
shall we come to our senses, leave off tigfU
shoes, and cease to worship the god of fash>
ion?
varieties.
Like the lily,
That once was mistress of \he field,
I'll hang my head, and perish.
Her suny locks
Hang on her temples, like a golden /eete.
She looks as clear.
As morning roses, newly washed with dew.
There's nothing in the world can make me joy ;
Life — is as tedious — as a twice-told tale,
Vexing the dull ear of drowsy man.
Love is blind, and lovers cannot see
The peity follies, that themselves commit.
How far that little cond^e throws his beams/
So— shines a good deed — in this naughty world.
Penetration — has an aid of divitiation.
honesty.
Thou art full of love and honesty,
And weigh '»t thy wordi before thou giv'st them breatiy
Therefore, these ttops of thine fright me the morp i
For stuh tbingi, in a false disloyal k7Uive,
Are tricks of cuitom , but, in a man that's jufC,
They are close dtnotenients, workiug from the heart.
That passions cannot nae.
Gold, silver, vases sculptur'd high,
Paitit, marble, genu, and robes of Persian dye.
There are, wlio have not, and, thank heaven ! there o»*
Who, if they have n t think not "vorth their care.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
176
ECJ^ aSX-, RAPTURE, &c.
464. Ec-
STAsy, Rap-
ture, Trans-
port, express
an extraor-
dinary eleva-
tion of the
spirits, an ex-
cessive ten-
sion of mind :
they signify-
to be out of
one's eelf; out
ofonj'emind,
carried away
beyond one's
self. EcsTA-
CY — benumbs
the faculties,
takbs away the power'of speech, and sometimes
of thought; it is generally occasioned by sudden
and unexpected events: but rapture often invig-
orates the powers and calls them into action.
The former, is common to all persons of ardent
feelings; especially, children, &c., the illiterate:
the latter is common to persons of superior minds,
and circumstances of peculiar importance.
WTiat followed, was all ecstasy, and trances:
Immortal pleasures round my swimming eyes did dance.
Bv swift degrees, the love of nature works,
And warms the bosom, till at last, sublim'd
To rapture and enthusiastic Aeot,
We feel the present Deity.
Scorns the base earth and crowd below,
And, with a peering^ luing, still mounts on high.
He play'd so sweetly, and so sweetly sung,
That on each note the enraptur'd audience hung.
465. Garrick. It is believed, that this
tragedian greatly surpassed his predecessors,
in his genius for acting, in the sweetness and
variety of his tones, the irresistible magic of
his eye, the fire and vivacity of his action,
the elegance of his attitudes, and the whole
pathos of expression. The cause of which
success was, his intimate and practical
knowledge of human nature. Example. A
certain gentleman, on returning from the
theatre, asked his postillion, (who sat in his
private hox,) what he thought of the great
Mr. Garrick. " Not much, my lord," was
his reply, "for he talked and acted ']\xsi Hke
John and 7 in the stable.'''' When this was
repeated to the tragedian, he declared it the
greatest compliment ever paid him: for,
said he, if nature's own children can't dis-
tinguish me from themselves, it is a pretty
sure indication that I am about right.
RAPTURES.
Bat, in her temple's lasi recess inclos'd,
On diUlness^ lap, th' annointed head repos'd.
Hmi close she curtains round — with vapors blue,
And soft besprinkles — with Cimmerian dew ;
Then raptures high — the seat of sense o'erflow.
Which only heads — refin'd from reason, know ;
Hence, from the straw, where Bedlavt's prophet
He hears loud oracles, and talks with gods : [nods.
Hence, the/oors paradise, the statesman's scheme,
The air-built castle, and the golden dream,
The maid^s romantic wish, the chemist's flame,
And poefs vision of eternal /ame.
How dost thou loear, and weary out thy days,
Reatless ambition; never at an end.
Maxims. 1. H < is pot wise, who is not wise
for himself. 2. If you wish a tlung done, go ; if not,
send. 3. The silence of the tongue is often the efo-
quence of the heart. 4. The perfection of art is, to
conceal art. 5. Every day is a little l{fe; and a
whole life but a day repeated. 6. We find it hard
to forgive those, whom we have injured. 7. Fasii'
ionable women are articles manufactured ty mil-
iners /
They want but little — here below,
And want that Utile— tor a show.
8. Do nothing you would wish to conceal. 9. J|»-
pearances are often deceiving. 10. Riches caiuiot
purchase mental endowments.
Anecdote. Look at Home. The advice
oi^ girl, to Tholes, a Milesian astronomer,
was strong and practical. Seeing him gaz-
ing at the heavens, as he walked along, and
perhaps piqued, because he did not cast an
eye on her attractions, she put a stool in his
path, over which he tumbled and broke his
shins. Her excuse was, that she wanted to
teach him, before he indulged himself in
s^ar- gazing, to " look at home.''''
VARIETIK3.
A projser judge — will read eac^" work o'wit,
With the same spirit, that its author writ.
It comes o'er the ear, like the sweet so'U^ wiiM.
Which breathes upon a bank oi violets.
Stealing — and giving odor.
Th't mind and body — often sympathizu
Is plain; such — is this union, nature ties;
But then, as often too, they disagree.
Which proves — the soul's superior progenj
Yet this is Bom£,
That sat on her seven hills, and trom her thror ,-
Oi beauty — ruled the world.
Beware oi desperate steps; tlie darkest day,
(Live till to^morroio,) will have passed away.
With pleasure — let us own our errors past,
And make each day — a critic — on the last.
Tliinklng — leads man to kr^owledge.
He may see and hear, and read and lear}i
whatever he pleases, and as 7mic?i as he pleas-
es : he will never k7iow any thing of it, ex-
cept that which he has thought over; that
which, by thinking, he has made the pro-
perty of his mind. Is it then saying too
much, that man, by thinking only, becomes
truly man. Take away thought from man's
life, and what remains ?
'T wag the bow of Omnipotence : bent in His hand,
Whose grasp at creation the universe spann'd ;
'T was the presence of God, in a symbol sublime;
His vow from the^oorf to the exit of Titne!
Not dreadful, as when in the whirlwind he pleads.
When storms are his chariot, and lightnings his sliaU,
The Uack clouds his banner o( vengeance unfuri'd,
And thunder his voice to a gruiH-stricken world ;—
Not such was the rainbow, that beautiful one !
Whose arch was refraction, its Acy-stone the suti;
Apavilim it seem'd, which the Deity graced,
And;u*tife and mercy met there, and embraced.
Awhile, and it sweetly bent over the gloom.
Like loot o'er a dta<A-couch, or hope o'er the toinb
Then left the dark scene ; whence it slowly retired ;
As love had just vanished, or hope had expired.
Virtue, not rolling skhs— the mini naaturea
176
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
LOVE, 4:c.
466. Love
gives a soft se-
renity to the
countenance, a
languishing to
the eyes, a
bweetness to
the voice, and a
tenderness
to the whole
frame: fore-
hea 1 smooth
and enlarged ;
eye-brows arch-
ed ; mouth a
little open ;
when entreat-
ing, it clasps ^
the hands, with ^
intermingled fingers, to the breast; eyes lan-
guishing and partly shut, as if doatingon the ob-
ject ; countenance assumes the eager and wistful
took of desire, but mixed with an air of satisfac-
tion and repose ; accents soft and winning, voice
persuasive, flattering, pathetic, various, musi-
cal and rapturous, as in Jov : when declaring,
the right hand, open, is pressed forcibly on the
breast; it makes approaches with the greatest
delicacy, and is attended with trembling hesi-
tancy and confusion ; if successful, the counte-
nance is lighted up with smiles ; M7isuccessful
love adds an air of anxiety and melancholy.
407. To the above may be added, Shaks-
l)eare's description of this affection, as given
by the Good Shepherd, vi'ho vi^as requested to
tell a certain youth, what 'tis to love :
It is to be all made of sig^hs and tears :
It is to be all made or faith and service :
It is to be all made of fantasy,
All made of passion, and all made of wishes :
All adoration, duty, and observance.
All humbleness, all patience, and impatie ice.
All purity, all trial, all observance.
LOVE DESCRIBED.
Cime hither boy ; if ever thou shalt love
Ir. the sweef pangs of it remember me :
For such as /am — all — true lovers are :
llnstaid and skittish in all motions else ;[belov'd.
Save in the constant image of the creature, that is
LANGUISHING LOVE.
O fellow, come, the sonff.we had last night :
Mark it Cesario ; it is old and plain ;
The spinsters, and the knitters in the sun, [bones.
And the free maids, that weave their threads with
Do use to chant it ; it is silly, sooth.
And dallies with the innocence of love,
Like to old age.
Ilail, wedded love, mysterious law, true source
or human offsprins; sole propriety
In paradise, of all things common else !
lly thtt adult'rous lust— was driv'n from men
Among t.ie bestial herds to range ; by thee
rounded in reason, loyal, just, and pure,
ricliitions dear, and all the charities
Ot father, son, and brother, first were known.
Here, love his gulden shafts employs, here lights
His constant lami>, and waves his purple wings,
flci^ns hern and revels : not in the bought smile
Ui Lfi-lots, loveless, joyless, unendear'd,
rasnal fruition; not in court amours,
Mix'd dance, or wanton wash, or midnight ball.
Maxims. 1. We must strike while the Iron
is hot ; but we must sometimes make the iron hot
by striking. 2. Books are to the young, what
capital is to the man of business. 3. It is not good
husbandry, to make a chihVs fortune— great, and
his mind— poor. 4. Some — excuse tlieir ignorance,
by pretending, that their taste lies in another di-
rection. 5. Reading, makes a full man, and think-
ing, a correct man. 6. Not the pain, but the
cause — makes the martyr. 7. Learn some useful
art or trade, that you may be independent of th«
caprice of/or«Mne. 8. Nothing is harder for A on-
est people, than to be denied the privilege of
speaking their minds. 9. Some — are penny-wise,
and pound-foolish. 10. A true friend sometimes
ventures to be offensive.
Anecdote. Tv;o Lawyers. A wealthy
farmer, being engaged in a tot<;-suit against
one of his opulent neighbors, applied to a
lawyer, who happened to be engaged on the
opposite side ; but, who told him he would
give him a recommendation to a professional
friend; whicli he did in the following lines :
•' Here are two fat wethers, fallen out together,
U you'll fleece one, Vll fleece the other.
And make them agree like brother and brother."
The letter being unsealed, tlie farmer had
the curiosity to ojjen and read it ; he did so,
and instead of carrying it to the other lawyer,
he took it to the person, with whom he was
at variance. Its perusal cured both parties,
and ended the dispute. Inference — Lawyers
live by the violation of the laws of goodness
and truth.
Conversation. When five or six men
are together, it is curious — to observe the
anxiety every one has to speak. No one
wishes to hear ; all he desires, is — an audi-
tor. Rather than defer telling their respec-
tive stories, they frequently all speak at the
same time.
Varieties. The United States — is on a
conspicuous stage ; and the world — marks
her demeanor. 2. If a. parent — withhold from
his children — the light, and influence of Di-
vine Truth, is he not, in jiart, responsible
for their crimes? 3. Eloquence — is the Ian*
guage of iVa/j/re, — of the .soul; it cannot l)e
acquired in the schools, though it may be ail-
tivated there. 4. What is tlie object of court-
ship ? to get acquainted; to show off; to
take in ; or, to marry ? 6. Wiiat a dreadful
thing it is — to be "cu/ out," — and to *^ get
the mitten .'"
They—^nnw not m/ heart, who Idict there can be
One stain of this earth— in its /ceZmgj for thee ;
Who think, while I see thee in heauty^s young booi,
As pure as the morning's first dew on the flower,
I could harm what I love — as the suri't wanton ray
But smiles on the dew-drop— to waste it away '.
No — beaming with light — as tSose young feaiurea tn
There's a light roucd thy heart, which in Uiplifr lie
It is not that cftccft— 'tis tlie soul — dawninj dtar
Throup;h its innocent blush, makes thy beauty ao dtar~-
As the shy we look up to, though glorious md fair.
Is look'd up to the .ii,)M liecniise/ieavcn is there '
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
177
PITY, COMPASSION
468. Pity,
Denevolence to
the afflicted; a
miiture of love
for an object
which suffers,
whether human
cr animal, and a
griefthatweare
unable to re-
itjOvc those suf-
ferings. It is seen
m a compassion-
a t e tenderness
o:' voice, a feel-
ing of pain in the
c oun t enance;
features drawn
ogether. e y e-
brows drawn down, mouth open, and a gentle
raising and falling of the hand,*; and ejes ; as if
mourning over the unhappy object-.
Iladst thou but seen, as /did, how at last,
Thy beauties, Belvirfera, like a wretch
That's doomed to banishment,came weeping forth:
Whilst two young virgins, on whom she once
Kindly look'd on,and at her grief grew sad! [lean'd,
Ev'n the loud rabble th't were gather'd round
To see the sight, stood mute when they beheld
Her : govern''d their mutt'ring threats, and grum-
bPd PITY.
How many bleed,
By shameless variances, between man and man !
On the bare earth exposed, he lies,
With not a friend to close his eyes.
Show mercy, and thou shalt Jind it.
Life, fiU'd with grief's distressful train,
Forever asks the tear humane.
The quality of mercy is not strained;
It droppeth, as the gentle rain from Heaven
Upon the place beneath : it is twice bless'd :
It blesseth him that gives, and him that takes:
'Tis mightiest— in the mightiest; it becomes
The throned wzonarcA— better than his crown;
His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to att-e— and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings.
But mercy — is above this gceptr'd sway,
It is enthroned— in the hearts of kings,
It is an attribute io God himself:
And earthly power — doth then show likest God\
When wiercj/— seasons justice.
But from the mountain's grassy side,
A guiltless feast I bring :
A scrip, with fruits and herbs supplied,
And water from the spring.
Tliou great. ihoH best prerogative of power !
Justice may guard the throne, but, join'd with thee,
On rocks o( adamant it stand.* secure,
And braves the storm beneath.
Mercy — is the becoming smile of justice;
This — makes her lovely, as her rigor— dreadful;
Either, alone, defective: — but, when joined,
Like clay and ivater in the potter's hands,
Tiiey mingle influence, and together rise,
fn forms, which neither, separate, could bestow.
Ttie sweetest cordial— we receive at la.st,
Is—onnscience — of our vir uou? act ons past.
BRONSON. 12
Maxims. 1. He that/eeh as he ought, will be
polite without knowing it. 2. Comon senst. is the
growth of all countries and all ages, but it is very
rare. 3. Modesty is one of the chief ornaments of
youth. 4. In every condition be humble; the loftier
the condition, the greater the danger. 5. Feelings
and thoughts are the parents of language. 6. To
gain a good reputation, be, what you desire to ap-
pear. 7. In prosperity, we need consideration ; n
adversity — patience. 8. Kindness is more bindi.,ig
than a loan. 9. Right should be preferred to kind-
red. 10. A wise man adapts himself to circun^
stances, as water does to the vessel that contains it.
Anecdote. When Woodward first actftd
Sir John Brute, Garrick was induced, either
by curiosity or jealousy, to be present. A
few days afterward, they happened to meety
when Woodward asked Garrick, how he liked
him in the part ; adding, I think I struck out
some beauties in it. Garrick replied, " I think
you struck out all the beauties in it."
Discretion. At the same time, that 1
think discretion — the most useful talent a
man can be master of, I look upon cunning
to be the accomplishment of little, mean, un-
generous minds. Discretion — points out the
noblest ends to us, and pursues tlie most pro-
per and laudable methods of attaining tiiem,
cunning — has only private, selfish aims, and
sticks at nothing which may make them suc-
ceed. Discretion — has large and extensive
views, and, like a well-formed eye, commands
a whole Jiorizon,' cunning — is a kind of
shoTt-sightedness, that discovers the minutest
objects, which are near at hand, but is not
able to discern things at a disfUnce.
Varieties. 1. Said an Indian chief to the
President, " May the Great Spirit bear up
the weight of thy gray hairs, and blunt the
arrow, that brings them rest. 2. The great
truth has finally gone forth to the ends of the
eifrth, that man sliall no more render account
to man, foi; his belief, over which he himself
has no control. 3. Let every one feel, think,
act and say whatever he pleases; provided,
he does not infringe upon like privileges of
others. 4. Virtue — promotes worldly pros-
perity; vice destroys it. 5. Who can fully
realize the strength of parental affection,
witi.out experiencing iti and even then, who
can ivPscribe it. 6. Grief, smothered, preys
upon the rntals ,• give it vent into the bosom
of a fncnd. 7. Nothing is of any service,
that dooti not help tore-unite the soul to God.
But, whtxte'er you are,
That in this desert inaccessible,
Under the shade of melancholy boughs,
Lose and neglect the creeping hours of time.
If «,•«• you have looked on better days.
If ever been where belh have knoll'd to church!
If ever sat at any good man's /eaj<.'
If ever, from your tye-lids, wip'd a ttar.
And know what 'tis to pity, and be pitied,
Let gentlentts my strong enforcement i>e
178
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTlOIf.
DESIRE, HOPE,
469. Hope
re a mixture of
joy and desire,
agitating the
mn\d, and inti-
cipating ]6> en-
joyment; it ev-
er gives pleas-
ure ; which is
not always the
case with wish
and desire ; as
they may pro-
duce or be ac-
companied with
pain and anxie-
ty. Hope erects
and brightens the '§^
countenance, o-
pens the moutli
to half a smile, arches the eye-brows, gives the
eyes an eager and wistful look ; spreads the arms
with the hands open, ready to receive the object
of its wishes, towards which it leans a little ; the
voice is somewhat plaintive, and manner incli-
ning to eagerness, but colored by doubt and anx-
iety; the breath drawn inward more forcibly than
usual, in order to express our desires more strong-
ly, and our earenest expectation of receiving the
object of them.
But thou, O HOPE ! with eyes so fair,
What was thy delighted measure ?
Still it whisper'd — promised pleasure,
And bade the lovely scenes at distance hail ;
Still would her touck the strain prolong,
And from the rocks, the woods, the vale,
She called an echo still thro' all her song ;
And where her sweetest theme she chose,
A soft responsive voice was heard, at every close.
And Hope, enchanted, siail'd, and wav'd her
golden hair. [health!
TIiou captive's freedom, and thou sick man's
Thou lover's victory, thou beggar's wealth !
Thou manna, which from heaven we eat,
To every taste a several meat ;
Hope ! thou first fruit of happiness !
Thou gentle dawning of a bright success !
Who, out of fortune's reach doth stand,
And art a blessing still at hand!
Brother of faith! 'twixt whom and thee,
The joys of heaven and earth divided be;
The future's thine,— the present's his.
Thou pleasant, honest. flatterer; for none
Flatter unhappy men, but thou alone !
O Hope, SM>ee< Jiatterer, whose delusive touch
Sheds on afflicted minds, the balm of comfort,
Relieves the load of poverty ; sustains
The captive, bending under the weight of bonds,
And smooths the pillow of disease, and pain ;
Send back the exploring messenger with joy.
And let me haii thee — from that friendly grove.
Anecdote. A traveler in a stage-coach,
not famous for its swiftness, inquired the
name of the coach. A fel'ow passenger re-
plied, " I think it is the Regulator, for I ob-
eerve that all the other coaches go by it"
Host thou potper?— the weak defend ;
Light?— give light : thy knowledge lend ;
Rich?— Tememhei Him, who gave;
Free? — he brother to the slave.
A disputablt point— is no man's ground.
Maximig. 1. It is one thing to knew how »
give, and another to know liow to keep. 2. Every
tiling perfected by art, has its source in nature
3. He who tells you the faults of others, intends to
tell others your faults. 4. Opinion is free, and
conduct alone amenable to the law. 5. Extrava-
gant praise is more mortifying than the keenest
satire. 6. Love all beauty, and you will love all
goodness. 7. A foolish /n«nd does more harm than
a wise enemy. 8. When our hatred is violent, iJ
sinks us below those we hate. 9. There should
be no delay in a benefit, but in the modesty of tlie
receiver. 10. A cup of cold water, in time of need,
may save a man's life. i
Acquaintance witli Human Nature.
He, who has acquired a competent ktiovH-
edge of the views, that occupy tlie generality
of men; who has studied a great variety of
characters, and attentivly observed the force
and viole7ice of human passions ; togethei
with tlie infirmities and contradictions they
produce in the conduct of life, will find in
this knowledge, a key to the secret reasons
and motives which gave rise to many of the
most important events of ancient times.
Varieties. 1. Some people will do al-
most a7i7/thing, rather than own a fault ;
tho' everything depends on it : thus, Seneca's
wife, to conceal her blindness, declared that
the whole world was in darkness, and none
coald see. 2. What is the difference between
pleasure and happiness ? 3. There is, in all
things, a threefold principle, by which they
exist; an inmost, middle, and outermost;
and in human beings, there is a soul, mind,
and body ; will, understanding, and act ; af-
fection, thought and speech; intellectual,
rational, and scientific ; end, cause, and ef-
fect, all essentially distinct. 4. Our Lord
does not say — if a man see a miracle, he
shall know that my doctrine is from God;
but, " if any man will do my will.''''
The flower— soon dies, but hope's soA ray
Unchanged— undying shines
Around that form— where pale decay,
A peaceful heart enshrines :
liike tuy— round the blighted tree,
It twines around the heart,
Amid poor— frail humanity,
The only verdant part.
TVue hope k swift, and flies with noattote's wings-,
Kingt it makes Gods, and meaner creatures Kings-
Hope, though 'tis pale sorrow's only cordial,
Has yet — a dull and opiate quality,
Erifeebli7ig— what it lulls.
A beacon shining o'er a stormy sea ; ,
A cooling /buniain — in a weary land ;
A green spot — on a waste and burning safui,
A rose — that o'er a ruin sheds its bloom ;
A «Mnfc«am— smiling o'er the cold dark urmJb.
Westward — the course of empire tnkea its wo^'
The four first acts already past,
A fifth — shall close the drama with the day;
Time's noi^ert offspring— is the last.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
17S
HATRED, AVERSION,
4T0. When,
by freq\ient re-
flections on a
<j!sagreeable
object, our dis-
approbation o*"
it is attended
with a strong
disinclinatio n
of mind i o -
wards it, it is
called hatred ;
aiid when this
18 accompani-
ed with a pain-
f u 1 sensation
upon the appre-
hension of its
presence and
approach, there follows an inclination to avoid it,
called aversion; extreme hatred is abhorrence,
or detestation. Hatred, or aversion expressed
to. or of any person, or ar.y thing, that is odious,
draws back the body to avoid the hated object,
and the hands, at the same time, thrown out and
Epread, as if to keep it off; the face is turned away
from that side, which the hands are thrown out;
the eyes looking angrily and obliquely, or asquint,
the way the hands are directed ; the eyebrows are
contracted, the upper lip disdainfully drawn up ;
the teeth set; the pitch of the voice is loud, surly,
chiding, languid and vehement; the sentences are
short and abrupt.
HATRED— CURSING THE OBJECT HATED.
Poisons— be their drink,
Gallr— worse than gall, the daintest meat they taste :
Their sweetest shade, a grove of Cyprus trees ;
Their sweeXesl prospects, murd'ring basalisks;
Their music — frightful as the serpent's hiss :
And boding screech-owls make the concert full ;
All the foul terrors of darfc-seated hell.
The mortal coldness of the soul, like death itself comes down ;
It cannot feel for other's woes, it dare not dream iu own ;
That heavy chill has frozen o'er the fountain of our tears,
And though the eye may gparkte still, 'tis where the ice appean.
Tho' wit may flash from fluent lips, and mirth distract the breast,
Thro' midnight hours, that yield no more thei r/orm«r hope of rest ;
Tis but as ivy leaves — around the rum'd turret wreath,
All green and wildly fresh without, but worn and gray beneath.
On Adam last \)\\xs judgment he pronounc'd :
" Because thou hast hearken'd to the voice of thy
And eaten of the tree, concerning which [xtnfe,
I charg'd thee, saying, 'Thou shalt not eat thereof,'
Curs'd is the ground for thy sake ; thou, in sorrow,
Shalt eat thereof all the days of thy life ;
Thorns, also, and thistles it shall bring thee forth
Unbid; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field.
In the sweat of thy /ace shalt thou eat bread,
Ti.l thou return unto the ground; for thou
Out of the ground wast taken: know thy birth,
For dicst tliou art, and shalt to dust return."
Anecdote. Satisfactiois". A ruined
debtor, having done every thing in his power
to satisfy his creditors, said to them, " GenUe-
men, — I have been extremely perplexed, till
now, how to satv<fy you : and having done
my utmost to do so, I shall leave you to sat-
i^y yourselves.''^
He, whose mind
Is viHuou^, is alone— of noWe kind ;
Tho' poor— in /ortwne, of celestial race;
And hi — commits a crime, who calls aim base.
Maxims. 1. One true/nenrfia worth a Aimd-
red relations. 2. Happiness is to be found every
where, if you possess a well regulated mind. 3.
Between good sense and good taste, there is tho
same difiference as between cause and effect. 4.
He, who profits by the mistakes or oversights of
others, learns a lesson of great importance. 5.
The flight of a person accused, is a tacit acknowl-
edgment of his guilt. 6. He ts wise, who does ev-
ery thing at the proper time. 7. Confession is aa
a medicine— to him who has gone astray. 8. The
lore of liberty makes even an old man brave. 9.
Children are heirs to the diseases of their parents,
as well as to their possessions. 10. A man, who
cannot forgive, breaks the bridge over which ho
might pass to Heaven.
Thoughts. A man would do well to car-
ry a. pencil in his pocket, and^rite down the
thoughts of the moment. Those that come
unsought for, are commonly the most valu'
able, and should be secured, because they sel-
dom return.
Varieties, l. What do you thirik of one,
who gives away ten dollars, when he owes a
hundred more than he can pay 7 2. Let us
follow nature, who has given shame to man
for a scourge ; and let the heaviest part of the
punishment be — the infamy attending it. 3.
Can we perceive any quality in an object
without an act of comparison 7 4. Falsehood
often decks herself in the outer garments of
truth, that she may succeed the better in her
wily deceits. 5. The thing, which has been
done, it is that which shall be; and that which
is, it is that which shall be done ; and there
is no NEW thing under the sun. 6. Society
cannot be held together without morals ; nor
can morals maintain their station in the hu-
man /^earf, without religion,- and no religion
is worth having, unless it is founded on trutk,
which is the cor?ier-stone of the fabric of hu-
man ??a^tfre. 7. Howfar have mora/ joercej[>
tions been infiuencedhy physical phenomena.^
How very precious — praise
Is — to a young genius, like sunlight— on flowers,
Ripening them into fruit.
One hour—
Of thoughtful solitude— may nerve the heart
For days of conflict, — girding up ha armor —
To meet the most insidious foe, and lending
The courage — sprung alonp from innocence —
And good intent.
There is not, in this life of ours,
One tZws— unmixed with /ears ;
The hope, that wakes our deepest powers,
A face of sadness wears ;
And the dew, that show'rs o'er dearest flow'rs.
Is the bitter dew— of tears.
In all our strictures— placid we will he,
As Halcyons — brooding on a sunrmier sea.
No man— is born into the world, whose work^
Is not bom ivith him ; there is always work, —
And ^oo^s— ic work withal, for those who will
180
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
ANGER, RAGE, FURY,
Imply
471
excitement or
violent action :
when hatred
and displeasure
rise high, on a
Budden, from
^in apprehen-
sion of injury j
received and
perturbation of
mind in conse-
quence of it,it is
called anger:
and rising to a
very high de-
gree, and ex-
tinguishing hu-
manity, it be-
comes RAGE and FURY : anger always renders
the muscles protuberant; hence, an angry mind
and protuberant muscles, are considered as
cause and effect. Violent anger or rage, ex-
presses itself with rapidity, noise, harshness,
trepidation, and sometimes with interrruption
and hesitation, as unable to utter itself with suf-
ficient force. It wrinkles and clouds the brow,
enlarges and heaves the nostrils ; every vein
swells, muscles strained, nods or shakes the
head, stretches out the neck, clenches the fists,
breathing hard, breast heaving, teeth shown and
gnashing, face bloated, red, pule, or black ; eyes
red, staring, rolling and sparkling; eye-brows
drawn down over them, stamps with the foot,
and gives a violent agitation to the whole body.
The voice assumes the highest pitch it can
adopt, consistently with force and loudness ;
Tho' sometimes, to express anger with uncom-
mon energy, the voice assumes a low and forci-
ble tone.
Hear me, rash man ; on thy allegiance hear me ;
Since thou hast striv'n to make us break our tow,
Which, nor our nature, nor our place can bear,
A'e banish thee forever from our sight.
And our kingdom: If when three days are expired.
Thy haled trunk be found in our dominions.
That moment is thy death. — Away.
Anger }<? like
A full hot horse; who, being ailow'd his way,
Sc//-mettle tires him.
The short passing anger but seem'd to awaken
New beauty, like^oioerj, that are sweetest vrheD sfiahen.
They are as gentle
As zephyrs blowing below the violet.
Not wagging his sweet head ; and yet as rough,
Their royal blood enchaf 'd, as the rud'st wind.
That, by the top, doth take the mountain pine,
And make him stoop to the vale.
You are yoked with a lamb.
That carries anger— as the flint bears ^re ;
Who, much enforced, shows a hasty spark.
And straight is cold again.
Anecdote. Sowing and Reaping. A
countryman, sowing his ground, two up-
starts, riding that way, one of them called to
him with an insolent air — "Well, honest fel-
low, 'tis your business to sow, but we reap
*i\e fruit of your labor.** To which the
vountryman replied — " 'Tis very likely you
may ; for I am sowing hemp.'''*
The world's a JooA,— writ by the eternal art
Of the sjf^i iuth yr, and printed— in man'i htari.
liaconics. 1. A little neglectmay '/ireed great
mischief. 2. Retrospection and anticipation may
both be turned to good account. 3. He, who
would be well spoken of himself, must speak
well of others. 4. Wildness of eccentricity, and
thoughtlessness of conduct, are not nece<tsa7'y ac-
companiments of talent, or indications of genius.
5. Vanity and affectation., often steal into the
hearts of youth, and make them very ridiculous ',
yet, no one is contemptible, for being what he ?.<,
but for pretending to be what he is not. 6. JVo
speech can be severe, unless it be true ; for if it
he not true, it cannot apply ; consequently, ila
severity is destroyed by its injustice. 7. Mutual
benevolence must be kept up between relatives,
as well as between /newds ; for without this ce-
ment, whatever the building is called, it is only
a castle in the air, a tiling talked of, without the
reality.
Education. Education is to tlie mi7id,
what cleanliness is to the body ; the beauties
of tlie one, as well as the other, are blemished,
if not totally Inst, by neglect: and as the
richest diamond cannot shoot forth its lustre,
wanting tlie lapidary''s skill, so, will the la-
tent virtue of the noblest mind be buried in
ob.icurity, if not called forth by precept, and
tlie rules of good manners.
Varieties, 1. He that thinks he can be
negligent of Ms expenses, is not far from be-
ing poor. 2. Extended empire, like expand-
ed gold, exchanges solid strength for feeble
splendor. 3. Similarity in sound, weakens?
contrast in sense. 4. There being differences
of mind, each member of a family, and of
the community, is best qualified for the per-
formance of specific duties. 5. The notions
of some parents are very extravagant, in
wishing the teacher to make great men of
their sons ; while they would be much more
useful, and happy, in the field, or in the
workshop. 6. Write down all you can re-
member of a lecture, address, or book, and
the REstTLT will enable your teacher, as well
as yourself, to decide, with a good degree of
accuracy, upon your character, and the stu-
dies most appropriate for you to pursue.
What is wedlock /orcerf, but a hell.
An age of discord, and continued strife!
W^hereas the contrary— hr'mgcth forth bliss;
And is a pattern — of celestial peace.
Immortality o'eisweepa
All pains, all tears, all trials, all fears, and peal«,
Like the eternal thunder of the deep.
Into my ears, this truth — " Thou livest forever."
Oh ! life is a waste of wearisome hours,
Which seldom the rose of enjoyment adorns ;
And the heart that is soonest a wak'd to the/oicr's.
Is always the first to be touched by the thonu.
The soul of music— slumbers in the shell.
Till waked »nd kindled, by the master's spell
And feeling hearts, (touch them but lightly,) txiqr
A thousand melodies, unheard before.
When all thinsrs hnvc their trial, yon shall find,
Kothing is constant, but a virtuous mind.
[
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
181
REiVTiNGE.
47a. Re-
V K N G K — is a
propensity
& endeavor to
injure or pain
I n e ofTender,
uouirary to the
laws of j u s-
tiee : which is
attended with
triumph and
exultation,
when tlie in-
iury is inflict-
ed, or accom-
plished. It ex-
poses itself
like malice, or
epite, but more
openly, loudly and triumphantly; sets the jaws;
grates the teeth ; sends blasting flashes from the
eyes ; draws the corners of the mouth towards the
ears : clenches both fists, and holds the elbow in
a straining manner : the tone of voice and expres-
sion are similar to those of ang-er ; but the pitch
of voice is not so high, nor loud.
If they but speak the truth of her, [honor,
These hands shall tear her ; if they wrong her
The proudest of them shall well hear of it.
Time hath not so dried this blood of mine,
Nor age so eat up my invention,
"^ ox fortune made such havoc of my means,
Nor my bad ii/e— 'reft me so much o{ friends,
But they sliall find awak'd, in such a kind,
Both strength of limb and policy of mind,
Ability in means, and choice of friends.
To quit me of them thoroughly.
473. If it will feed nothing else, it win feed
my revenge. He hath disgraced me, and hin-
der'd me of half a million ; laugh'd at my
losses, mocked at my gains, scorn' d my na-
tio7i, thwarted my bargains, cool'd my
friends, heated mine enemies. And what's
his reason ? I am a Jew ! Hath not a Jew
eyes ? Hath not a Jew hands ? organs, di-
viensiofis, senses, affections, passions ? Is he
not fed with the same food; hurt with the
same weapons; subject to the same diseases;
heal'd by the same means : warm'd and cool'd
by the same summer and winter, as a Chris-
tian is'! If you stab us, do we not bleed?
If you tickle us, do we not laugh ? If you
poison us, do we not die ? And if you wrong
us, shall we not revenge ? If we are like you
in the rest, we will resemble you in that. If
a Jew wrong a Christian what is his humili-
ty 1 Revenge. If a Christian wrong a Jew,
what should his sufferance be by christian
example! Why, Revenge. The villiany
you teach me, I will execute ,- and it shall go
iiarl, but I will better the instruction.
0 sacred solitude ; divine retreat !
Choice — of the prudent ! envy — of the great !
By thy pure stream, or in thy waving shade,
We court fair wisdom, that celestial maid :
The genuine offspring— of her lov'd embrace,
(Strangers — on earth.) are innocence — and ptau.
Tliere, from the ways of men laid safe ashore
We smile — to hear the distant tempest roar;
There, blece'd with health, with business unperplei'd,
Thit life we relith, and ensure the next
When will the world sliake o^f such yokes'. oIi,
Will that redeeming day shine outoi men, [when
That shall behold them rise, erect ami free,
At Heaven and Nature — meant mankind should be
When Reason shall no longer blindly bow
To the vWq paged things, that o'er her brow,
liike him of Jaghernaut, drive trampling now;
Nor Conquest dare to desolate God's earth ;
Nor drunken Victory, with a Nero^s mirth,
Strike her lewd harp amidst a people^s groaiic ; —
But, built on love, the worUPs exalted thronea
Shall to the virtuous and the wise be given —
Those bright, those sole legitimates of Heaven!
Human Testimony. The judgment must
be employed, to discern the truth or falsehood of
assertions, by attending to the credibility and
consistency of the different parts of tlie story: the
veracity and character of witnesses in other re-
spects; by comparing the assertions with ac-
counts received from other witnesses, who could
not be ignorant of the facts; and lastly, by bring-
ing the whole to a test of a comparison with
known and admitted facts.
Anecdote. Scientific Enthusiasm. The
enthusiasm of ardent o-nd forcible minds, ap-
pears madness, to those who are dull and
phlegmatic. The pleasure it inspires is the
greatest and the most independent remunera-
tion, that men of genius receive for their efforts
and exertions. Do-na-^eZ-lo, the great Flor-
entine scwZp^or, had been Zong- working at his
statue of Judith ; and, on giving the last stroke
of the chisel to it, he was heard to exclaim,
" Speak now ! I am sure you ram"
Varieties. 1 . How beautiful the arrange-
ment of all living creatures, with the bounda-
ries of their habitation I But how much more
beautiful, could we but discover the law of
this arrangement, or the reason, by which it
is founded ; that law, and the source from
which it proceeds, must be the perfection of
intelligence. 2. A good natured man has the
whole v;orld to be happy in. He is blest
with everybody's blessing, and wherever he
goes, he finds some one to love ; " Unto him
that hath, shall be givenJ'^ 3. Parents should
beware of discouraging their children, by
calling them fools, half-witted, and telling
them they will never know anything, &c- ;
but let the current flow on, and it will soon
run clear : dam it up, and mischief vf'fW most
certainly ensue. 4. The agitations among
the nations of the earth, cannot be mistaken :
they are the struggles of opinion, writhing in
its chains, and. indignantly striving to cart
them off; the soul bursting its trammels, for-
saking its bondage, and soaring away to ita
native heaven of thought, where it may range
at large, emancipate and free.
" Peace ."' shall the world, out-wearied, ever ree
Its universal reign ? Will states, will kings.
Put dovm those murderotM— and unholy things,
Which fill the earth— with Wood and misery?
Will natio^is learn — that love— DOl enmity—
Is Beaveii's first lesson.
182
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
ANGER, HAT-RED, REPROACH.
4:74. Re-
proach— is set-
tied anger, or
liatred, chasti-
sing tlie object
of its dislike, by
casting in his
leeth the secret
causes of his
misconduct, or
i m p e rfections :
the brow is con-
tracted, tlie lip
turn'd up with
scorn, the head
shaken, the
voice low, as
if abhorring, and
the whole body
expressive of aversion, contempt and loathing.
Farewell, happy Jields,
Where ioy forever dwells ! Hail, horrors ! hail,
Infernal world ! and thou, profoundest Hell,
Receive thy new possessor / one who brings
A mind not to be chang'd by place or time.
The mind is its oven place, and in itsdf
Can make a heav''n of hell, a heli of Heaven :
What matter where, if I be still the same.
And what I should be. all but less than he
Whom thunder hath made greater? Here, aXleast
We shall he free; th' Almighty hath not built
Here for his envy ; will not drive us hence :
Here we may reign secure; and in my choice.
To reign is worth ambition, though in hell :
Better to reign in hell, than serve in Heaven.
He is my bane, I cannot bear him ;
One heav'n and earth can never hold us both :
Still shall we hate, and with defiance deadly,
Keep rage alive, till one be lattforever;
As if two suns should meet in one meridian,
A 11,1 strive, in fiery combat, for the passage.
Who does one thing, and another tell,
My heart detests him as the gates of hell.
Hence, from my sight !
Thy father cannot bear thee;
Fly with thy infamy to some dark cell.
Where, on the confines of eternal night,
Mourning, misfortunes, cares and anguish dwell.
EEPROACHING WITH WANT OF COURAGE AND SPIRIT.
Thou slave, thou wretch, thou coward !
Thou little valiant, great in villany,
Thou ever strong upon the stronger side !
Thou fortune's champion, thou dost nevM fight
Km when her humorous ladyship is by,
To teach thee safety ! thou art perjured too,
.Vnd soolhest tip greatness. What a fool art thou,
A ramping fool ; to brag, to stamp, and swear,
Upon my party ! Thou cold-blooded slave I
Hast thou not spoke like thunder on my side.
Been sworn my soldier ? bidding me depend,
Upon thy stars, thy fortune, and thy strength 1
And dost thou now fall over to my foes 7
Thou wear a lion's hide ; doff it, for shame,
And hang a calPs skin on those recreant limbs.
JDeljasing tendency of Anger. What
a wretched thing is anger, and the commotion of
the soul. If anything ir'erposes itself between
me a\d the object of m) pur^aits, what is incuni
bent upon me is, that I ihoujd j ut form my powers
and remove it. How shall 1 do this? By the ex-
ercise of my understanding. To the employment
of this power, a cool and exact observation is ne-
cessary ; but the moment I am the slave of pas-
sion, my power is lost ; I am turned into a beast,
or rather into a drunkard ; I can neither preserve
my footing, nor watch my advantage, nor strike
an effectual blow. Did you never see a passion-
ate and a temperate man — pitched against each
other? How like a fool did the former appear!
how did his adversary turn and wind him as hfi
pleased, like some god — controling an in/enor ne-
ture ! It is by this single implement, his reason,
that man tames horses, camels, and elephants, to
his hand ; that he tames the lion of the desert, and
shuts up the hyena with bars.
Anecdote. Se-j-vile Imitation. The Chi-
nese tailors do not measure their customers,
but make clothes according to the pattern
given them. An American cap/awi, being at
Cantcm, and wanting a new coat made, sent
the proper quantity of cloth, and an old one
for a pattern: but, unhickily, the old coat
had a patch at the elbow, which the tailor
copied, to the no small mortification of his
employer.
Varieties. 1 . Whatever tends to dissolve
the Union, or lessen the sovereign aut/iority,
is hostile to our liberty and independence. 2.
As the true christian religion, which is to be-
come universal, had one local origin, so,
have all genuine and specific creations had
their origin, or local centre, whence they have
been diffused. 3. Let an unbeliever in this
religion, write down, fairly and truly, all the
absurdities he believes instead of it, and he
will find tliat it requires more faith to r^ect
it, than it does to embrace it 4. Reverence
paid to man, on account of what is good and
true; as divine in them, and as their own,
is the worship of the creature, instead of tlie
Creator, and is idolatry. 5. Man is the end
of the whole creation ; and all particulars
of it conspire, that conjimction of him with
God may be attained, and that the end may
be brought to jjoss.
False vieivs, like that horizon''s fair deceit,
Where earth and heaven but seem, alas, to meet
Deceit — is the false road to happiness ;
And all the joys we travel to through vice,
Like fairy banquets, vanish when we touch thent
Oh ! colder than the wind, that freezes
Founts, that bu; now in stmshme play'dj
Is that congealing pang, which seizes
The trusting bosom, when betray''d.
In vain my lyre would lightly breathe
The smile, thai sorrow fain would wear,
But mocks the woe, that lurks beneath,
Like roses — o'er a sepukhre.
As the ivy — climbs the tallesi tree,
So— round the loftiest souls his toils he wound,
And, with his spells, subdu'd the^erce and/ree
An honest man's the noblest work of God.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
183
TERROR, OR FRIGHT.
475. When
violent and
sudden, it
opens very
wide the
mouth, short-
ens the nose,
draws down
the e y e -
brows, gives
tlve 0 o u n t e-
nance an air
of -wildness,
coverB it with
doadly pale-
ness, draws
ba:k the el-
bows parallel
w i t h t h e .
sides, lifts up the open hands— with the fingers
spread to the lieight of the breast, at some distance
before it, so as to shield it from the dreadful object.
One fool IS drawn back behind the other, so that
the body seems shrinking from the danger, and
pulling itself in a posture for flight The heart
beats violently, the breath is quick and short, and
tlie whole body is thrown into a general tremor.
The voice is weak and trembling, the sentences
short, and the meaning confused and incoherent.
Imminent danger produces violent shrieks, with-
out any aniculate sounds; sometimes confuses
the thoughts, produces faintness, which is some-
jmes followed by death.
Ah ! mercy on my soul . What is that '.'
My old friend's t-shost ? They say none but
ivicked folks walk ; I wish I were at the bot-
tom of a coal-pit. See ! how long and pale
his face has grown since his death : he never
was handsome ; and death has improved him
very much the wrong way. Pray do not come
near me ! I wish'd you very well when you
were alive ; but I covild never abide a dead
man, cheek hy Jowl with vae. Ah, ah, mercy
on us ! No nearer, pray ; if it be only to take
leave of me that you are come back, I could
have excused you the ceremony with all my
heart ; or if you — mercy on us ! no nearer,
pray, or, if you have wronged anybody, as
you alioays loved money a little, I give you
the word of frightened christian ; I will pray
as long as you -plea&e for the deliverance, or
repose of your departed soul. My good,
worthy, noble friend, do, pray disappear, as
ever you would wish your old friend to come
to his senses again.
Passion, when deep, is still— the glaring eye,
That reads its enemy with glance of fire ;
The lip, that curls and writhes in bitterness;
The brow contracted, till its wrinkles hide
The keen fixed orbs that burn and flash below ;
The hand firm clench'd and quivering, and the foot
Planted in attitude to spring and dart
Its vengeance, are the language it employs.
While passions glow, the heart, like heated steel,
Takes each impression, and is work'd at pleasure.
Ajiecdote. Printing. It is related that
Faust, of Mentz, one of the many to whom
the honor of having invented the invaluable
art of printing is ascribed, liaving carried
some of his Bibles to Paris, and offered them
for sale as MSS., the French, after consider-
ing the number of the books, and tieir exact
conformity to each other, and that the best
book writers could not be so exact, concluded
tliere was witchcraft in the case; and, bv
either actuaUy indicting him as a cwyjuror,
or threatening to do so, they extorted tie
secret; hence, the origin of the popular story
of the Beml and Dr. Faustus.
Their breath is agitation, and their life
A storm whereon they ride, to sink at last,
And yet so nurs'd and bigoted to strife,
That sliould their days, surviving perils past,
xvielt to calm twilight, they feel overcast
With sorrow and supineness. and so die ;
Even as a flame unfed, which runs to waste
With its own flickering, or a sword laid by
Which eats into itself, and rusts ingloriously.
FriendslLip. The lonter, that flows from u
spring, does not congeal in the winter. And those
sentiments of friendship, which flow from the
heart, cannot be frozen in adversity.
Varieties. 1. As in agrtcw/^t^re, he, who
can produce the greatest cropf^s not the best
farmer, but he, who can effect it with the
least labor and expense ; so, in society, he is
not the best member, who can bring about
the most apparent good, but he, who can ac-
complish it with the least admixture of con-
comitant em/. 2. Cicero says, ihoX Roscius,
the Roman comedian, could express a sen-
tence in as many ways by his gestures, as he
himself could by his v;ords. 3. The eye of
a cultivated person is full of meaning; if you
read it attentively, it will seem like a mirror,
revealing the inner world of thought and
feeling ; as the bosom of the smooth lake re-
flects the image of the earth around, and the
heavens above. 4. A good reader aiid a bad
singer, and a bad reader and a good singer,
is without excuse; for the same strength,
purity, distinctness, flexibility and smooth-
ness of voice, that either requires, and pro-
motes, are subservient to each other.
Should/a<e— cormnand me to the farthest verge
Of the green earth, to distant, barbarbous clirrus,
Etrers— unknown to song; where first the sun-
Gilds Indian mountains., or his setting beams
Flame on the Atlantic Isles; 'tis nought to mc :
Since G?od— is ever present, ever felt,
In the void waste — as in the city full;
And where He-^ital breathes, there must be joy
When e'en, at last., the solemn hour shall come,
And wing my mysilc fight— io future worlds,
I cheerful, will obey; thee, with new powers,
Will rising wonders sing; I cannot go-
Where universal Zore— smiles not around,
Sustaining all yon orbs, and all their sons:
From seeming m7,— still educing good.
And better— Ihence again, and better— stiil—
In infinite progression But I lose
Myself in Him— in light ineffable :
Come then, expressive Si7«M;e— muse his pf am
184
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
GRIEF AND REMORSE,
Are
4T6
closely allied
to sorrow and
remorse ; or a
p a i n f u I r e -
membrance of
criminal a c -
tions and pur-
suits ; casts
io wn the
countenance,
clouds it with
anxiety; hangs
down the
head, shakes it
with regret,
Just raises the
eyes as if to
look up, and
suddenly casts
them down again with sighs ; the right hand
sometimes beats the heart or head, and the whole
body writhes as if in self-aversion. The voice
has a harshness, as in hatred, and inclines to a
low and reproachful tone : weeps, stamps, hur-
ries to and fro, runs distracted, or faints away.
When it is violent, grovels on the ground ; tears
the clothes, hair or flesh ; screams ; sometimes
it produces torpid sullen silence, resembling to-
tal apathy. ^
477. Remorse for DRtriirKENsrEss. I
remember a mass of things, but nothing dis-
tinctly ; a quarrel, nothing wherefore. 0 tliat
men should put an enemy in their mouths to
steal away their brains ; that we should with
joy, pleasure, revel, applause, transform our-
selves into beasts: I will ask him for my
place again ; he shall tell me — I am a drunk-
ard : had I as many mouths as Hydra, such
an answer would stop them all. To be now
a sensible man, by and by a fool — and pres-
ently— a beast! 0 strange! every inordi-
nate cup is unbless'd, and the ingredient is
a devil.
GRIEF DEPLORING LOSS OF HAPPINESS.
I had been happy, if the general eamp^
Pioneers and all, had wrong'd my love,
So had I nothing known : O now, forever,
Farewellihe tranquil mind; farewell, content;
Farewell the plumed troop and the big tear
That make ambition — virtue ! O farewell :
Farewell the neighing steed, and the shrill tntmp,
The spirit-stirring drum, the ear-piercing^c,
The royal banner, and all quality,
Pride, pomp, and circumstances of glorious war!
Fareicell .' Othello^s occupation's gone.
Oh, when the last account 'twixt heaven and eartA
Is to be made, then, shall this hand and seal
Witness against us to damnation !
How oft the sight of means to do ill deeds
Makes ill deeds done ! Hadst not thou been, by,
A fellow by the hand of Nature marked.
Quoted and signed, to do a deed of shame,
This murder had not come into my mind;
But, taking note of thy abhorred aspect,
Finding ti.ee ^/ for bloody villany.
Apt, liable to be employed in danger,
I faintly broke with thee of Arthur's death ;
And hou, to be endeared to a king,
TiladeBtit no conscience to destroy a. prince.
Freedom of tlie Press. i\jc liberty of tho
press — is the true measure of the liberty of the j>eo-
ple. The one cannot be attacked, without injurj
to the other. Our thoughts ought to be perfectly
free ; to bridle them, or stijie them in their sanctu-
ary, is the crime of perverted humanity. Wha;
caa I call my otvn, if my thoughts are not mine.
Anecdote. Prize of Immortality. On
its being remarked to Zeuxis, a celebrated
painter, that he was very long in finishing
his works, he replied, " I am, indeed, a long
time in finishing my works; but what I
paint — is for eterkitt."
Varieties. 1 Many projects, wliich, at
the first, appear plausible and inviting, in
the end — prove to be very injurious. 2. Sci-
ence, philosophy and religion, are ouxfood in
youth, and our delight in more advanced
Hfe ; they are ornaments to prosperity, and
a comfort and refuge, in adversity ; armor at
hjome, and abroad, they pass their days and
nights witli us, accompany us in our travels,
and in rural retirements. 3. Which is more
to be dreaded, a Msefri£nd or an open ene-
my ? 4. Guard against being led into i?npru-
dence, by yielding to an impetuous temper.
5. There is no virtuous person, who has not
some tceakness or vice; nor is there a vi-
cious one, who caimot be said to possess
some virtue. 6. What a difficult thing it is,
not to betray guilt in the countenance, when
it exists in the mind ! 7. The strength of
(me vital faculty is sometimes the occasion of
a weakness in another ; but, that it may not
eocist, exercise no faculty or pi'inciple beyond
its strength or bounds. 8. Science — relates to
whatevever addresses us thro' ihefive senses ;
which are the ultimates — upon which the
interiors of the mind, and the inmost of the
soul — ^rest.
Wherefore rejoice ? What conquest tjrings he home !
What tributaries follow him to Rome,
To grace, in captive bonds, his cAanot-wheels !
You blocks, you stones, you worse than senseless
O, you hard hearts, you cruel men of Rome, [things!
Knew ye not Pompey ? Many a time and oft
Have you climb 'd up to walls and battlements,
To towers and windows, yea, to chimney-Xops,
Your infants in your arms, and there have sat
The live-long day, with patient expectation,
To see great Pompey pass the streets of Rome :
And when you saw his chariot but appear,
Have you uot made an universal shout.
That Tyber trembled underneath his banks,
To hear the replication of your sounds,
Made in his concave shores ?
And do you now put on your best attire?
And do you now cull out a holiday ?
And do you now strew flowers in his way.
That comes in triumph over Pompey's blood T
Begone;
Run to your hotises ; fall upon your knees^
Pray to the gods to intermit the plague.
That needs must light on this ingratitude
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
183
DESPAIR.
477. Asa
condemned
c r i ra i n a 1, or
one who has
lost all hope of
salvation,
bends the eye-
nrows down-
ward, clouds
the forehead,
lulls the eyes
around fretful-
ly, eyeballs red
I, n 1 inflamed
iike a rabid
(log ; opens the
mouth horizon-
tally, bites the
lips, widens the
nostrils, and gnashes the teetlifthe head is press-
ed down upon the breast ; heart too hard to permit
tears to flow ; arms are sometimes bent at the el-
bows ; the fists clench'd hard ; the veins and mus-
cles swollen; the skin livid; the whole body
strained and violently agitated ; while groans of
inward torture are more frequently uttered than
words. If any words are spoken, they are few,
and expressed with a sullen eager bitterness ; the
tones of the voice often loud and furious, and
sometimes in the same pitch for a censiderable
time. Tliis state of human nature is too terrible,
too frightful to look, or dwell upon, and almost
i.Tiproper for representation: for if death cannot
be counterfeited without too much shocking our
humanity, despair, which exhibits a state ten
tliousand times more terrible than death, ought to
be viewed with a kind of reverewce to the great
Author of Nature, who seems sometimes to permit
this agony of mind, as a warning to avoid that
wickedjiesB, which produces it: it can hardly be
over-acted.
Bring me to my trial when you will.
Died he not in his bed ? where should he die ?
Car. I make men live, whether they wilt or no?
Oh ! torture me no more, I will confess.
Alive again ? then skovj me where he is,
I'll give a thousand pounds to look upon him.—
He hath no eyes, the dust hath blinded them —
Comb down his hair; look! look! It stands upright,
Like lime-tw'igs, set to catch my winged souJ!
Give me some drink, and bid the apothecary
Bring the strong poison that I bought of him.
Ay, but to die, and go we know not where ;
To lie in cold obstruction, and to rot;
This sensible warm motion to become
A kneaded clod; and' the delighted spirit
•To bathe in fiery floods, or to reside
In thrilling regions of thick-ribbed ice;
To be imprison'd in the viewless winds,
And blown with restless violence about
The pendant world ; or to be worse than worst
Of those, that lawless and uncertain thoughts
Imagine howling! — 'lis too horrible !
The weariest and most loathed worldly life,
That age, ache, penury, and imprisonment
Can lay on nature, is a paradise
To what we fear of death.
C-itics are like a kind of flies, that b'?T.ed
In wild fig-trees, and, when they're grown up, feed
Upon the raw fruit of the nobler kind,
And by the.r nibbling on the outward rind,
Open the pores, and make way for the sun
To ripen it sooner than he would have done.
24
Virtue and Vice. jEJfejy man has actually
within him, the seeds of every virtue and every
vice; and the proportion-, in which they thrive and
ripen, depends, in general, upon the situations in
which he has been, and is placed, and his life.
Anecdote. Filial Piety. Valerius Max-
imus relates, that a woman of distinction,
having been condemned to be strangled, was
carried to prison, in order to be put to death i
but tlie jailor was so struck with compimo
tion, that, resolving not to kill her, he chose
to let her die with hunger ,• meanwhile, lie
permitted her daughter to visit her in prison,
taking care that she brought nothing to eat.
Many days passing by, and the prisoner still
living, the jailor at lengih,suspecting some-
thing, watched the daughter, and discovered
that she nourished her mother with her own
milk. He informed the authx)rities, and they
the people ; when the criminal vios pardoned,
and the mother and daughter maintained at
the public expense ; while a temple was erect-
ed— SACRED TO FILIAL PIETT.
Varieties. 1. The mind should shine
through the casket, that contains it ; its elo-
quence must speak in the cheek ; and so dis-
tinctly should it be wrought in the whole
countenance, that one might say, the body
thinks, as well as feels ; such oratory vnU
never cloy ; it is always enchanting, never the
same. 2. A gentleman, lecturing before a
lyceum, remarked : a lady, when s.'i^e married,
lost her personal identity — her distinctive
character — and was like a dew-drop .swallow-
ed by a sunbeam. 3. Let ignorance talk,
learning hath its value. 4. Where mystery
is practiced, there is generally something had
to conceal, or something incompatible wltli
candor, or ingenuousness, which form the
cAief characteristic of genuine innocence. 5.
The worst man is often he, who thinks him-
self the best. 6. A benefit is a good ofjice, done
with intention and judgment. 7. He, who
punishes an enemy, has a momentary de-
hght ; but he who forgives him, has an abid-
ing satisfaction.
Despair shall round their souls be twin'd,
And drink the vigor of their mind :
As round the oak rank ivy cleaves,
Steals its sap, and blasts its leaves.
lake yonder blasted boughs, by lightning riven,
Perfection, beauty, life, they never know.
But frown on all, that pass, a monument of teoe
I saw, on the top of a mountain high
A gem, that shone like^re by night;
It seem'd a star, that had left the sky,
And dropp'd to sleep on the lonely height
I elomb the peak, and found it soon
A lump of ice, in the clear cold moon —
Can you its hidden sense impart?
'Twas a cheerful look, and a broken hearL
Favors — to none, to all, she smiles extends,
Oft she rejects,- ')Ut never once — offends.
02
1S6
PR1NCIP],ES OF ELOCUTION.
SORROW AND SADNESS.
4T8. In SOB-
ROW, when
moderate, the
countenance
is dejected,
the eyes are
cast down, the
arms hang
lax, s o in e-
times a little
raised, sud-
denly to full
again; the
hands open,
the finjrers
spread, the
voice plain-
tive, and fre-
quently inter-
rupted with sighs. But when imraoderateV it
distorts the countenance, as if in agonies of pain;
raises the voice to the loudest complainings, and
sometimes even to cries and shrieks; wrings
the hands, beats the head and breast, tears the
hair, and throws itself on the ground ; like some
other passions in excess, it borders on phrenzy.
Say that a^ain ; the shadow of my sorrow !
Ha! let's see :
'Tis very true, my grief lies all within ;
And these external manners of lament,
Are merely shadows to the unseen grief,
That swells, with silence, in my tortured soul ;
There— Vies the substance;
And I thank thee, king,
For the great bounty, that not only giv'st
Me cause to wail, but teaches me the way.
How to lament the cause. I'll beg one boon,
And then be gone, and trouble you no more.
Pelayo— stood confused : he had not seen
Count Julian's dau'ier, since in Roderick's court,
Glittering in beauty and in innocence,
A radiant vision, in her Jo?/, she moved :
More like a poefs dream, in form divine,
Heaven's prototype of perfect womanhood.
So lovely was the presence, — than a thing
Oi earth and perishable elements.
JVow, had he seen her in her winding-sheet.
Less painful would that spectacle have proved ;
For peace is with the dead, and piety
Bringeth a patient hope to those, who mourn
O'er the departed; but this alter'd /ace.
Bearing its deadly sorrow character'd,
Came like a ghost, which in the grave.
Could fine no rest. He, taking her cold hand.
Raised her, and would have spoken , birt his tung;
FaiVd in its office ; and could only speak
In under-tone, compassionate, her name.
The voice of pity — sooth'd, and melted her.
And, when the prince bade her be comforted^
Proffering his zealous aid in whatsoe'er
Blight please her to appoint, a feeble smilt
Past slowly over her pale countenance.
Like moonlight — on a marble statue.
For forms of eovernnient, let fools contest ;
Wliate'er is best administered — is best:
For modes of faith— let graceless zealots fieht ;
Hi? — can't be wrong, whose life — h in the right
Those hearts, that atari at once into a blaze,
And open all theirtT^e, like eummer storms,
iU Jnce dischargeV griw cool as;ain. and calm.
liove of Justice. A sense 3f justice shovnd
be the foundation of all our social qualities. In
our most early intercourse with the world, and
even in our most youthful amusements, no un-
fairness should be found. That sacred rule, of
doing all things to others, according as we wish
they would do unto us, should be engraved on
our minds. For this end, we should impress our-
selves with a deep sense of the original and
natural equality of man.
Anecdote. When king Agrip%m was in a
private station, he was accused, by one of his
servants, of speaking ill of Tiberius, and was
condemned by the emperor to be exposed" in
chains before the palace gate. The weather
being hot, he was thirsty, and called to Ca-
ligula's servant, Thaumastus, who was pass-
ing with a pitcher of water, to give him some
drinli ; assuring him, if he got out of his
captivity, he would pay him well. Tiberius
dying, Caligtila succeeded him, and set Agrip-
pa at liberty, making him king of Judea,- in
which situation, he remembered the glass of
water, sent for Thaumastus, and made Jiim
controller of his household.
Varieties. 1 . The following is the title of a
book, pubhshed in? England, in Cromwell's
time : " Curious custards, carefully conserved
for the chickens of the covenant, and spar,
rows of the spirit, and the sweet swallows of
salvation." 2. Superabundant p7-osperity,
tends to involve the human mind in dark-
ness : it takes away the greatest stimulus to
exertion, represses activity, renders us idle,
and inclines us to vice. 3. Venture not on
the precipice of temptation ; the ground may
be firm as a rock under your feet, but a false
step, or a sudden blast, may be your destruc-
tion. 4. Discretion has been termed the bet-
ter part of valor ,- and diffidence, the better
part of knowledge. 5. To combine profun-
dity with perspicuity, wit with judgment,
sobriety with vivacity, truth with novelty,
and all of them with liberality, are six very
ditficult things. 6. Disguise it as we will, tyr-
anny is a bitter thing. 7. What accident
gains, accident may take away. ^
Seems, madam ! nay, it is: I know not seems
'Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother.
Nor customary suits of solemn black,
Nor windy suspiration of forced breath;
No, nor the fruitful river in the eye.
Nor the dejected 'havior of the visage,
Together with all forms, modes, shows of grieC,
That can denote me truly: these, indeed seem.
For they are actions that a man might play ;
But I have that— within, which passeth show,
These— but the trappings and the suits of wo.
Sorrow preys upon
Its solitude, and nothing more diverts it
From its sad visions of the other world.
Than calling it, at moments, back to this.
The busy — have no time for tears.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
187
ATTENTION, LISTENING, &c,
497. A T-
tENTION — to
ail esteemed
or superior
cliaracter, has
nearly the
same aspect
as Inquiry,
ajid requires
silence: the
eyes are often
cast upon the
ground, sonK'-
times fixed up
on the speak-
er; but not too
pertly, or fami-
liarly; when
ooking at ob- ^
jects at a distance,'and listening to sounds, its
manifestations are different. Inquiry inio some
difficult subject fixes the body in nearly one posi-
tion, the head somewhat stooping, the eyes poring,
and the eye-brows contracted.
Pray you, once more —
Is not your father grown incapable
Of reas'nable affairs ? is he not stupid [hear,
With age, and altering rheums? Can he speak,
Know man from man, dispute his own estate ?
Lies he not bed-rid, and again does nothing,
But what he did being childish.
Angelo —
There is a kind of character in thy life —
That, to the observer, doth thy history —
Fully unfold : thyself and thy belongings,
Are not thine own so proper as to waste
Thyself upon thy virtue, then on thee.
Heaven doth with us as we with torches do.
Not light them for themselves : for if our virtues
Did not go forth of us, 'twere all as if
We had them not: spirits are not finely touch'd —
But to fine issues ; nature never lends —
The smallest scruple of her excellence ;
But like a thrifty goddess, she determines
Herself the glory of a creditor,
Both thanks and praise.
While Chaos, hush'd, stands listening to the noise,
And wonders at confusion not his oivn.
I look'd, I listen'd, dreadful sounds I hear,
And the dire form of hostile gods appear.
Yet hear what an unskillful /n'end may say :
A§ if a blind man should direct your way :
So I myself tho' ivanting to be taught.
May yet impart a hint, that's worth your thought.
What can the fondest mother wish for more,
Kv'n for her darling sons, than solid sense,
Perceptions clear, and flowing eloquence?
Mourners. . Men are often ingenious, in
making themselves nmerable, by aggravat-
ing, beyond bounds, the evils, which they are
compelled to endure. "I will restore thy
daughter again to Zi/e," said an eastern sage
to a prince, who grieved immoderately for the
loss of a beloved child; "provided, thou art
able to engrave on her to7nh, the names of
three persons, who have never mourned.''''
The prince made inquiry after such persons;
but found the inquirj- vi'.in, and was silent.
Maxims. 1. A\ e shall never be free froir
debt, till we learn not to be ashamed of industry
and economy. 2. All should be taught how to
earn, so/ve and enjoy money. 3. Teach children W
save everything; not for {he'ir own use exclusively^
for this would make them selfish; teach them to
share everything with their associates, and never
to destroy aiiything. 4. True economy can be ih
comfortable with a little, as extravagance can willi
much. 5. Never lessen good actions, nor aggrx
vate evil ones. 6. Good works are a rock; ill or.ea
a sandy foundation. 7. Some receive praise, who
do not deserve it. 8. It is safer to learn, than to
teach. 9. lie, who conceals his opinion, has nothing
to answer for. 10. Reason, like the sun, is com-
mon to all.
Anecdote. The late king of England,
being very fond of Mr. WJiision, celebrated
for his various strictures on religion, happen-
ed to be walking witli him one day, in Hamp-
ton Court gardens, during the heat of his per-
secution. As they were talking upon this
subject, his majesty observed, " That however
right he might be in his opinions, it would be
better, if he kept them to himself" " Is your
majesty really serious in your advice?' an-
swered the old man. " I really am," replied the
king. " Why, then,'" says Whiston, " had Mar-
ti7i Luther 'been of this way of thinking, where
would your majesty have been at this time?^'
Varieties. 1. What are the three learned
professions '! 2. Great minds can attend to
Z-i^/Ze things; but little minds cannot attend
to great things. 3. To marry a rake, in
hopes of reforming him, and to hire a high^
wayman, in hopes of reclaiming him, are
two very dangerous expenments. 4. A clear
idea, produces a stronger effect on the mind,
than one that is obscure and indistinct. 5.
Those that are teaching the people to read^
are doing all they can to increase the power.,
and extend the influence of those that write:
for the child — will read to please his teachers,
but the man — to please himself. 6. A faith-
ful friend, that reproveth of errors, is prefer-
able to a deceitful parasite. 7. He that follows
nature, is never out of the way. 8. Time,
patience, and industry, are the three grand
masters of the world.
If music be the food of love, play on;
Give me excess of '\X; that, surfeiting,
The appetite may sicken, and so die. '
That strain again ;— it had a dying fa)I ;
O, it came o'er my ear, like the sweet south,
That brejuhes upon a bank of violets.
Stealing and giving odor. Enough, no more;
'Tis not so sweet noiv as it was before.
O spirit of love, liow quick m\& fresh art t.hcu.
That, notwithstanding thy capacity
Receiveth as the sea, nought enters the.e,
Of what validity and pitch soever,
Buc falls into abatement and low price,
Even in a minute! so/j«« of shapes is/aiicy
That it atone is high fantastical.
188
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
SURPRISE, WONDER. AMAZEMENT,
4:80. An un-
somnion object
produces won-
der ; if it appears
suddenly, it be-
gets surprise,
which continued,
produces amaze-
ment, and if the
object of wonder
CDmea gently to
the mind, and a-
.vorts the atten-
tion by its beauty
and grandeur, it
eJCcites admira-
tion, which ia
a mixture of ap-
probation and
wonder; so sure is the observation of the poet;
f-ate time sliall wonder^ that my joys shall raise ;
For wonder is involuntary praise.
Wo\DER OR Amazement— opens the eyes and
makes them appear very prominent : sometimes
it raises them to the skies; but more frequently
fixes them upon the object, if it be present, with
a fearful look : the mouth is open and the hands
held up nearly in the attitude of/ear; and if they
laid anything, they drop it immediately, and un-
consciously ; the voice is at first low, but so em-
phatical that every word is pronounced slowly
and with energy\ though the first access of this
passion often stops all utterance ; when, by the
discovery of something excellent in tlie object of
wonder, the emotion may be called admiration,
the eyes are raised, the hands are lifted up, and
elapp'd together, and the voice elevated with ex-
pressions of rapture.
Thou art, O God ' the life and light
Of all this wondrous world we see ;
Its glow by day, its smile by night,
Are but reflections caught from thee.
Where'er we turn, thy glories shine,
And all things fa^r and bright are Thine !
When Day, with farewell beam, delays
Among the opening clouds of even,
And we can almost think we gaze
Through goldep vistas into Heaven,
Those hues, that make the sun's decline
So soft, so radiant, Lord! are Thine.
When Night, with wings of starry gloom,
O'ershadows all the earth and skies.
Like some dark, beauteous bird, whose plume
Is sparkling with unnumber'd eyes,—
That sacred gloom, those fires divim
So grand, so countless. Lord ! are Thu
When youthful Spring around us breathe;:
Thy spirit warms her fragrant sigh ;
And every flower the Summer wreathes,
Is born beneath that kindling eye.
Where'er we turn, thy glories shine,
And all things fair and bright are Thine !
How inexpressibly various are the charac-
wristics impressed by the Creator on all hu-
man beings I How has he stamped on each
,'ls legible and peculiar properties ! How
especially visible in this the loiuest class of an-
imal life ! The world of insects, is a world
of itself: how great the distance between it
and Trtan ! Through all their forms, and
gradations, how visibb are their powers of
I (lestruction, of suffering and resisting, of
sensibility and insensibility !
Importance of Early Principles. If
men's actions are an effect of their ■principles, that
is, of their notions, their heUef their persuasions, it
must be admitted, Ihal principles — early sown i:i the
raind, are ihe seeds, which produce/rt<u and harvest
in the ripe state of manhood. How lighUy soever
sotne men may speak of notions, yet, so long as
the soul governs the body, men's notions mxist in-
fluence their actions, more or less, as they arc
stronger or weaker : and to good or evil, as they
are better or worse.
Anecdote. Cyrus, the great king of Per-
sia, when a boy, being at the court of his
grandfatfier As-^j/-a-ges, engaged to perform
the office of cup-bearer at table. The ditty
of this office required him to taste the liquor,
before presenting it to the king ,- but with-
out performing this duty, Cyrus delivered
the cup to his grandfather ; who observed the
omission, which he imputed to /wg-e//u/??e5S.
" No," said Cyrus, " I purposely avoided it:
because I feared it contained jwison : for
lately, at an entertainment, I observed that
the lords of your court, after drinking it, be-
came noisy, quarrelsome and frantic."
Varieties. I. In every departure from
truth, it is the deceit and hypocricy we exert,
to compass our purpose, that does the evil,
more than the base falsehood, of which we
are guilty. 2. It is a strong proof of the
want of proper attention to our duty, and of
a deficiency of energy and good sense, to let
an opportunity pass, of doing or getting
good, without impi'oving it. 3. Of all the
passions, jeaZot/5?/ is that which exacts tlie
hardest service, and pays the bitterest wages ;
its service is to watch the success of a rival ;
its wages — to be sure of it. 4. Base oivy
withers at another'' s joy, and hates that excel
lence it cannot reach. 5. How does the men-
tal and bodily statures of the ancients, com-
pare with those of the moderns ? 6. It
seems like a law of order, tliat no one shall
be long remembered with affection, by a lace
whom he has never benefitted. 7. The char-
ity, that relieves distressed minds, is far su-
perior to that, which relieves distressed bodies.
8. Think'st thou — it is honorable — for a wo-
ble man still to remember wrong 7 9. This
is the monstrosity of love, that the will — is
infinite, and the execution — confined,- that
the desire — is boundless, and the act — a slave
to limit.
What's in a name; that which we call a rose.
By any other name — w^ould smell as sweet.
Glory — is like a circle in the water,
Which never ceaseth to enlarge itself,
Till, by broad spreading, it disperses to nought.
God''s benison go with you ; and with tkote.
That would make good of bad, anl^ friends — of foes
The things we mi>sl believe — are few, and plain.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
189
VENERATION, DEVOTION
481. Vk-
nbration —
to parents,
teachers,
Buperiors or
persons o f
eminent vir-
tue and at-
tainments
is an humble
&ncl respect-
ful acknow-
1 edgment
of their ex-
cellenc e,
and our own
inferiority:
the head and
body are in-
clijied a Utile forward,
palm downwards, just raised to meet the inclina-
tion of the body, and then let fall again with ap-
parent timidity and diffidence; the eye is some-
times lifted up, and then immediately cast down-
ward, as if unworthy to behold- the object before
it ; the eyebrows drawn down m the most respect-
ful manner ; the features, and the whole body and
limbs, all composed to the most profound gravity;
one portion continuing without mucli change.
^Vhen veneration rises to adoration of the Al-
mighty Creator and Redeemer, it is too sacred to
be imitated, and seems to demand that humble
annihilation of ourselves, w-liich must ever be the
consequence of a just sense of the Divine Majesty,
and our own unworthiness. This feeling is al-
ways accompanied with more or less of awe, ac-
cording to the object, place, &c. Respect— is but
a less degrees of veneration, and is nearly allied
to modesty.
Aimigtity God ! 'tis right, His just,
That eariA^y frames— should turn to dust;
But O, the sweet, transporting truth.
The SOUL — shall bloom in endless youth.
In its sublime research, philosophy
May measure out the ocean-deep — may count
The sands, or the sun's rays — but, God ! for thee
There is no iveight nor measure: none can mount
Up to thy mysteries; Reason's brightest spark,
Though kindled by thy light, in vain would try
To trace thy counsels, infinite and dark:
And thought is lost, ere thought can soar so high,
Even like past moments — in eternity.
This world — is all a fleeting show,
For man's illusion given;
The smiles of joy, — the tears o{woe,
Deceitful shine, deceitful 7?oty —
There's nothing true — but Heaven !
AnA. false the light— on glory-s plume,
As fading hues of even ;
And love, and Iwpe, and beauty^s bloom,
Are blossoms — gather'd for the tomb, —
There's nothing bright — but Heaven!
Poor wanderers — of a stormy day,
From wave — to wave — we're driven.
And fancy's flash, and reason's ray.
Serve but to light- the troubled way —
There's nothing calm — but Heaven!
He was too good —
Where HI men were : and was best of a/t—
Among the rarest of good ones.
When usefulness, and pleasure join,
Pet/ec«io?i— crowns the grard design,
Anecdote. Pulpit Flattery. 0ns of the
first acts, performed by the yotxng monarch,
George the Third, after his accession to the
throne of England, was, to issue an order,
prohibiting any of the clergy, who should be
called before him, from paying liim any com-
pliments in their discourse. His majesty was
led to this, from the fulsome adulation which
Dr. Thomas Wilson, prebendary of Westmin-
ster, thought proper to deliver, in the royal
chapel ; and for which, instead of thanks, he
received a pointed reprimand; his majesty
observing, " that he came to hear the praise
of God, and not his Mi?n."
liove. The brightest part of love is its confi-
dence. It is that perfect, that unhesitating reli-
ance, that interchange of every idea and every
feeling, that perfect community of tlie heart's se-
crets and the mind's thoughts, which binds two
beings together more closely, more dearly than
the dearest of human ties ; more than tlie vow of
passion, or the oath of the altar. It is that confi-
dence which, did we not deny its sway, would ^
give to earthly love a permanence that we find
but very seldom in this world.
Varieties. 1. Sowe misfortunes seem to
be inevitable ; but they generally proceed from
our want of judgment, and prudence. 2. Ig-
norance of the/ac^5, upon which a science is
based, precludes much proficiency in that
science. 3. Trade, like a restive horse, is not
easily managed ; where one is carried to the
end of a successful journey, many are thrown
oflFby the way. 4. No accident can do harm
to virtue ; it helps to make it manifest. 5.
True faith is a practical principle ; it is doi?ig
what we understand to be true. 6. It is very
difficult to talk and act like a madman, bu'
not like a fool. 7. Rely not on the compan-
ions of your pleasure ; trust not the associ-
ates of your health and prosperity ; it is only
in the hour of adversity, that we leam the
sincerity of our friends. 8. The genuine feel-
ings of human nature, are always the same ;
afid the language of passion every where un-
derstood. 9. Demosthenes said, that action,
or delivery, constitutes the beginning, middle
and end of oratory. 10. In proportion as a
truth is great, and transcending the capacity
of the age, it is either rejected, or forgotten.
Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. liOve is not love.
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove :
0 no ! it is an ever-fixed mark.
That looks on tempests, and is never shaken ;
It ie the star to every wandering bark, [ken
Whose worth's unknown, altho' his height be ta
Love's not Time's fool, tho' rosy lips and cheeka
Within its bending sickle's compass come;
Love alters not with his brief hours and wfeks.
But bears it out e'en to the edge of doom.
If this be error, and upon me prov'd,
1 never writ, nor no man ever lov'd.
190
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
SCORN, CONTEMPT.
482. Sneer
is ironical
approbation;
with a voice
and counte-
nance of
mirth, some-
what exaege-
iated,we cast
the severest
censure; it is
hypocritical
mirth and
good humor,
and differs
from the real
by the sly,
arch, satyri-
cal tones of voice, look and gesture, that accom-
pany it ; the nose is sometimes turned up, to
manifest our contempt, disdain. Scorn — is the
. extreme of contempt ; that disdain, which
springs from a person's opinions of the mean-
ness of an object, and a consciousness, or belief
of his own worth and superiority.
Satan beheld their flight,
0 h.nd to his mates — thus, in derision call'd :
0 friends I why come not on those victors proud?
Ere while, they^erce were coming, and when we.
To entertain them fair, with open front, [terras
And breast, (what could we more ?) propounded
Of composition — strai't they changed their minds,
Fkw off, and into strange vagaries fell,
A.S they would dance; yet for a dance, theyraia'd
Somewhat extravagant and wild, perhaps for
Jo7j of offer'd peace; but I suppose.
If our proposals once again were heard.
We should compel them to a quick result.
483. Yoii pretend to reason? you (^on't
BO much as know the first elements of the art
of reasoning : you don't know the difference
between a category and a predicament, nor
between a major and a minor. Are you a
aoctor, and don't know that there is a com-
niunication between the brain and the legs?
2 SxKER. He has been an author these iwen-
ty years, to his bookseller^s knowledge, if to
no one's eUiC. 3. Chafe not thyself about the
7'a''ble^s censure : they blame, or praise, but
as one leads the other.
O vvhat a rogue and peasant slave am I !
Is it not monstrous, that this player here,
Bui in a fiction, in a dream of passion,
Could force his soul so to his own conceit.
That from her working, all his visage warm'd,
T«ars in his eyes, distraction in his aspect,
A broken voice, and his whole function suiting,
w:th forms to his conceit ! and all for nothing ;
Fj: Hecuba !
What's Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba,
Thai he should weep for her 7
Thou look'st a very statue of surprise.
As if a lightning blast had dried thee up,
And had not left thee moisture for a tear.
S )'!v, like a broken instrument, beneath
The skillful touch, my joyless heart lies dead 1
\"or answers to the master's hand divine.
What can ennoble sots, or slaves, or cowards 1
TlielnvestigatloiLof Tliouglit. While
investigafing the nature of thought, we forget
that we are thinking : we propose to understand
that, which, in the very effert to do so, necessa-
rily becomes the more unintelligible ; for while
we think that we appreciate the desired end, the
power that enables us to do so, is a part of the
thing sought, which must remain inexplicable.
Since it is impossible to understand the nature
of thought by thinking, it is manifest, that every
modification of thought, must be quite obscure in
its nature ; and, for the same reason, in judging
of what we call ideas, we must use ideas derived
from the same original, while every judgment is
only a new modification. Therefore, the only
true philosophy of mind, must, as to its princi-
ples, be revealed. Has there been such a revela-
tion?
Anecdote. Brotherly Love. A little boy,
seeing two nestling birds peck at each other,
inquired of his elder brother, what they were
doing. "They are quarreling,^' was the
reply. " iVo," replied the other, "that can-
not be, for they are brothers.^'
VARIETIES.
But seven wise men the ancient world did know ;
We scsirceknow sev^n,whothinkthemsHv'snotEO.
If a better system's thine.
Impart it freely ; or make use of mine.
3. He, who knows the world, will not be too
bashful ; and he, who knows himself, will
never be impudent. 4. To speak all that is
true, is the part of fools ; to speak more than
is true, is the folly of too many. 5. Does a
candle give as much light in the day time, as
at night 1 6.1 am not worthy of a friend,
if I do not advise him when he is going
astray. 7. A bad great man, is a great bad
man ; for the greatness of an evil, makes a
man's evil greater. 8. All public vices, are
not only crimes, but i-ules of error ; for they
are precedents of evil. 9. Toyish airs, please
trivial ears ; they kiss the fancy, and then be-
tray it. 10. Oh! what bitter pills men swal-
low, to purchase one false good.
Aside the devil turn'd.
For envy, yet with jealous leer malign,
Ey'd them askance, and to himself thus plain'd :
Sight hateful, sight tormenting ! thus these two,
Iiijparadis'd in one another's arms,
The happier Eden shall enjoy their fill
Of bliss on bliss : while I to hell am thrust.
Where neither joy nor love, but rierce desire.
Among our other torments, not the least.
Still unfulfilled, with pain of longing pines.
Learning is an addition beyond
Nobility of birth : honor of blood.
Without the ornament of knowledge, is
A glorious ignorance.
Self-love never yet could look on Truth,
But with biear'd beams ; sleek Flattery and she
Are twin-born sisters, and so mix their eycB,
As if you sever one, the other dies.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
191
FEAR, CAUTION
4§4. Feab
is a p o w e r f u 1
emotion, excited
by expectation of
some evil, or ap- 1
prehension of im-
pending danger;
It expresses less
apprehension
than dread, and
this less than ter-
ror ox fright: it
excites us to pro-
vide for our secu-
rity on the ap-
proach of evil;
nometimes settles
into deep anxie-
ty, or solicitude :
It may be either filial in the good, or slavish in
the wicked. See the engraving for its external
appearance, and also Terror or Fright.
Now, all is kush'd — and still, as death!
How reverend is this tall pile,
Whose ancient j9i7Jars rear their marble heads,
To bear aloft its arch'd and ponderous roof,
By its own weight made steadfast and immovable,
Looking — tranquillity ! it strikes an awe,
And terror on my aching sight. [cold,
The tombs, and monumental caves of death, look
And shoot a chillness to my trembling heart.
Give me thy hand, and let me hear thy voice;
Nay, quickly speak to me, and let me hear
Thy voice — my own sS frights me with its echoes.
Tis night! the season when the happy— xak^
Repose, and only witches are awake ;
Now, discontented ghosts begin their rounds,
Haunt ruin'd buildings and unwholesome grounds.
First, Fear— his hand its skill to try,
Amid the chords bewilder'd laid ;
And back recoil'd, he knew not why,
Ev'n at the sound himself had made.
A sudden trembling — seized on all his limbs,
His eyes distorted grew, his visage— paZe;
His speech forsook him !
Full fast he flies, and dares not look behind him ;
Till, out oi breath, he overtakes his fellows,
Who gather round, and wonder at the lots of
horrid apparitions.
Come, old sir, — here's the place — stand still ;
How fearful 'tis to cast one's eyes so low !
The crows and choughs, th't wing the midway air.
Show scarce so gross as beetles. Halfway down,
Hangs one that gathers samphire, dreadful trade !
ATethinks he seems no bigger than one's head;
The fishermen th't walk upon the beach,
Appear like mice, and yon tall anchoring bark,
Seems lessen'd to a skiff; — her skiff a buoy.
Almost too small for sight. The murmuring surge,
That on unnumber'd idle pebbles chafes.
Cannot be heard so high. I'll look no more.
Lest my brain turn, ajid the disorder make me
Tumble down headlong.
Anecdote. A nobleman, traveling in
Scotland, was asked for alms, in Edinburgh,
by a little ragged boy. He told him he had no
change} upon which the boy offered to pro-
curt it H is lordship finally gave him a piece
of silver, which the boy conceivir g was to bt
changed, went for that purpose,- but, on hia
retum,xioi finding his benefactor, he watched
several days ; at length the gentleman passed
that way ; when the boy accosted him, and
gave him all the change, counting it with
great exactness. The nobleman was so
pleaded with the boy's honesty, that he placed
him at school, with the assurance of provid-
ing for him afterwards ; which he did, and
that boy became an ornament to humanity.
E^tiquette of Stairs. In showing a vis-
itor— up or doivn stairs, always precede \\vn\^
or her : there is a common error upon this
subject, which ought to be corrected. Some
persons wUl suffer you to precede them ; even
when they hold the light. Gentlemen should
always precede ladies, up and down stairs.
Etiquette of Riding. The gentleman
should keep the lady on the right hand, that
she may the more conveniently converse with
him, and he may the more readily assist her,
in case of accident.
Varieties. 1. When you have bought
one fine tiling, you must buy ten more ; so
that your appearance may all be of a piece.
2. Miraculous evidence, is inefficacious for
producing any real, or permanent change in
one's confirmed religious sentiments; and
this is the reason, that no more of the Scribes
and Pharisees of old, embraced the christian
religion. 3. The great secret, by which hap'
piness is to be realized, is to be contented
with our lot, and yet strive to make it better,
by abstaining from everything that is evil. 4.
Every one is responsible for bis own acts : all
must be judged according to their deeds. 6.
Is it not much easier to blame, than to atmd
blame] 6. What is the difference between
good and evil ? 7. What makes us so dis-
contented with our condition, is the false and
exaggerated estimate, we form of the happi-
ness of others. 8. It is much easier to plunge
into extravagance, tlian to reduce our ex-
penses ; this is pre-eminently true of nations,
*as well as individuals. 9. Be decisive, or
mild, according to circumstances. 10. .SuU
your conduct to the occasion.
As flame ascends,
As bodies to their proper centre move.
As the pois'd ocean to the attracting mocn
Obedient swells, and every headlong stream
Devolves its winding waters to the main,
So all things which have life aspire to God,
The sun of being, boundless, unitnpair'd,
Centre of souls.
Nature
Never did bring forth a man without amun;
Nor could the first man, being but
The passive subject, not the active mover.
Be the maker of himself; so of necessity,
There must be a power superior to nature.
Spare not, nor spend too much ; be this your ci*^—
Spart—tmt to spend, autl only spend to ^lar^
192
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
SIMPLE LAUGHTER
485. Rail-
ERY — mjiy sig-
nify a banter-
ing, a prompt-
ing to the use
ot" jesting lan-
guage; good
humored pleas-
antry, or slight
satire; satirical
merriment, wit,
irony, bur-
lesque. It is
very difficult
indeed, W» mark
the precise
boundaries o f
the different
p a s s i o n s, as
some of them
are so slightly touch'd, and often melt into each
other ; but because we cannot perfectly delineate
every shade of sound and passion, is no reason
wliy we should not attempt approaches to it.
486. Raillery, without animosity, puts on the
aspect of cheerfulness ; the countenance smiling,
and the tone of voice sprightly.
Let me play the fool
Wrth mirth and latighUr; so let the wnnkles come,
And let my liver rather heat with wine,
Than my heart cool with mortifying groans.
Why should a man, whose blood is warm within,
Sit like his grandsire cut in alabaster?
Sleep when he wakes, and creep into the jaundice,
By being peevish ? I tell thee what, Antonio,
,'I love thee, and it is my love that speaks,)
There are a sort of men, whose visages
Do cream and mantle like a standing -pond)
And do a willful stillness entertain.
With purpose to be drest in opinion
Of wisdom, gravity, profound conceit,
As, who should say, I am Sir Oracle,
And when I ope my lips, let no dog bark !
I'll tell thee more of this another time ;
But fish not with this melancholy bait,
For this fool's gudgeon^ this opinion.
Come, good Lorenzo, fare-ye-well a while,
Til end my exhortation after iinner.
48 7. Miscellaneous. 1. It is impossi-
ble, to estimate, even an inconsiderable
fitfort to promote right education, 2. It is
said, that a stone, thrown into the sea, agi-i
tates every drop of water in that vast ex-
panse ; so it may be, in regard to the infiu-
cnce we exert on the minds of the young. 3.
Who can tell, what may be the effect of a sin-
gle good principle, deeply fixed in the mind;
i, single pure and virtuous association strong-
ly riveted, or a single happy /urn given to the
thoughts and affections of youth? It may
spread a salutary and sacred influence over
Ihe whole life, and thro' the whole mass of the
child's character. Nay more ; as the charac-
ler of others, who are to come after him, may,
and probably will depend much on his, the im-
l^ulse we give cannot cease in him, who first
Sctived it. It will go down from one generation
to another, widening and deepening, and
-tpttching forth with various modyications, till
the track of its agency shall exceed human
sight and calculation.
Anecdote. The duke of Orleans, on b©-
ing appointed regent of France, insisted on
the power of pardoning : " I have no objec-
tion," said he, " to have my hands tied from
doing harm j but I wUl have them free to do
good."
Trutli. Truth will ever be unpalatable k
those, who are determined not to relinquijsh
error, but can never give offence to the hon-
est and well-meaning : for the plain-dealing
remonstrances of a friend — differ as widely
from the rancor of an enemy, as the friendly
probe of a surgeon — from the dagger of an
assassin.
Varieties. 1. Envy is blind to all good;
and the ruling passion of the envious is, to
detract from the virtues of others. 2. A good
person wUl have no desire to influence oth-
ers, any farther than they can see that his
course is right. 3. Good fortune, however
long continued, is no pledge of future secu-
rity. 4. Cases often occur, when a prudent
and dignified confession, or acknowledgment
of error, gives to the person making it, a de-
cided advantage over his adversary. 5. Agi-
tation is to the moral and mental world,
what storms are to the physical world ; what
winds are to the ocean, what exercise is to
the body. 6. Truth can never die; she is
immortal, like her Author. 7. There are a
great many fools in tlie world: he who would
avoid seeing one, must lock himself up alone,
and break his looking glass. 8. What we
do ourselves — is generally more satisfactori-
ly done, thah what is done by others. 9. Such
is the state of the world, at present, that
whoever wishes to purchase anything, must
beware. 1 0. The opposite of the heavenly vir-
tues and principles, are the principles of hell.
A fool, a fool, I met a fool i'th'forest,
A motley fool, a miserable varlet;
As I do live by food, I met a fool,
Who laid him down, and bask'd him in the sun,
And rail'd on lady Fortune in good terms ;
In good set terms, and yet a motley fool;
Good morrow, fool, quoth I ; No, sir, quoth he,
Call me not fool, til. heav'n hath sent mefortum,
And then he drew a dial from his poak,
And looking on it, with lack-lustre eye.
Says, very wisely, It is ten o'clock ;
Thus may we see, quoth he, how the wor d wi^a
'Tis but an hour ago since it was nine,
And after one hour more 'twill be eleven,
And 80 from hour to hour we ripe and ripa,
And then from hour to hour we rot and rot,
And thereby hangs a tale. When I did hear
The motley fool thus moral on the time.
My lungs began to crow like chanticleer,
Thni fools should be so deep contemplative
And I did laugh sans intermission
An hour by his dial. O noble fool !
A worthy fool 1 motley's the only wear
?»RINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
193
HOIIROR.
488. Hor-
ror—is an ex-
cessive degree
of fear, or a
painful emo-
tion, which
makes a per-
son tremble : it
18 generally
composed o f
fear and ha-
tred.or disgust;
Uie recital of a
blwody deed
fills one with
•horror; there
are the horrors
of war, and the
horrors of famine, horrible places and horrible
dreams; the ascension seems to be as follows, the
fearful and dreadful, (affecting the mind more than
the body,) the A-ightful, the tremendous, terrible
and horrible : the fearful wave ; the dreadful day ;
frightful convulsions ; tremendous storms; terrific
glare of the eyes; a horrid murder.
Hark ! — the death-denouncing trumpet — sounds
The fatal charge, and shouts proclaim the onset.
Destrtiction— rashes dreadful to the field,
And bathes itself in blood. Havoc let loose,
Nov/ undistinguished — rages all around ;
While Ruix, seated on her dreary throne,
Sees the plain strew'd with subjects, truly hers,
Breathless and cold !
489. Plotting Cruelty AND Horror! Mac-
heth's soliloquy before murdering Duncan. {Start-
ing.) " Is this a dagger, which I see before me ?"
( Courage.) " The handle toward my hand? Come,
let me clutch thee :" ( Wojider.) " I have thee not;
and yet I see thee s«i7Z." (Horror.) "Art thou no2,
fatal vision, sensible to feeling — as to sight ? or art
thou but a dagger of the mi7id ? a false creation,
proceeding from the /leaf-oppress'd brainf'' {Eyes
i taring, an/i Jizftd to one point.) " I see thee yet,
m form as palpable as that which now I draw."
{Here draws his oion, and compares thein.) " Thou
niarshalPst me the way that I was going; and
such an instrument I was to use. Mine eyes are
made the fiols of the other senses, or eke worth all
tlie rest: I see thee still; and on thy blade and dud-
geon, gouts of blood, which was not so before.''^
(Doubting.) " There's no such </««§■." (Horror.)
" It is the bloody business, which informs thus to
m ne eyes. Now, o'er one-half the world, nature
3eems dead, and wicked dreams abuse the cur-
tain'd sleep; now tcyrc^,ra/i!— celebrates pale He-
cate's offerings; and withered murder, alarmed by
nis sentinel, the wolf, whose howVs his watch, thus
with his stealthy pace, towards his design — moves
hV a ghost. Thou sound andjirm-sel earth, hear
not my steps, which ivay they walk, for fear the
very stones prate of my ivhereabout, and take the
present horror from the time, which now suits
with it. While I threat, be lives — I go, and it is
done ; the bell invites me. (A bell rings.) Hear it
not, Duncan; for it is u knell, that summons thee
lo heaven, or to hell.
Music.' oh i how faint, how weak!
Language— fades before thy speU;
Why shouId/eeZm^— ever speak,
When thou canst brenthe her soul— so well.
BliONSON. 13
"Woman's Love. As ihe dove wih clasp its
wings to its side, and cover and coticeal the tirrow,
that is pf eying on its vitals, so is tlie nature of too-
man, to hide from tlie world the pangs of wcunded
affection.
Anecdote. Swearing nobly Rex/roved
Prince Henry, son of James II., had apartio
ular aversion to the vice of sivearing, and
profanation of the name of God. When at
play, he was never known to use bad words j
and on being asked tlie reason, why he did
not swear, as well as others, answered, that
he knew no game worthy of an oath. The
same answer he gave at a hunting match,
when the almost spent stag was killed by a
butcher's dog, that was passing along the
road ; the huntsmen tried io irritate tlie prince
against the butcher, but without succeeding.
His highness answered coolly, "True, tho
dog killed the stag, but the butcher could not
help it." They replied, that if his father hart
been served so, he would have sworn so, a-s
no one could have endured it. "Away," said
the prince, "all the pleasure in the world is
not worth an oath."
Varieties. 1. A selfish person is never
contented, unless he have every thing his oivn
way, and have the best pZace, and be pnt first
in every thing; of course, he is generally un-
happy. 2. The mind of man is, of itself,
opaque; the Divine mind alone, is luminous.
He is the light of both worlds, the natural and
spiritual. 3. Is it not better to remain in a
state of error, than to understand something
of a truth, and then reject it, because we do
not understand \t fully? 4. Guilt was never
a rational thing ; it disturbs and perverts the
faculties of the mind, and leaves one no long-
er the use of Ms reason. 5. All evils, in their
very wa^wre, are contagious, like the plague;
because of the propensity to evil, into which
every one is born; therefore, keep out of the
infected sphere as much as possible. 6. Is
the eye tired with beautiful objects, or the ear
with melodious sounds ? Love duty, then.
and performance will be delightful. ?• Seei
only good; thus, pleasure comes unsought.
When twilight dews are falling fast,
Upon the ro»y sea;
I watch that istar whose beam so oft
Has lighted me to thee ;
And thou, too, on that orb so dear,
Ah ! dost thou gaze at ev'n.
And think, tho' lost forever here,
Thou'lt yet be mine in heav'n !
There's not a garden walk I tread.
There's not a flower I see ;
But brings to mind some hope that's fled,
Some joy I've lost with thee ;
And still I wish that hour was near,
When, friends and foes forgiven,
The pains, the ills we've wept thro' here,
May turn to smiles in heaven!
He help'd to bury, whom he help d !o ,
19i
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTiON.
WEEPING.
490. Webp-
>N G — is the ex-
pression, or mani-
festation, of sor-
row, grief, an-
guish or joy, by
out-cry, or by
shedding tears;
a lamentation, be.
wailing, bemoan-
ing: we may weep
each other's woe,
or weep tears of
joy ; so may the
rich groves weep
odorous gum and
balm; there is '
weeping amber,
and weeping grounds : crying— is an audible ex-
pression, accompanied, or not, with tears ; but
weeping always indicates the shedding of tears;
and, when called forth by the sorrows of others,
especially, it is an infirmity of which no man
would be destitute.
491. Whither shall I return? Wretch
that I am ! to ivhat place shall I betake my-
self] Shall I go to the capitall Alas! it is
overflow'd withmy brother's blood/ or, shall
I return to my house P yet there, I behold my
mother — ^plunged in misery, weeping and de-
spairing. 2. I am robbed ! I am ruined !
0 my money! my guineas! my support!
my all is gone ! Oh ! who has robbed me 1
who has got my money? where is the thief?
A thousand guineas of gold ! hoo, hoo, hoo,
hoc ! 3. I cannot speak— and I could wish
you would not oblige me, — it is the only ser-
vice I ever refused you : and tho' I cannot
^ive a reason why I could not speak, yet I
hope you will excuse me without reason.
Had it pleased heaven
To try me with affliction; had it rained
All kinds of sores and shames on my bare head ;
Steeped me in poverty to the very lips ;
Given to captivity, me and my utmost hopes ;
1 should have found in some part of my soul
A drop of patience; but, alas ! to make me
A fixed figure, for the hand of scorn
To point his slow unmoving finger at —
Oh—
I am not prone to weeping, as our sex
Commonly are ; the want of which vain dew^
Perchance shall dry your pities ; but I have
That honorable grief lodged here, which burns
Worse than tears drown.
Why tell you me of moderation ?
The grief is fine, full, perfect, that I taste,
And violenteth in a sense as strong [it?
As that which causeth it ; How can I moderate
If I could temporize with my affection,
Or brew it to a weak amd colder palate.
The like allay ment could I give my grief;
My love admits no qualifying dross :
No more my grief, in such a precious loss.
When ou/ souls shall leave this dwelling,
The glory of one fair and virtuous action
Is above all the scutcheons on our tomb,
Or silken banners orer us.
Historians. We find but/ew historians o.
all ages, who have been dilgent enough in their
search for truth ; it is their common method, to
take on trust, what they distribute to the ■public;,
by which means, a falsehood, onca received from
a famed writer, becomes traditional to posterity.
Anecdote. Washington and his Mother.
Yovmg George was about to go to sea, as a
midshipman ; every tiling was arranged, the
vessel lay out opposite his fatlier'5 house. Iho
little boat had come on shore to take him off,
and his whole heart was bent on going. Af-
ter his trunk, had been carried down to the
boat, he went to bid his inother farewell, and
he saw the tear bursting from her eye. How-
ever, she said nothing to him ; but he saw that
liis mother would be distressed if he went,
and perhaps never be hapjnj agair> He just
turned round to the servant and said, " Go
and tell them to fetch my trunk back ; 1 will
not go away, to break my mother- s heart.'''
His mother was struck witli liis decision, and
she said to him, "George, God has promised
to bless the children, that honor iheix parents,
and I believe he will bless you.
Varieties. 1. Timotheus — an ancient
teacher of oratory, always demanded a double
fee from those pupils, who had been taught
by others ,- for, in this case, he had not only
to plant, but to root out. 2. He, that short-
ens the road to knowledge, lengthens life. 3.
Never buy, or read bad books ; for they are
the worst of thieves ; because they rob you
of your money, your time, and your princi-
ples. 4. Theocracy — is a government by G<xJ
himself ; as, the government of the Jews;
democrat — is a government of the people^
5. Without the intenseness and j)assion of
study, nothing great ever was, or ever will
be accomplished. 6. Who can tell where
each of the natural families begins, or where
it ends ? 7. To overcome a bad habit, one
must be conscious of it ; as well as know how
to accomplish the object. 8. The best defen-
ders of liberty do not generally vociferate
loudly in its praise. 9. Domestic feuds can
be appeased only by mutual kindness and
forbearance. 10. Volumes of arguments
avail nothing against resolute determinalionj
for convince a man against his tvill, and he iff
of the same opinion still.
When William wrote his /rt<Zy, to declare,
That he was wedded to a fairer fair.
Poor Lucy shrieked, *' to life, to all adieu ;♦♦
She tore the letter,— a.nd her raven kair,
She beat her bosom, and the post-boy too ;
Then wildly— to the window flew,
And threw herself— into a chair.
All is silent— 'twas my fancy !
Still as the breathless interval between
The flash and thunder.
Who ne\et fasts, no banquet e'er enjoya.
Who never toils or watches, hever sleeps.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
195
SIMPLE BODILY PAIN.
493. Pain
may be either bo-
dily, or mental ;
BimpJe, or acute.
Bodily pain, is
an uneasy sensa-
tion in the body,
of any degree
from that which
i« slight, to ex-
treme torture ; it
may proceed
from pressure,
.ensjon, separa-
tion of parts by
violence, or de-
rangement of the
functions : men-
tal pain — is un- _
easiness of mind; disquietude; anxiety; solici-
tude for the future ; grief or sorrow for the past :
thus we suffer pain, when we fear, or expect evil;
and we feel pain at the loss of friends, or proper-
ty. Pain, and the like affections, indicate a pres-
sure or straining.
The play of pain
Shoots o'er his features, as the sudden gust
Crisps the reluctant lake, that lay so calm
Beneath tlie mountain sliadow ; or the blast
Ruffles tlie autnvtn leaves, that, drooping, cling
Faintly, and motionless to their lov'd boughs.
What avails [pain,
Valor or strength, though matchless, quelled with
Which all subdues, and makes remiss the hands
Oi mightiest? Sense of pleasure we may well
Spare out of life, perhaps, and not repine;
But live content, which is the calmest life;
But ;7am is perfect misery, the ivorst
Of evils ! and, excessive, overturns
All patience.
And not a virtue in the bosom lives
That gives such ready pay as patience gives ;
That pure submission to the rulmg mind,
Fixed, but not forced; obedient, but not blind;
The will of heaven to make her own she tries,
Or makes her own to heaven a sacrifice.
The dream of the injured patient mind.
That smiles at the wrongs of men,
Is found in the bruised and wounded rind
Of the cinnamon, sweetest then I
Anecdote. The Philosopher Outdone. A
learned philosopher, being in his study, a lit-
tle girl came for some fire. Says the doctor,
" But you have nothing to take it in ;" and as
be was going to fetch something, the girl,
taking some cold ashes in one hand, put the
live coft/s on with the other. The astonished
eage threw down his books, saying, " With
all my learning, I should never have found
out thai expedient."
Soon shall thy arm, unconquered steam ' afar
Drag the slow barge, or drive the rapid car ;
Or, on wide-waving wings expanded, bear
The flying chariot— ihTough the fields of atr.
The brave— do never shun the light;
Jitst ar^ their thoughts, and open are their tempers;
Truly, without disquiet, they love, or hate;
Still are they found— in the fair face of day ;
And A«ai'€n~and men— aic judges of their actions, i
Provertos. 1. The true economy of every-
thing is— to gather up the fragments of time, as
well as of materials. 2. The earlier children are
taught to be useful, the better; not only for them-
selves, but for all others. 3. Consider that day aa
lost, in which something has not been done for the
benefit of others, as well as for yourself. 4. False
pride, or foolish ambition, should never induce us
to live beyond our income. 5. To associate with
influential and genteel people, with an appearance
of equality, has its advantages ; especially, where
there are sons or daughters just entering on \hi
stage of action; but, like a\\ other external advaiv
tages, they have their proper price, and may
be bought too dearly; "never pay loo much for
the whistle.'^ 6. Never let the cheapness of an ar-
ticle tempt you to purchase it, if you do not really
7ieed it; for nothing is cheap, that we do nolwant.
7. Vanity and pride must yield to the dictates cf
honesty and prudence.
Miscellaneous. G reat Britain — has dt)t-
ted orer the surface of the globe, with her
possessions and military posts ; and her morn-
ing dj-um-heoi, following the sun, and keep-
ing company with the hours, circle the earth
daily, with one unbroken strain of the mar-
tial airs of England. The steam-engine is on
th€ rivers, and the boatman may rest upon
his oars ; it is in the highways, and begins
to exert itself along the courses ofland-con-
veyances; it is at the bottom of mines, a
thousand feet below the surface of the earth ;
it is in the mill and in the workshop of the
traders; it rows, it pumps, it excavates, it
plougfis, it carries, it draws, it lifts, it ham-
mers, it spins,itweaves, it pi-ints ; and seems
to say to artisans. Leave your manual labor,
give over your bodily toil, use your skill and
reason to direct my power, and I will bear
toil, with no muscle to grow lueary, no nerve
to relax, no breast to feel faintness.
VAKIETIES.
Cease, mourners ; cease complaint and weep no
Your friends are not dead, but gone before; [more ;
Advanced a stage or two — upon the road,
Which you must travel in the steps they Irode.
True valor, friends, on virtue founded strong,
Meets all event? alike.
Preach patience to the sea, when jarring wmds,
Throw up the swelling b'Uow to the sky;
And if your reason mitigate her fury,
3Iy soul will be as calm.
Contention, like a horse,
Full of high feeding, madly Jialh broken loose,
And bears down all before him.
The day shall come, that great avenging day.
When Troy''s proud glories in the dust shall lay
Send thy arrows forth.
Strike ! strike the tyrants, and avenge my tears.
Slander, that worst of poisons, ever finds
An easy entrance to ignoble minds.
Other sins — only speak,— murder— shrieks out.
The element of i»a«er— moistens the earth;
But 6/ood— flies upxeard, and bedews the heavtn$
196
PRINCIPLES OF EL0C13TI0N.
ACUTE PAIN,
493. Bodily, or
mental, signifies a
high degree of pain,
which may appro-
priately be called
AGONY, or ANGtriSH;
the agony is a se-
vere and perma-
nent pain ; the an-
guish an over-
whelming pain: a
pan g — if* a sharp
pain, and generally
of short contin-
uance : the pangs
of conscience fre-
quently trouble the
person who is not
hardened in guilt;
and the pangs o disappointed love are among
the severest to be borne : " What pangs the ten-
der breast of Dido tear !" Complaining — ( as
when one is under violent pain,) distorts the fea-
tures, almost closes the eyes ; sometimes raises
them wistfully ; opens the moulh, gnashes the
teeth, draws up the upper lip, draws down the
head upon the breast, and contracts the whole
body : the arms are violeatly bent at the elbows,
and the fists clenched, the' voice is uttered in
groans, lamentations, and sometimes in violent
screams : extreme torture producing fainting and
death.
Oh, rid me of this torture, quickly there.
My madam, with thy everlasting voice.
The bells, in time of pestilence, ne'er made
Like noise, or were in that perpetual motion.
All my house, [breath :
But noio, streamed like a haih, with her thick
A lawyer could not have been heard, nor scarce.
Another womun, such hail of words she let fall.
2. What! the rogue who rohVd mp? do
hang him, drown him, hum him, flay him
ulive. 3. Hold your tongue, we don't want
to hear your nonsense about eating ,• hold
your tongxie, and answer the questions, which
the justice is going put to you, about the mo-
ney I lost, and which I suppose you have
taken.
Hide not thy tears : weep boldly — and be proud
To give the flowing virtue manly way.
Tis nature's mark, to know an honest heart by.
Shame on those breasts of stone, that cannot melt,
In soft adoption of another's sorrow !
O, who can hold a fire in his hand,
By thinking on the frosty Caucasus?
Or cloy the hungry edge of appetite,
By a bare imagination of a feast ?
Or wallow naked in December snow,
By thinking on fantastic summer's heat
O, no ! the apprehension of the good.
Gives but the greater feeling to the worse :
Fell sorrow's tooth doth never rankle more,
Than when it bites, but lanceth not the sore.
Anecdote. A rich Campanian lady, fond
of pomp and show, being on a visit to Corne-
lia the illustrious mother of the Gracchii,
displayed her jewels and diamonds ostenta-
tiously, and requested that Cornelia should
show her jewels. ComeUa turned the conver-
sation to another subiect, till her sons should
return from the public schools i anrl wher
they liad entered their mother's apartment,
she, pointing to them, said to the lady
" These are niy jewels ; the only ornaments
I admire.^''
liaconics. 1. If we complained less, and
tried to encourage and help each other more, we
should find all our duties more easily performed.
2. Happiness — consists in the delight of perform
ing tises for the sake of uses : that is, doing good
for the sake of good, instead of the love of reward,
which is a selfish feeling : all selfish feelings pro
duce unhappiness in the degree they are enter-
tained. 3. If we would be happy, we must put
away, as far as we can, those thoughts and feel-
ings, that have reference to self alone, and culti-
vate the higher ones, that have reference to tha
good of others, as well as ourselves. 4. To do
good, for the sake of delight in doing good, is a
selfish motive ; but to do good to others, for the
sake of making them happy, and, in doing it, for-
get ourselves, is a heavenly motive. 5. If we
would act from right motives, we must endeavor
to put away every feeling, that is purely selfish; in
doing which, every effort will give us strength,
like the repeated efforts of a child, in learning ti»
walk. 6. Parents should keep their children from
every association that may tend to their injury,
either in precept or practice. 7. Love is omnipo-
tent.
Varieties. 1. That profusion of Ian-
guage, and poverty of thought, which is call«
ed being spontaneous, and original, is no
proof of simplicity of heart, or freedom of
understanding ; there is more paper tlian
gold, more words than ideas, in this " care-
less wealth.^'' 2. Combined with goodness
and truth, obatort is one of the most glo-
rious distinctions of man ; it is a power, that
influences all : it elevates the affiBctions and
thoughts to enthusiasm; and animates us
mj'oy, and soothes MS in sorrow; vistrucfs,
guides, and persuades us. 3. To resolve a
proposition into its simplest elements we
must reason a posteriori ; by observing the
relation of sequences, we are enabled lo sup-
ply antecedents, involving the same relation ;
thus, amounting to the simplest state of a
proposition.
What nothing earthly gives, or, can destroy,
The soul's calm s«nsAine. and the hearfelt>Mf,
Is vmTUE's prize.
The friends thou hast, and their adoption tn"eJ,
Grapple them to thy soul, with hooks of steel.
Mind, — can raise.
From its unseen conceptio?is, where they lie.
Bright in their mine,/orms, hues, that lot k Eterntty
Is it the language of some other state,
Born of its memory? For what — can wake
The souVs strong instinct— of another world,
Like music?
Without good company, all dainties
Lose their true relish, and like painted grapes,
Are only seen, not tasted.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
197
ADMIRATION,
494. A mil
ed passion, con-
sisting of won-
der, mingled
with pleas in g
emotions; as|
veneraiion,!ove,
esteem, take:
away the famil
!ar gesture andl
e xpression or
simple love : it
is a compound
-lassion, excited
by some thing
novii, rare,
great, or excel-
lent, either of
persons or their
works : thus we
view the solar system with admiration. It
keeps the respectful look and attitude ; the eyes
are wide open, and now and then raised to-
wards heaven ; the mouth is open ; the hands
lifted up ; the tone of voice rapturous ; speaks
copiously and in hyperboles. Admiration —
is looking at any thing attentively with appre-
ciation ; the admirer suspends his thoughts, not
from the vacancy, but from the fullness of hia
mind : he is riveted to an oiiject, which tem-
porarily absorbs his faculties : nothing but what
is good and preat, excites admiration ; and none
but cultivated minds are very susceptible of it ;
an ignorant person cannot admire : because he
does not appreciate the value of the thing : the
form and use must be seen at any rate.
How heautiful the world is ! The green
earth, covered with jioivers — the trees, laden
with rich blossoms — the blue sky and the
bright water, and the golden suns.lme.
The world is, indeed, beautiful; and He, who
made it, must be beautiful.
It is a hapjy world. Hark ! how the mer-
ry birds sing — and the young lambs — see !
how they gambol on the hill-side. Even tlie
trees wave, and the brooks ripple, in glad-
ness. Yon eagle/ — ah! how joyously he
eoars up to the glorious heavens — the bird of
/} merica.
" His throne — is on the mountain-top ;
Uisfelds — the boundless air ;
And hoary peaks, that proudly prop
The skies — his dwellings are.
lie rises, like a thing of light.
Amid the noontide blaze :
The midway sun — is clear and bright ;
It cannot dim his gaze."
t is happy — I see it, and hear it all about
me — nay, I feel it here, in the glow, the elo-
qttent glow of my own heart. He, who
made it, must be happy.
It i« a great world! Look off to the mighty
ocean, when the storm is upon it; to the
huge mountain, when the thunder and the
lightnings play over it ; to the vast forest,
the interminable waste ; the sun, the moon,
and the myriads of fair stars, countless as the
sands upon the sea-shore. It is a great, a
magnificent world, — and He, who made it,
oh ! Hk is the perfection of all loveliness, all
e,oodruss, all greatness, all glory.
b2
How this grace
Speaks his own standing ! what a mental power
This eye shoots forth ! how big imagination
Moves in this Up! to the djimbness of the gesture
One might interpret.
Old men and beldames, in the streets.
Do prophecy upon it dangerously ;
Young Arthur's death is common in ilieir mouthsj
And when they talk of him they shake their he'ds.
And whisper one another in the ear ;
And he that speaks doth gripe the hearer's wrist;
Whilst he that hears, makes fearful action.
With wrinkl'd brows. with nods,with rolling eyes
I saw a smith stand with his iiammer thus,
The whilst his iron did on the anvil cool,
With open mouth, swallowing a tailor's news ;
Who, with his shears and measure in his hand,
Standing on slippers, (which his nimble haste
Had safely thrust upon contrary feet,)
Told of a many thousand warlike French,
That were embattled and rank'd in Kent •
Another lean unwash'd artificer
Cuts off his tale, and talks of Arthur's death.
Anecdote. It was so natural for Dr.
Watts to speak in rhyme, that even at the
very time he wished to avoid it, he could not
His father was displeased at this propensity,
and threatened to whip him, if he did not
leave off making verses. One day, when ho
was about to put his threat in executio7i, the
child burst into tears, and on his knees, said:
Pray father, do, some pity take,
And I will no more verses make.
Varieties. 1. What is a better security
against calumny, and reproach, than a good
consciejice ? 2. W^hat we commence — from
the impulse of virtue, we too often continue
from the spur of ambition ; avarice, herself
is tlie offspring of independe?ice and virtue
3. Wealth, suddenly acquired, will rarely
abide ,- nothing but quiet, consistent industry,
can render any people jm)sperous and happy.
4. Did you ever think seriously of the design,
and uses of the thumb ? 5. Music, in prac-
tice, may be called tlie gymnastics of the af-
fections. 6. The difference between honor,
and hoyiesty — seems to be principally in the
motive; as the honest man does tliat from
love and duty, which the man of hrmor does,
for the sake of character. 7. If there be any
thing, which makes one ridiculous, to beings
of superior faculties, it must be j^ride. 8.
As is the mother, so is the daughter ,- thinh
of this O ye mothers, and improve.
The rich are wise ;
He that upon his back rich garments wears,
Is wise, though on his head grow Midas' ears .
Gold is the strength, the sinews of the world ;
The health, the soul, the beauty most divine ;
A mask of gold hides all deformities ;
Gold is heav'n's physic, life's restorative.
O credulity,
Thou liast as many ears, as /awe— has tonguea
Opened — to every sound of truth, SiBfalsehooa
198
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
AJMIRATION AND ASTONISHMENT,
495. Implies
confusion, arising
from surprise, &c.
at an extraordina-
ry, or unexpected
event: astonish-
ment signifies to
strike with the
overpowering
voice of thunder;
we are surprised
if that does, or
does not happen,
which we did, or
did not expect ;
astonishment may
be awakened by
similar events,
which are more
unexpected, and
more unaccountable : thus, we are astonished
to find a friend at our house, when we suppos-
ed he was hundreds of miles distant; or to hear
that a person has traveled a road, or crossed a
stream, that we thought impassable.
These are thy glorious works. Parent of good,
Almighty ! thine this universal frame, [then !
Thus wondrous fair ! Thyself, how wondrous,
Unspeakable I who sitt'st above these heavens.
To us — invisible, or diinly seen
In these thy lowest works : yet these declare
Thy goodness, beyond thought,Sind power divine.
See, what a grace was seated on this brow !
Hyperion curls ; the front of Jove himself:
An eye like Mars, to threaten and command;
A station, like the herald Mercury,
New-lighted on a heaven-kissing hill.
\ combination, and a form indeed.
Where every god did seem to set his seal,
To ?ive the wurld assurance of a man.
Wh.it^wdlhere ?
Fiiir Portia's counterfeit? What rfem-god
Ilaih come so near creation ? Move their eyes ?
Or, whether riding on the ball of mine,
Seem they are in motion ? Here are sever'd lips.
Parted with sugar breath : so sweet u bar [hairs,
Should sunder such svfQ^X friends: Here, in her
The painter plays the spider, and hath woven
A golden mesh to entrap the hearts of men.
Faster than gnats in cobwebs .—Bwi her eyes I
How conid he see to do them ! having made one,
Methinks it should have power to fcteal both his,
And leave itself unfinishei.
Anecdote. While Thiicidydes was yet a
boy, he heard Herodottis recite his histories,
at tlie Olympic games, and is said to have
vjept exceedingly. The " Father of Histori-
ans,'* observing liow much the boy was mov-
ed, congratulated his /fl^Aer, on having a child
of sucli promise, and advised him to spare no
vains in his education. Thucidydes became
one of the best historians of Greece.
Wise legislators never yet could draw
A fox within the reach of common law ;
For posture, dress, grimace, and affectation,
Though foes to sense, are harmless to the nation ;
Our last redress is dint of verse to try,
And satire i» our Court of Chancery.
Maxims. 1. Never consider the opin'one Oi
others in a matter that does not cor^ern iiiem,
2. It is of but little use to argue a point with one,
whose mind is made up on the subject. 3. Beware
of o&jecf ions, founded on wrong irfcas. 4. Awo-
man*s conclusions are generally proof against
the most eloquent reasonings. 5. Look withir^
instead of without, for the true criterion of ac ■
tion, and be manly and independent. 6. Let ih^
square and rule of life be — Is it ri^ht 7 7. Be
cautious in yielding your he\.\.eT judgment to tha
wishes of others. 8. We generally err, in under-
taking— what we do not understand. 9. They
will surely be wise, who profit by experience. 10.
A clear head — makes sureioork.
Temperance. Happy are they that have
made their escape from the drinking custom of
the world, and enrolled their names amongst the
friends of Temperance ; for, by so doing, they
have most probably escaped from an early death-
Death, not only of the body, but of the soul, for
the habit of intoxication is calculated to destroy
both.
Varieties. 1. When •once you profess
yourself a /nend, be always such. 2. Blame
not, before you have examined: understand,
then rebuke. 3. Some people will never
learn anything ; for this reason, they under-
stand everytliing too soon. 4. Who can cal-
culate the importance of learning to say, No.
5. By following the order of Providence, and
obeying the laws of life and being, we shall
not become fatigued. 6. Abstraction, is the
power, which the understanding has, of
separating the combinations, which are pre-
sented to it ; it is also called the power of con-
sidering qualities, or attributes of one object,
apart from the rest, 7. There is a Provi-
dence in the least of man's thoughts and aC'
tions ; yea, in all his common and trijiing
concerns.
Words are like leaves; and where they most a-
Much fruit ofsenscbeneath,is rarely found. [bound
False eloquence — like the prismatic glass.
Its gaudy colors spreads on every place :
The face of JVafttre— we no more survey,
Ml glares alike, without distinction gay :
But true expression, whate'er it shines upon,
It gilds all objects, but it alters— none.
Expression is the dress of thought, and still
Appears more decent— as more suitable.
A just man cannot fear ;
Not, though the malice of traducing tongues
The open vastness of a tyrant's ear,
The senseless rigor of the wrested laws,
Or the red eyes of stram'd authority.
Should, in a point, meet all to take his life r
His innocence is armor 'gainst all these.
Music so softens and disarms the mind.
That not an arrow does resistance find;
Thus the fair tyrant celebrates the prize,
And acts herself the triumph of her eyes;
So Nero once, with harp in hand, survey'd
His flaming Rome, and as it burn'd, he playfl
i
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTICN.
199
496. The Minor, and some of the Ma-
;oR Passions. The following common ex-
pressions are full of meaning : such judg-
ments are passed every day, concerning dif-
ferent individuals ; " You might have seen it
in his eyes : the looks of the man is enough;
he has an honest countenance : his manner
sets every one at his ease ; I will trust bim
for his honest /rtce ,- should he deceive me, I
will never trust any body again ; he cannot
look a person in the /ace ,• his appearance is
against him ; he is better (or worse,) tnan I
took him to be."
497* Adm ONi-
riox — assumes a
grave air bordering
on severJly ; t li e
head is sonieliines
shaken at the per-
son we admonish,
as if we felt for the
miseries lie w^ a s
lilv'ely to bring u]v
011 h i m s e 1 f ; the
na7.d is directed to
the person spoken
to, and the fore-f n-
ger, projected fiom
the rest, se^ns to
poml more parucu-
larly to the danger
we giTe warning
of; the voice assuires a low pitch, bordering on a
monotone, witii a mixture of severity and sympa-
tJiy of pity, and reproach.
Miscellaneous. 1. The habituating chil-
dren to work for, and serve the poor, particu-
larly poor chUdroi, with a good will, may
Justly be regarded, as tending to promote the
reception of the highest order and quality of
heavenly virtue. 2. It is not in knowing the
will of God, but in doing it, that we shall be
blessed. 3. The noblest aspect in which the
divine majesty of the Lord can be viewed,
is that, in which he presetited himself, when
he said, that he " came, not to be ministered
unto, but to minister .•''^ and how great a priv-
ilege ought we to esteem it to be, to follow
his example. 4. What a jnty it is, that pa-
rents and teachers are not more anxious to
mend the heart, than furnish the heads of
their children and pupils ! 5. Charity is
something more than a word, or wish ; it is
tlie consistent practice of true wisdom.
>Tis one thing to be tempted, Escalus,
Another thing — Xofall. I not deny —
The jury, passing on the prisoner's life,
May, on the sworn twelve, have a thief or two.
Guiltier than him they try ; what's open made
To justice, that it seizes on. What know [nant,
The laws, that thieves do pctss on thieves? 'tis preg-
The jewel that we find, we stoop and tak't
. Because we see it ; but what we do not see,
We tread upon, and never think of it.
You may not sd extenuate his offence,
For I have had such faults ; but rather tell me
When I, that censure him, do not so offend,
Let mine own judgrie7it pattern out my death,
And nothing c«me 1 1 prrtial. He must die.
Maxims. 1. If a person /et-j wror.g, "le will
be very sure to judge wrong, and thence dc
wrong. 2. Passions strong, judgment wrong, all
Jie world over. 3. Always do the very best you
can, and then you'll be a wise man. 4. Children
should be encouraged to do, whatever they un-
dertake, in the very best manner. 5. He who
aims toto, can never hit exalted objects; and he
who is accustomed to do the best he can, in lower
things, will be best prepared to attain excellerxc
in the highest. 6. Children should never be al-
lowed to fall into habits of disorder in anylh'mg;
nor permitted to put things out of order, or mako
work for others. 7. Of goods, pi efer the greatest;
of evils- choose the least. 8. Children are always
more attracted and interested by oral instruction,
than by book instruction.
Anecdote. A Quaker — was waited on by
four of his workmen, to make their compli-
ments to him, and ask for their usual New-
year's gifts. The Quaker told them. There are
your gifts, — choose fifteen francs, or the Bi-
ble. All took the francs, but a lad, about
fourteen, who chose the Bible, as the Qua-
ker said it was a good book ; and, on opening
it he found, between the leaves, a gold piece
of forty francs. The others held down tlieir
heads, and the giver told them, he was sorry
they had not made a better choice.
Varieties. 1. We cannot be truly just,
without prudence, or truly prudent, without
justice; because prudence leads us to in-
quire what is just ; and justice alone can
prevent tliat perversion of intellect taking
place, which often 2)asses for prudence, but is
only cunning, the offspring of selfishness.
2. Temperance signifies the nght use of the
ri^ht things, fumislied by nature for our en-
joyment, so that they may not injure, but
benefit us ; and instead of itnfitting us for
our duties, dispose and fit us for their per-
formance. 3. He, who is not temperate, is a
slave to his appetites and passions; the slave
of drinking, gluttmiy and lust ; of pride,
vanity and ambition ; because he is not at
liberty to be, what I^p was created to l)e.
The prophet spoke : wlien, with a gloomy frown.
The monarch started—horn his shining throne ;
Black choler filled his breast, that boil'd with in,
And, from his eyeballs, flashed the living fire.
Of beasts, it is confessed the ape —
Comes nearest us — in human shape ;
hikeman, he imitates each fashion ;
And malice— is his ruling i^assion.
I hate, when vice can bolt her arguments,
And virtue— has no tongue, to check hot pride
But not to me return
Day, or the sweet approach of even and wo^
But cloud instead, and ever-during dark
Surrounds me.
If sweet content is banished from ray soul,
Life grows a burden, and a weight of woe.
Music— mot-es us, and we know vol why ;
We feel the tears^ but cannot trace their souree.
200
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
498. Affirming,
with a jjdicial oath, in
expressed by lifting "3?
the right hand and eyes
towards heaven ; if con-
science be applied to,
by laying the right hand
upon the breast exactly
upon the heart ; the voice
low and solemn, the
words slow and deliber-
ate ; but when the affir-
mation is mixed with
rage or resentment, the
voice is more open and
loud, the words quicker,
and the countenance has all the confidence of a
strong and peremptory assertion.
Notes. The Duke had reproached Lord Thurlow with his
plebeian extraction and his recent adminion to the peerage. He
rose from the woolsack and advanced slowly to the place from
which the chancellor addresses the house, then fixing bis eye on
die Duke (in the words of a spectator,) " with the look of Jove
when he has grasped the thunder," spoke as follows :
My Lords — I am amazed ; yes ray Lords, I am
amazed at his grace's speech. The noble duke
cannot look before him, behind him, or on either
side of him, without seeing some noble peer, who
owes his seat in this house to his successful ex-
ertions, in the profession to which I belong. Does
he not feel that it is as honorable, to owe it to
these, as to being the accident of an accident? To
all these noble lords, the language of the noble
duke is as applicable, and as insulting, as it is to
myself. But I don't fear to meet n single and
alone. No one venerates the peerage more than
I do— but, my lords, I must say, that the peerage
solicited me, — not I the peerage.
Nay more, — I can say, and will say, that as a
peer of parliament, — as speaker of this right hon-
orable house, as keeper of the great seal, — as
giiardian of his majesty's conscience, — as lord
high chancellor of England — nay, even in that
character alone, in which the noble duke would
think it an affront to be considered — but which
character none can deny me — as a man, I am, at
this time, as much respected, as the proudest peer
I now look down upon.
A man of sovereign parts he is esteem'd !
Well fitted in the arts, glorious in arms ;
Notiiing becomes him ill, that he would well.
The only soil of his fair virtue's gloss,
(If virtue's gloss will stain with any soil,)
Is a sharp wit match'd with too blunt a will : [wills
Whose edge hath power to cut, whose will still
It should none spare that come within his power.
Anecdote. Butler, Bishop of Durham,
and author of the Analogy, being applied to
for a charitable subscription, asked his steward
what money he had in his house ; the stew-
ard informed him there were five hundred
pounds. " Five hundred pounds .'" said the
bish Dp ; " what a shame for a bishop to have
Bucli a sum in his possession !" And he or-
dered it all to be given to the poor immedi-
ately.
Bold with joy,
Forth from his lonely hiding-place,
(Portenfius sight!) the owlet Atheism,
Sailing on obscure wings athwart the noon.
Drops his blue-fringed lids, and holds them close,
Ar.d, hooting at the glorious sun in heaven,
Cr;es out, "Where is it?"
The world i s stiU deceived by omammU
Ijacouics. I have s^en the ^otoer — ■withe:
ing on the stalky and its bright leaves — spread oit
the ground. I looked again; it sprung forth
afresh ; its stem was crowed with new buds, and
its sweetness filled the air. I have seen the sun
set in the wes^ and the shades of night shut in
the wide horizon: there was no color or shape,
nor beauty, nor music ; gloom and darkness brooded
around. I looked ! the sun broke forth again upon
the east, and gilded the mountain-iops ; the lark
rose — to meet him from her low nest, and the
shades of darkness fled away. I have seen the
insect, being come to its full size, languish, and re-
fuse to eat : it spun itself a tomb, and was shroud-
ed in the silken cone : it lay without/eet, or shape,
or power to move. I looked again : it had bttrst its
tomb ; it was full of life, and sailed on colored
wings through the soft air ; it rejoiced in its new
being.
Varieties. 1. Many a young lady can
chatter in French or Italian, thrum the piano,
and paint a httle, and yet be ignorant of
housekeeping, and not know how even to
make a loaf of bread, roast a piece of meat,
or make a palatable soup. 2. It is a false
idea to think of elevating woman to her right
position of intelligence and influence in so-
ciety, without making her thorouglily and
practically acquainted with the details of do-
mestic life. 3. It is wrong for either men or
women, to bury themselves in their every-
day avocation, to the neglect of intellectual
and moral culture, and the social amenities
of life : but it is still worse to give exclusive
attention to the latter, and utterly neglect the
former ; because, in the former are involved
our first and most important duties. 4. Neg-
lected duties never bring happiness: even
the best of society would fail to delight, if
enjoyed at the expense of human duties. 5.
That which is our duty should always take
precedence : otherwise no efibrt to obtain
happiness can be successful.
Still— let my song — a nobler note assiune,
And sing the impressive force of Spring on mai^!
Then, heaven— and earth, as if contending,— vie
To raise his being, — and serene — his soul.
Can he forbear— to join— the general smile
Of NATURE? Can fierce jxws/ons— vex his breaet.
"Wthile every gale is peace, and every grove
Is melody ?
The happiness — of human kind.
Consists — in rectitude of mind, —
A «7t7^— subdued to reason's sway.
And passions — practiced to obey :
An open— and a generous heart,
Refined from selfiahness — and art;
Patience, which morte — at fortune's power,
And wisdom — neither sad, nor sour.
Never forget our ioues,— but always cling
To the fixed hope—\\\\ there will be a time.-
When we can meet — unfetter'd — and be fcfext—
With ti^efuU happiness — of certain icnre,
A villain, when he most seenrs kind.
Is most to be su^ected.
PRINCIPLLS ^ F ELOCUTION
201
499. Revision.
Having gone thro',
briefly, with the ma-
jor passions, and
given illustrations
of each, before dis-
missing these im-
portant subjects, it
may be useful to
present the Tninor
ones; occasionally
alluding to the prin-
cipal ones. The ac-
companying engra-
ving represents
ealm fortitude, dis-
c r e t i o n , benevo-
lence, goodness,and
nobility. Admira-
tion may also be
combined with amazement : surprise, (which sig'
nifies— taken on a sudden,) may, for a moment,
startle; astonishment may stupefy, and cause an
entire suspension of the faculties; but amazement
has also a mixture of perturbation ; as the word
means to be in a maze, so as not to be able to
collect one's self: there is no mind that may not,
at times, be thrown into amazement at the awful
dispensations of Providence.
ADMONITION TO ACT JUSTLY.
Remember March, the ides of March remember!
Did not great Julius — bleed for justice' sake ?
What villain touch'd liis body,— ihat did stoA,
And not for justice ?
What.' shall one of ws,
That struck the foremost man — of all this ifforld,
But for supporting robbers, shall we — now —
Contaminate out fingers with base bribes ?
And sell the mighty space of our large honors,
For so much trash— as may be grasped thus?
I had rather be a dog, and bay the moon,
Than such a Roman.
Anecdote. Ethelwold, bishop of Win-
chester, in king Edgar's time, sold the gold
and silver vessels belonging to the church, to
relieve the poor, during a famine, saying:
" There is no reason, that the senseless tem-
ples of God, sliouW abound in riches, while his
living temples ware perishing with hunger."
DOMESTIC LOVE AND HAPPINESS.
O happy they ! the happiest of their kind !
Whom gentle stars unite, and in one fate
Their hearts, their fortunes, and their beings blend.
Tis not the coarser tie — of human laws,
Unnatural oft, and foreign to the mind.
That binds their peace, but harmony itself,
Attumng all their passions into lovt;
Where friendship — full, exerts her sofiest power,
Perfect esteem, enliven'd by desire
Ineffable, and sympathy ofsoul;
Thought, meeting thought, and will preventing toiU,
With boundless confidence: for nought but love
Can answer love, and render bliss secure.
Merit — seldom shows
Itself— bedecked in tinsel, or fine elotftes;
But, hermit-like, 'tis oft'ner us'd to fiy,
And hide its beauties — in obscurity.
For p.ace.^ in the court, are but like beds—
In the hospital ; where this man's Aearf— lies
At that nr.an's foot, and so, lower and lowe'.
Laconics. 1. The idle often delay tlLJ to
morrow, what ought to be done to-day. 2. Science
is the scribe, and theology the interpreter of God's
works. 3. Regret is unavailing, when a debt is
contracted ; tho' a little prudence, might have pre-
vented its being incurred. 4. A loud, or velutrunf.
mode of delivery, accompanied by a haughty ac-
tion, may render an expression highly offensive;
but which would be perfectly harmless, if pro-
nounced properly. 5. Dishonesty chooses the moiX.
expeditious route ; virtue the right one, thougii it be
more circuitous. 6. Is the soul a mere vapor, a
something witliout either essence ox form? 7. Im-
pressions, fixmiy fixed m the mind, and long chct'
ished, are erased with great difficulty ; how impor-
tant, then, they should be good ones.
Difficulty — is a severe instructor, set over
us by the supreme ordinance of a parentaJ
guardian and legislator, who knows us better
than we know ourselves, and he loves us bet>-
ter too. He, that wrestles with us, strengthens
our nerves, and sharpens our skill. Our an-
tagonist is our helper. This amicable conflict
with difficulty obliges us to an intimate ac-
quaintance with our object, and compels us
to consider it in all its relations. It will uct
suffer us to be superficial.
VARIETIES.
Sleep— seiAom. visits sorrow;
When it docs, it is a comforter.
Why, on that brow, dwell sorrow and dismay,
Where loves were wont to sport, and smiles to plav
With equal mind, what happens, let us hear.
Nor joy, nor grieue too much, for things oeyond ctr care.
Thus, my fleeting days, at last.
Unheeded, silently are passed,
Calmly— shaW I resign my breatli,
In life — unknown,— forgot — in death.
Love — never reasons, but profusely gives;
Gives, like a thoughtless prodigal, its all.
And trembles then, lest it has done too little
Tho' all seems lost, 'tis impious~^\o despair;
The tracks of Providence — like rivers — wind.
Why shrinks the soul
Back on herself, and startles at destruction ?
'Tis the Divinity — that stirs witliin us.
Still raise — for ^oorf— the supplicating voice,
But leave to Heaven the measure, and the ehoui;
Safe in His power, whose eye discerns afar
The secret ambush of a specious prayer.
Implore His aid; in His decisions rest;
Secure— whate'er He gives, he gives the best.
Yet, when the sense of sacred presence fires.
And strong devotion — to the skies aspires, _
Pour forth thy /errors— for a healthful jnimj,
Obedient passions, and a loill resigned ;
For love, which scarce collective man can fill;
For patience, sovereign o'er transmuted ili;
For faith, that, panting for a happier seat,
Counts death— kind nature's signal of retreat:
These goods— for man— the laws of heaven ordain,
These goods He grants, who grants the power ic
W ith these celestial wirdomcalms tlie mind, [gain.
And makes the happiness— she does not^nd.
Call it diversion, and the fill goes dowtu
202
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
500. Arguing requires a cool, sedate, atten-
tive aspect, and a close, slow, and emphatical
accent, with mucli demonstration by the hand ;
it assumes somewhat of authority, as if fully
convinced of wliat it pleads for; and sometimes
rises to great vehemence and energy of action :
the voice clear, distinct, and firm as in confidence.
REASONING WITH DEFERENCE TO OTHEKS.
Ay, but yet —
Let us be keen, and rather cut a little, [tleman,
Than fall and bruise to death. Alas I this gen-
Whom I would save, had a most noble father !
Let but your honor know, (whom I believe
Ta be most straight in virtue) whether, in
The working of your own affections, [i"i.T»
Had time cohered with place, or place with wish-
Or, that the resolute acting of your blood, [pose,
Could have attain'd the effect of your own pur-
Whether you had not some time in your life,
Err'd in this point, you censure now in him.
And pull'd the law upon you.
591. Affkctation— displays itself in a thou-
sand different gestures, airs, and looks, accord-
ing to the character which the person affects.
j^ffectation of learning — gives a stiff formality to
the whole person : the words come stalking out
with the pace of a funeral procession, and every
sentence has the solemnity of an oracle. •Affec-
tation—of pity — turns up the goggling whites of
the eye to heaven, as if the person was in a
trance, and fixes them in that posture so long,
that the brain of the beholder grows giddy :
then comes up deep grumbling, a holy groan
from the lower part of the thorax, but so tremen-
dous in sound, and so long protracted, that yon
expect to see a goblin rise, like an exhalation
from the solid earth : thus he begins to rock,
from side to side, or backward and forward, like
an aged pine on the side of a hill, when a brisk
wind blows; the hands are clasped together,
and often lifted, and the head shaken with fool-
ish vehemence ; the tone of voice is canting, or
a sing-song lullaby, not much removed from an
Irish howl, and the words godly doggerel. Af-
fectation OF Beauty, and killing — puts a fine
woman, by turns, into all sorts of fbrms, appear-
ances and attitudes, but amiable ones : she un-
does by art, or rather awkwardness, all that na-
ture has done for her ; for nature formed her al-
most an angel : and she, with infinite pains,
makes herself a monkey: this species of affec-
tation is easily imitated, or taken off: in doing
which, make as many, and as ugly grimaces, mo-
tions and gestures, as can be made ; and take
care that nature never peeps out ; thus you may
represent coquettish affectation to the life.
Anecdote. A nobleman advised a bishop
to make an addition to his house, of a new
vnng, in modern style. The prelate answer-
ed him, " The difFerence between your ad-
nce and that wliich the devil gave to our Sa-
^nour — is, that Satan advised Jesus to change
stones into bread, that the poor might be fed ;
and you desire me to turn the bread of the
poor into stones.
A wise poor man,
Is like a sacred book that's never read ;
To himself he lives, and to all else seems dead :
This age thinks better of a gilded foai,
rii.in '.f n. threadbare saiil; in wisdom's school.
Cheerful looks — make every dish — a feast.
And '-ia that — CROWNS a welcome.
IJaconlcs. I. To know — is ^ne thing, to <if.
is another. 2 Consider zchat is said, rather than
who said it : and the consequence of the argu-
ment, rather than the consequence of him, wlio
delivers it. 3. These proverbs, maxims, and lacon-
ics, are founded onthe facts, that mankind are the
same, and that the passions are the disturbing
forces ; the greater or less prevalence of which,
give individuality to character. 4. If parents
give their children an improper education, whose
is the misfortune, and whose the crimes 7 5. Tlie
greater your facilities are for acquiring knowl-
edge, the greater should be your efforts : and o-e-
nius — is the power — of making efforts. 6. The
world's unfavorable views of conduct and cha-
racter, are as floating clouds, from which the
brightest day is not free. 7. Never marry — but
for love ; and see thai thou lovest only what is
lovely.
Tliis World. What is the happiness that
this world can give 1 Can it defend us from dis-
asters 1 Can it preserve our hearts from grief,
our eyes from tears, or our feet from falling ?
Can it prolong our comforts 7 Can it multiply our
days ? Can it redeem ourselves, or our friends
from death 1 Can it soothe the king of terrors,
or mitigate the agonies of the dying?
VARIETIES.
Three poets, in three distant ages born,
Greece, Italy, and Enj^land did adorn.
The first in loftiness of thought surpassed ;
The next, in majesty ; in both, the last.
The force of nature could no further go ;
To make a third, she join'd the former two.
Under a portrait of Milton — Dryden.
The poetry of earth is never dead! —
When all the birds are faint with the hot sun.
And hide in cooling trees, a voice will run,
From hedge to hedge about the new-mown mead;
That is the grasshopper's ; — he takes the lead
In summer luxury ; — he has never done
With his delights; forwhen tired out with fun
He rests at ease beneath some pleasant weed
The poetry of earth is ceasing never! —
On a lone winter evening, when the frost
Has wro't a silence from the stove, there shriUg
The cricket's song, in warmth increasing ever,
And seems to one, in drowsiness half lost,
The grasshopper's among some grassy hills.
Believe me, if all those endearing young charms,
Which I gaze on so fondly to-day, [arms.
Were to change by to-morrow, and fleet in ir.y
Like fairy gifts fading away ; [thou art.
Thou wouldst still be ador'd, as this moment
Let thy loveliness fade as it will.
And around the dear ruin each wish of my heart,
Wotfld entwine itself verdantly still.
It is not while beauty and youth are thy own,
And thy cheeks unprofan'd by a tear.
That the fervor and faith of a soul can be known.
To which time will but make thee more dear.
Oh ! the heait that has truly lov'd, never forgets..
But as truly loves on to the close ;
As the snnflower turns on her god, when he sets
The same look which she turn'd when he rase
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
203
503< AcrHORiTY— opens the countenance, but
drawB the eye-brows a little, so as to give the look
an air of grav:*y.
^.XrXHORITY FORBIDDING COMBATANTS TO FIGHT.
Let them lay by their helmets and their spears,
• And both return back to their chairs again : —
Withdrato from us,— and let the trumpet sound ;
Draw near —
And list what, witli our council, we have done.
For that our kingdom's ear/A— should not be soil'd^
With that dear blood which it Yv^Xh. foster' d ;
And for our eyes — doth hate the dire aspect,
Of civil wounds, plough'd up \\\x\\neighbor''s swords :
Tl erefore, we banish you our territories :
You^ cousin Hereford, upon pain oi death,.
Till twice five summers have enriched our fields,
Shall not regret our fair dominions,
But tread the stranger paths oi banishtnent.
504. Philosophers say, that man is a mi-
crocosm, or a httle world, resembling in mi-
niature. every part of the great ; and, in our
opinion, the body natural may be compared
to the body politic ; and if that be so, how
can the Epicurean-s opinion be true, that the
universe was formed by a fortuitous concourse
of atoms? which we will no more believe,
than that the accidental jumbhng of the let-
ters of the alphabet could fall by chance into
a most ingenious and learned treatise of phi-
losophy.
On pain oi death, — no person be so bold
Or daring hardy, as to touch the lists,
Except the marshal, and such officers
Appointed to dirut these fair designs.
THE BOOK OF NATURE.
hex fancy — lead,
And be it ours — to follow, and admire.
As well we may, the graces infinite
Of nature. Lay aside the sweet resource
That winter needs, and may at will obtain,
Of authors, chaste and good, and let us read
Tlie living page, whose every character
Delights, and gives us wisdom. Not a tree,
A. plant, a leaf, a blossom, but contains
A folio volume. We may read, and read,
\m\ read again, and still find something new,
Something to please, and something to instruet,
Fi'en in the noisome weed.
Anecdote. Eat Bacon. Dr. Watson, late
bisliop of Landaff, was enthusiastically at-
tached to tlie writings of Lord Bacon ; and
considered, that no one, desirous of acquiring
real sound knowledge, could read the works
of tliat great man too often, or with too much
■rare and attention. It was frequently re-
raarked by him — " If a man wishes to become
iX'we, he should eat Bacon.''^
Making Resolutions. Never form a re-
wlution that is not a good one ; and, when
once formed, never break it. If you Jform a
resolution, and then break it, you set your-
self a bad example, and you are very likely
to follow it. A person may get the habit of
breaking liis resolutions; this is as bad to
tne character and mi7id, as an incurable dis-
tase to the body. No person can become
great, but by keeping his resolutions ; uo per
son ever escaped contempt, wlio coold no/
keep them.
Laconics. 1. Writing and printing serve as
clothing to our ideas, by which they become visi-
ble informs, and permanent in duration i thus,
painters speak of embodying the fleeting colors
of begutiful_^tf7ers, by fixing them in some earth-
ly substance. 2. AVhen the pupil of our intdleetual
eyes becomes adjusted to the darkness of enor,
genuine truth dazzles and blinds us. 3. Habit can
only get the bstter of habit; but beware of chang-
ing one bad habit for another. 4. The torcl: of
improvement, is destined to pass from hand to
liand; and what, tho' we do not see the order? 5
When nature is excited, she will put forth her >/
forts; if not in a right, in a wrong way. G. Con-
sent— is the essence of marriage, the ceremonies — its
fonn, and the duties — its uses.
Pliysiological Ignorance— is undoubt-
edly, the most abundant source of our sufferings:
every person, accustomed to the sick, must have
heard them deplore their ignorarue — of the neces-
sary consequences of tliose practices, by which
their health has been destroyed: and when men
shall be deeply convinced, that the eternal laws of
Nature have connected pain and decrepitude with
one mode of life, and health and vigor wiWianotlier,
they will avoid X\ie former, and adhere to the latter
It is strange, however, to observe, that the gener
ality of mankind do not seem to bestow a singlf
thought on the preservation of their health, till it ij
too late to reap any benefit from their conviction
If knoivledge of this kind were generally diffused,
people would cease to imagine, that the human
constitution was so badly contrived, that a state
of general health could be overset by every tri/k.;
for instance, by a little cold; or that the recovery
of it lay concealed in a few drops, or a pill. Ditl
they better understand the nature of chronic dis-
eases, and the causes which produce them, they
could not be so unreasonable as to think, that they
might live as tliey c/ioose, with impunity: or did
they know anything of medicine, they would soon
be convinced, that though fits of pain have been
relieved, and sickness cured, for a time, the re-^-
tablishment of /iea/^A— depends on very different
powers and principles.
Tis doing wrong — creates such doubts. These
Render us jealous, and destroy our peace.
Though vnsdom — wake.
Suspicion sleeps at wisdom's gate, and to simpHnty
Resigns lier charge ; while goodness thinks no ilt%
Where no ill seevis.
'Tis god-Wke magnanimity — to keep,
AVhen most provoked, our reason calm, and ckar
Christianity — depends on fact;
Religion— is not theory, but act.
Amid thy bowers— tlie tyrants hand is seen,
And desolation— reMens all thy green.
No ; there is tione, — no ruler of the stars;
Regardful of my miseries,— saXih despctir.
Calm, and serene, he sees approaching d^ort,
As the safe port, the peaceful, silent shore,
Where he may rest,— life's tedious voyage o'«mp.
204
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
505* Buffoonery— assumes a sly, arch, leer-
ing gravity ; nor must it quit the serious aspect,
though all' should split their sides : which com-
mand of countenance is somewhat difficult, but
not so hard to acquire, as to restrain the contrary
sympathy — that of weeping when others weep.
Examples will suggest themselves. I ommandixg
requires a peremp .ory air, a severe a:.d stern look:
the hand is held out, and moved towards the
person to whom the order is given, with the4)alm
upwards, and sometimes it is accompanied with
a significant nod of the head to the person ad-
dress'd. If the command be absolute, and to a
person unwilling to obey, the right hand is extend-
ed and projected forcibly towards him.
We were not born to sue, but to commayid /
Which, since we cannot do, to make you/riends,
Be ready — as your lives siiall answer it,
At Coventry, upon St. Lamberfs day ;
There — shall your stvords — and lances arbitrate
The swelling difference, or your settled liaU ;
Since we cajinot stay you, you shall see
Justice — decide the victor's chivalry.
Lord Marshal — command our officers at antis,
Be ready— to direct these home alarms.
Silecce, ye wmds,
That make outrageous war upon the ocean :
And thou, old ocean ! lull thy boisterous waves ;
Ye wavering elements, be hushed as death,
While I impose my dread commands on hell ;
And thou, profoundesl hell I whose dreadful sway
Is given to me by fate and demi-gorgon— [gions;
Hear, hear my powerful voice, thro' all thy re-
And from thy gloomy caverns thunder the reply.
Begone ! forever leave this happy sphere:
For perjur'd lovers have no mansions here.
Look round the habitable world, how few
Know their own good, or, knowing it, pursue.
Happiness — does not consist so much in
outward circumstances and personal gratifi-
cations, as in the inward feelings. There
can be no true enjoyment of that, which is
not honestly obtained ; for a sense of guilt in-
fuses into it a bitter ingredient, which makes
it nauseous. What pleasure can the drunk-
ard have in his cups, when he knows, that
every drop he swallows, is so much dishon-
estly taken from his wife and children ; and,
that, to satisfy his brutal propensity, they are
deprived of the necessaries of life?
Anecdote. Dr. Franklin. The follow-
ing epitaph, was written by himself, many
years previous to his death : " The body of
Benjamin Franklin, Printer, (hke the cover
of an old book, its contents torn out, and
stripp'd of its lettering and gilding,) lies here
food for worms ; yet the work itself shall not
be lost; for it will, (as he beheved,) appear
once more in a new and more beautiful edi-
tion, corrected and amended by the Author."
He is a parricide to hiB mother's name,
And with an impious h.ind murthers her faiHe,
That wrongs the praise 'A women; that dares write
Libels on saints, or with foul ink requite
The milk iliey lent us.
None think tLegreai unhappy, but the g'sat.
liaconics. 1. Every act of apparent dss^r
der and destruction, is, when contemplated aright,
and taking in an immeasurable lapse of ages, tlie
most perfect order, wisdom, and love. 2. As it re-
spects the history of our race, scarce y the first
hour of man has yet passed over our heads ; why
then do we speak of partiality ? 3. In turning
our eyes to the regions of darkness, in the history
of man, as well as to those of light, we are in-
duced to reflect upon our ignorance, as well as up
on our knowledge. 4. The natural history of man,
is of more importance than that of all animaLi,
vegetables, and minerals; and, in mastering th«j
fortner, we receive a key to unlock the mysteries
of the latter. 5. Some professors of religion boast
of their ignorance of science; and some would-
be philosophers, treat with contempt, all truths, that
are not mathematical, and derived from facts :
which show the greatest folly?
Effects of Success. If you would re-
venge yourself on those who have slighted
you, be successful ,• it is a bitter satire on
their want of Judgment, to show that you
can do ivithoui them, — a galling wound — to
the self-love — of proud, inflated people ; but
you must reckon on their hatred, as they
will never forgive you.
VARIETIES.
They — never fail, who di«
In a good cause ; the block may soak their gore :
Their heads — may sodden m the sun, their liTnb:^
Be strung to city-gates, and cosi/e-walls ;
Butstill, their sptViis — walk aboad. Though years
Elapse, and others — share as dark a doom,
They but augment the deep swelling thought,
Which overpowers all others, and conduct
The world at last — to freedom.
The ocean, — when it rolls aloud.
The tempest — bursting from the elouU,
In one uninterrupted peed !
When darkness — sits around the sky,
And shadowy /orTw^s — go trooping by ,
And everlasting mountains reel.
All, ALL of this— is FREEDOM'S song-
'Tis pealed, — 'tis pealed — eternallt
JOY kneels, at morning's rosy prime,
In worship to the rising sun ;
But Sorrow loves the calmer time.
When the daj'-god his course has run
When Night is in her shadowy car.
Pale Sorrow wakes while Joy doth sleep.
And, guided by the evening star,
She wanders forth to muse and weep.
Joy loves to cull the summer flower.
And wreath it round his happy brow;
But when the dark autumnal hour
Hath laid the leaf and blossom low;
When the frail bud hath lost its worth,
And Joy hath dash'd it from his crest,
Then Sorrow takes it from the earth,
To wither on her wither'd breast.
Oh, Liberty, thou goddess, heavenly bright.
Profuse of blis.«, and pregnant with delighl
Eternal pleasures m thy presence reign,
And smiling plenty loads thy wanton iraia
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
205
506. Commendation— is the expression of the
approbation we have for any object, in which
we find any congruity to our ideas of excellence,
natural, or moral, so as to communicate pleasure :
as it generally supposes superiority in the person
commending, it assumes the aspect of love (but
without desire and respect,) and expresses itself
in a mild tone of voice, with a small degree of
cmifideiice ; the arms are gently spread, the hands
opeji, with the palms upwards, directed toward the
person approved, and sometimes lifted up and
down, as if pronouncing praise.
You have done our pleasures very much grace, fair
Set a fair fashion on our entertainment, [ladies;
Which was not half so beautiful and kind;
You've added worth unto't, and lively lustre^
And entertain'd me with mine own device, •-
1 am to thank you for it.
O good old man, how ivell in thee — appears
Tlie constant service of the antique world,
When service sweat for duty, not for meed!
Thou art not for the fashion of these times,
Where none will sweat — but for promotion ;
And hanging that, do choke their service up,
Even with the having: it is jiot so with thee.
SOT. OBSEBVATioif. Nothing appears
easier than to observe, yet few things are more
uncommon. By observe — is meant to consi-
der a subject in all its various parts ; first, each
part separately ; then to examine its analogy
with contiguous, or other possible subjects ;
to conceive and retain the various proportions
which delineate, define and constitute the es-
sence of the thing under consideration; to
have clear ideas of these proportions, indivi-
dually and collectively, as contributing to form
a whole, so as not to confound them with
other properties or things, however great the
resemblance. The obsekveh, will often see
where the unobservant is blind. To observe,
is to be attentive, so as to fix the mind on a
particular object, which it selects for consid-
eration from a number of surrounding objects.
To be attentive — is to consider some one par-
ticular object, exclusively of all others, and to
analyze and distinguish its peculiarities.
Anecdote. During the mock trial of Louis
XVL, he was asked, what he had done with
a certain sum of money, a few thousand
pounds. His voice failed him, and the tears
came into his eyes at the question ; at length
he replied — " I loved to make the people
HA PPT." He had given the money away in
charity.
Sw^fx — was the sound, when oft, at et-entwg-'* close,
Up >\»nder hill — the village murmur rose;
Therz, as I passed, with careless steps — and slow,
The mingling notes, came softened — from below:
The swain — responsive, as tlie milkmaid sung,
The sober herd, that lowed to meet their young;
The noisy geese, that gabbled o'er the fool,
The playful cMWren, just let loose from school, [toind.
The loatch-Aog's voice, tliat bay'd the whispering
And the loud laicgh, that spoke the vacant m;ind;
Thesf all — in soft confusion — sought the shade,
\\\\i iilled each pause, the nightingale had made.
liaconics. 1. To devohe on science the Ju-
ties of religion, or on religion the duties of science,
is to bind together the Ih^'.ng and the dead. 2. The
prevailing error of our times is, the cultivation of
the intellectual faculties, to the neglect of the mor-
al faculties ; when the former alone are develop'd,
the child has acquired the means of doing gocd ot
evii — to himself, to society, to his country, or to the
world; but practical goodness alone,' can preserve
the equilibrium. 3. Many persons have an unfor-
tunate passion for inventing^itons, merely for the.
purpose of exciting amazement in their hearera.
4. Those who, without having sufficient know-
ledge of us, form an unfavorable opinion respect
ing us, do not injure us; they reflect on a phan
torn of their own imagination.
The heart, like a tendril, accustomed to cling,
Let it go where it will, cannot flourisli aloru;
But will lean to the nearest, and loveliest thing,
It can twine with itself, and make closely its own
Honors a sacred tie, the law of kings.
The Tioble mind's distinguishing perfection.
That aids and strengthens virtue, where it meets hei
And imitates her actions, where she is not.
False honor, like a comet— blazes broad,
But blazes for extinction. Real merit —
Shines — like the eternal stm — to shine forever.
She hath no head, and cannot think; she hath
No heart, and cannot feel; where'er she moves,
It is in wrath; or pauses, 'tis in ruin :
Her prayers — &Te curses; her communion — death.
Eternity her vengence ; in the blood of her victim
Her red decalogue— is written { Bigotry.)
Of doing Injuries to Others. Propitious
conscience, thon. equitable and ready judge, be
never absent from me ? Tell me, constantly,
that I cannot do the least injury to another,
without receiving the counter-stroke: that I
must necessarily wound myself, when I
wound another.
NATURE ALWAYS TRUE.
Nature — never did betray
The heart, that loved her ! 'Tis her privilege.
Through all the years of this our life, to leed
From joy to joy ; for she can so inform
The mind, that is within us, so impress,
With quietness and beauty, and so feed
With lofty thoiights, that neither evil tongn**,
Rash judgmetits, nor the sneers of selfish men-,
Nor greetings, where no kindness is, nor all
The dreary intercourse of common life
Shall e'er prevail against us, or disturb
Our cheerM faith, that all that we beiiold
Is full of blessings. Therefore, let the moon
Shine on thee in thy solitary walk;
And let the misty mountain winds be free
To blow against thee ; and, in after years,
When these wild ecstasies shall be matured
Into a sober pleasure ; when thy mind
Shall be a mansion for all lovely /orOTS,
Thy memory be a dwelling-place
For all sweet sounds and harmonies, oh ! then,
If solitude, or fear, or pain, or grief,
Should be thy portion, with what healing though*
Of tender joy wilt ihou remember me,
And these my benedictioiu.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
508. The Passions. Plato calls xhe passiom,
The wings of the soul. According to this meta-
phor, a bird may be considered as the type of it ;
and, in applying tliis figure to the several charac-
ters of men, some are eagles, others are hats and
otols; Q.few are svjans, and many are geese; no phoB-
nix among them all. In another place, he styles
the passions the cAarioi- horses of the soul; by
which is implied, that though stronf^ and fleet, they
should be under command.
COMPLAINING OF EXTREME PAIN.
Search, there; nay, probe me ; search my wounded
Pull,— draw it out,— [reins,
Oh ! I am shot! A forked burning arrow —
Sticks across my shoulders: the sad venom flies
Like lightning i\xvo'm.y flesh.\\\y blood jay marrow.
Ha ! what a change of torments I endure !
A bolt of ice — runs hissing — thro' my body :
Tis sure — the arm of death; give me a chair;
Cover me, for I freeze, my teeth chatter,
And my krues knock together.
Why turnest thou from me ? Pm alone
Already, and to the seas complaining.
What can thy imag'ry of sorrow mean?
Secluded from the xoorld, and all its care,
Hast thou to grieve, or joy ; to hope, or fear?
Why should we anticipate our sorrows ?
'Tis like those, who die — for fear of death.
509* Curiosity — opens the eyes and mouth,
lengthens the neck, bends the body forward and
fixes it in one posture, with the hands nearly as
in admiration with astonishment: when it speaks,
the voice, tone and gesture are nearly as in inqui-
ry, which see ; also Desire, Attention, Hope and
Terplexity.
CURIOSITY AT FIRST SEEING A FINE OBJECT.
Pros. The fringed curtains of thine eye advance.
And say what thou seest yonder.
Mir. What! is't a spirit?
Lo, how it looks about ! believe, sir.
It carries a brave form. But 'tis a spirit.
Pros. No, wench, it eats and sleeps, and hath
As we have, such. [such senses
Mir. I migh*. call him
A thing d:vine. for nothing natural,
i ever saw so noble.
510. Denying — v/hat is affirmed, is but an af-
firmation of the contrarj', and is expressed like
affirmation, pushing the open right hand from one,
and turning the face another way. Denying a
favor— see refusing, denying an accusation.
" If I in act consent, or sin of thought.
Be guilty — of stealing that sweet breath,
Which was embounded in that beauteous clay,
Let hell — want paitis enough to torture me!
I left him well.
Anecdote. The Os-ii-ack Boy. A Russian
was traveling from Tobalsk to Reresow; and,
on the road, stopped a night at the hut of an
Ostiack. In the morning, on continuing his
journey, he found he had lost his purse. The
sun of the Ostiack, about /owr/een, had/ot*nd
the purse ; but, instead of taking it up, he
went and told his /a^Aer; who was equally
unwilling to touch it, and ordered the boy to
rover ■ with some bushes. On the Russian's
Tetunu he stopped at the same hut ; the Os-
tiack did not recognize liim. He related the
story of his loss , and when he had finishea
" You are welcome," said he, " my son here
will show you where it is ; no hand has
touched it, but the one that covered it, that
you might receive what you had lost.^^
liaconics. 1. Owe nothing — to your ad-
vancement, save your own unassisted exertions,
if you would retain what you acquire. 2. When
passion rules us, it deprives of reason, suspends
the faculty of reflection, blinds the judgment, and
precipitates us into acts of violence, or excesses ;
the consequences of which we may forever deplore.
3. With those who are of a gloomy turn of mind,
be reserved; with the old, he serious; and with
the young, be merry. 4. In forming matritnonicJ
alliances, undue effort is made to reconcile every
thing relating lo fortune, and family ; but very
little is paid to congeniality of dispositions, or ac
cordance of hearts. 5. Moral knowledge is to be
sought from the Worb of God ; scientific knowi
edge from the works of God. 6. By union — th«
most trifling beginnings thrive and increase; by
disunion — the most flourishing — fall to the ground
7. Is not the union of capital, talent and la
BOR, the salvation of the world, temporally and
spiritually ?
Varieties. 1. Good neighborhoods sup-
ply aZZ wants; which maybe thus illustra-
ted. Two neighbors, one — blind and the oth-
er— lame, were called to a distant place ; but
how could they obey ? The blind man car-
ried the lame one, who directed the carrier
where to go. Is not this a good illustration,
of faith and charity? Charity — acts, and
faith — guides ; i. e. the will — impels, and
he understanding — directs. 2. Superficial
writers, like the mole, often fancy themselves
deep, when they are exceeding near the
surface.
Trifles make the sum of human things.
And half our misery from our foibles springs;
Since life's best joys — consist in peace and ease;,
And/ew can save or serve, but all can please;
Oh ! let the ungentle spirit learn from hence,
A small unkindness — is a great ojfente.
How beautiful is night!
A dewy freshness fills the silent air.
No mist obscures, nor cloud, nor speck, nor stain
Breaks the serene of heaven :
In full-orbed glory yonder moon divine
Rolls through the dark blue depths.
Beneath her steady ray,
The desert circle spreads,
Like the round ocean, girdled with the sky ;
How beautiful is night !
Who, at this untimely hour,
Wanders o'er the desert sands ?
No station is in view.
Nor palm-gFove islanded amid the wasto.
The mother and her child ;
The widowed mother and the fatherless boy
They, at this untimely hour,
Wander o'er the desert eands.
De^oy— leads to impotent and snail pac'd beggarif
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION
207
511. DiSMtssnfG— with approbation, is done
with a kind aspect and tone of voice ; the riglat
hftnd open and pahn upward, gently raised to-
wards the person: with displeasure — besides the
look and tone of voice that suit displeasure, the
haiid is hastily thrown out towards the person dis-
missed, the back part of the hand towards him,
and the countenance, at the same time, turned
away from him.
Chatillon says to king John :
Then take my king's defiance from my mouth,
The farthest limit of my embassy.
K.J. Bear mine to him, and so depart in peace :
Be thou as lightning— in the eyes of France ;
For, ere thou canst report, I will be there.
The thunder of my cannon shall be heard;
So, hence! Be thou as the trumpet of our wrath,
And sullen presage of your own decay.
An honorable conduct let him have;
Pembroke, look to't : farewell, Cha-til-/on/
519< Differ-
ing—ni sentiment,
mav be expressed
nearly &s Refusing,
which see ; and A-
greeing in opinion,
or being convinc-
ed, i s expressed
nearly as granting,
winch also see.—
Distract ion — o -
pens the eyes to a
frightful wideness,
rolls them hastily
and wi Idly from ob-
ject to object, dis-
torts every feature ;
giKishes with tlie teeth ; agitates all parts of the
body; rolls in the dust; foams at the mouth; utters
hideous bellowings — execrations — blasphemies,
and all that is fierce and outrageous ; rushes furi-
ously on all who approach, and, if resirained,
tears its own flesh and destroys itself See the
engraving, indicating dread, abhorrence, &c.
Dotage, or infirm old" age, shows itself by talka-
tiveness ; boasting of the past ; hollowness of the
cheeks; dimness of sight; deafness; tremor of
voice ; the accents, through default of the teeth,
scarcely intelligible; knees tottering ; hard wheez-
ing; laborious groaning; the body stooping under
the insupportable weight of years, which will
soon crush it into the dust, whence it had its or-
igin.
What folly can be ranker? like our shadows,
Our wishes lengthen, as our sun declines.
No wish should loiter, then, this side the grave.
Our liearts should leave the world, before the knell
Calls for our carcasses to mend the soil.
Enough to live in tempest; die in port.
Age should fly concourse, cover in retreat,
Defects of judgment, and the will subdue ;
Walk thoughtful on the silent, solemn shore
Of that vast ocean it must sail so soon I
Where — should'st thou look for kindness?
When we are sick, where can we turn for succor;
When we are wretched, tvhere can we complain ;
And when the twrW— looks cold and surly on us,
Where can we go — to meet a warmer eye,
Willi such sure confidence — as to a mother?
Tlie world may scowl, acquaintance may forsake,
Friends may neglect, and lovers know a change ;
But, when a mother— AoX\\ forsake her child.
Men lift their hands, and cry, "A prodigy!'''
Gluttons are never generous.
Varieties* 1. The ../ost disgusting tnces — ar-
often concealed under the fairest exterior. 2. A
knowledge of the human heart, is, by no mean"^
detrimental to the love of all mankind. 3. 0» ->
person cannot render another — indispensable ; no*
can one supply the place of another. 4. The 2eas«
failing of an individual often incites a great out
cry; his character is at once darkened, tramplea
on, destroyed; but treat that person in the right
way, and you will be astonished at what he waa
able and willing to perform. 5. He who cannot
listen, can perform nothing, that deserves the luxuu
of wisdom and justice. 6. He had respectable
talenf and connections ; but was formidable to the
people, from his want of principle, and his readi-
ness to truckle to men in power. 7. Every vicious
act, weakens a right judgment, and defiles the life.
These, and a thousand mixed emotions more,
From ever changing views of good and ill,
Formed infinitely various, vex the mind
With endless storms.
For my past crimes — my forfeit life receive •
No pity for my sufferings — here I crave,
And only ho^e forgiveness — in the grave.
For soon, the winter of the year,
And age, life's winter, will appear;
At this, thy living bloom — must fade.
As that — will strip the verdant shade.
True love's the gift, that God has given,
To man alo?ie, beneath the heaven ;
It is the secret sympathy.
The silver link, the silken tie,
Which, HEART to heart, and. minu to Misn?,
In BODY, and in soul can bind.
Anecdote. S.'an-is-laus, king of Polanii,
was driven from liis dominion by Charles XII.
of Sweden ; he took refuge in Paris, where lie
was supported at the expense of the court of
France. Some person complained to the duke
of Orleans, (then regent,) of the great expense
of the exiled monarch, and wished that he
should be desired to leave. The duke nobly
replied: "Sir, France has ever been, and I
trust ever will be, the refuge of unfortunate
princes; and I shall not permit it to be I'io-
lated, when so excellent a prince as the king
of Poland comes to claim it."
The winds
And rolling waves, the sun''s unwearied course,
The elements — and seasons, all declare —
For what — the eternsl Maker — has ordained
The powers ofman; we feel, within o«rsrf»«s,
His energy divine. He tells the hearf^
He meant, he made us — to behold, and love.
What HE beholds and loves, the general orb
Of Zy^e— and being; to be great— Wke hinu
Beneficent, and active. Thus, the men.
Whom nature's works can charm, with God himself
Hold converse ; grow familiar, day by day,.
With his conceptions ; act upon his plan,
And form to his— the relish of their souls.
An ho7iest soul— is like a ship at sea,
That sleeps at anchor — upon the ocean's calm;
But, when it rages, and the wind blows high.
She culfi her way with jfciU— and majesty.
208
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
S13. Exhorting, or encouraging; is earnest
persuasion, attended with confidence of success ;
&.e voice has the Boftness of love, intermixed with
fhe firmness of courage ; the arms are sometimes
spread, with the hands open, as entreating ; occa-
sionally the right hand is lifted up, and struck
rapidly down, as enforcing what is said. In a
general, at the head his army, it requires a kind,
complacent look, unless matters of offence have
passed, as neglect of duty, &;c.
But wherefore do you droop ? Why look you sad 7
Be great in act, as you have been in thought :
tet not the world — see fear and sad distrust.
Govern the motive of a kingly eye ;
Be stirring with the time; be ^re— with^re ;
Threaten the threatener, outface the brow
Of bragging horror ; so, sliall inferior eyes,
That borrow their behavior from the great,
Chrow great by your example ; and put on
The dauntless spirit oi resolution ;
Show boldfiess, and a.spmngcOTtfidence.
What ! shall they seek the lioti in his den,
AM fright him there, and make him tremble there ?
Oh, let it not be said ! Forage, and run,
To meet displeasure farther from the doors,
A nd grapple with him, ere he come so nigh,
514:. Fainting— produces a sudden relaxation
of all that holds the human frame together— every
sinew and ligament unstrung ; the color flics from
the Vermillion cheek, the sparkling eye grows
dim ; down the body drops, as helpless and sense-
less as a mass of clay, to which it seems hasten-
ing to resolve itself.
And lo ! sad partner of the genial care,
Weary and faint— I drive my goats afar.
Weariness-
Can snore upon ihe flint, when rusty sloth,
Finds the downy pillow — hard.
Anecdote. A poor priest came one day,
lo Louis XI. of France, when this monarch
was at his devotions, in the church, and told
him, the bailiff's were about to arrest him for
a sum, he was unable to pay. The king or-
dered him the money; saying — "You have
chosen your time to address me very luckily.
It is but just that I should show some com-
passion to the distressed, when I have been en-
treating God to have compassion on myself.'''*
ADDRESSED TO AN OFFICER IN THE ARMY.
Oh, thai the muse might call, without oflTence,
Tlic gallant soldier back to his good sense.
His temp'ral field so cautious not to lose ;
So careless quite of his eternal foes.
Soldier! so tender of thy prince's fame.
Why so profuse of a superior name 1
For the king's sake, the brunt of battles bear,
But — for the King of king's sake— do not sivear.
IIow many bright [high !
And splendent lamps shine in heaven's temple
Day hath his golden sun, her moon the night,
Her fix'd and wand'ring stars the azure sky;
So fram'd all by their Creator's might, [die.
That Btill they live and shine, and ne'er shall
There is a lust in man— no power can tame.
Of loudly publishing — his neighbor's shame /
On eagle's wings— immortal scandals fly,
VVhjltt virtvous actions are but born— to die.
Elxtremes. The sublime of naiare is the
sky, sun, moon, stars, &c. The profound o*
nature, is, gold, pearls, precious stones, an<f
the treasures of the deep, which are inestima.
ble as unknown. But all that lies between
these, as corn, flowers, fruits, animals, and
things for the mere use of man, are of mean
price, and so common, as not to be greatly
esteemed by the curious; it being certain,
that any thing of which we iaiow the true use
cannot be invaluable : which affords a solu-
tion, why common sense hath either been to-
tally despised, or held in small repute, by tha
greatest modern critics and authors.
Varieties. 1. The arts are iivided imto the
useful, and the polite, the fine, and the elegant ;
some are for use, and others for pleasure; Elocu-
tion is of a mixed nature, in which use and beauty
are of nearly co-equal influence ; manner being
as important as matter, or more so. 2. Our gov-
ernment, is a government of laws, not of men ;
but it will lose this character, if the laws furnish
no reniedy for the violation of vested rights. 3.
Nature has given us two eyes and two eais, and
but one tongue ; that we should see and hear more
than we speak. 4. The weariness of study is re
moved by loving it, and valuing the results foi
their uses. 5. The three kingdoms of nature.
are the Mineral, the Vegetable, and the Animal .
minerals are destitute of organization and life,
vegetables, or plants, are endowed with organiza-
tion and life, but are destitute of voluntary motion
and sense ; while animals — possess them all.
As some lone miser, visiting his store, [it o'er,
Bends o'er his treasures, and counts and recounts
Hoards after hoards— his rising raptures fill.
Yet still — he sighs ; for hoards are wanting still :
Thus, to my breast, alternate passions rise,
Pleased with eadi bliss, th't Heaven to us supplies;
Yet oft a sigh prevails, and tears will fall.
To see the hoard of human bliss— so small.
The flighty purpose— is never undertook,
Unless the deed go with it ; from this moment.
The firstlings of my heart, shall be
The firstlings of my head ; and even now, [done.
To crown my thoughts with acts, be it thought and
It is jealousy\<! peculiar nature,
To swell small things to great ; nay, out of nought
To conjure much ; and then to lose its reason.
Amid the hideous phantoms— it has found.
If any here chance to behold himself,
Let him not dare to challenge me of wrong ;
For, if he shame to have his follies known.
First he should shame to act 'em : my strict hand
Was made to seize on vice, and with a gripe.
Squeeze out the humor of such spongy souls.
As lick up every idle vanity.
The crow doth sing as sweetly as the lark.
When neither is attended ; and, I think,
The nightingale, if she should sing by day,
When every goose is cackling, would be thotiglit
No better a musician than the wren.
How many things by season, seasoned are
To their right praise and true perfection t
How vain all outward effort to supply
The soul with joy ! the noontide sun is dark,
I And music— discord, when the heart is low.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTIOIS.
20S
515. Fatigue— from severe or hard labor,
gives a general languor to the body; the couute-
aance is dejected, the arms hang listless; the
hody, (if not sitting, or lying along.) stoops as in
old. age; tlie legs, if walking, drag heavily along,
and seem, at every step, to bend under the weight
of the body; the voice is weak, and hardly arti-
culate enough to be understood.
1 see a man's life is a tedious one :
I've fiVVZ myself, and for two niglits, together—
Have made the ground my bed. I sliould besi:k,
I?u'. that my resolution helps me. Milford —
When from the mountain-lop Pisanio show'd tl ee,
Thou wast within my ken. Ah me! I think
Four^alions — fly the vjretched; svxh, I mean,
Where they sliould be relieved.
516. Gravity. — seriousness, as when the mind
it? fixed, or deliberating on some important subject,
smooths the countenance, and gives it an air of
melancholy; the eye-brows are lowered, the eyes
cast downwards, and partially closed, or raised to
heaven : the mouth sliut, the lips composed, and
wmetimes a little contracted : the postures of the
body and limbs composed, and without much mo-
.Jon ; tlie speecli. if any, slow and solemn, and the
voice without much variety.
Fathers! we once again are met in council :
Cesafs approach haih summotied us together.
And Rome — attends her/ate — from our resolves.
How shall we treat this bold, aspiring man?
Success — still follows him, and backs his crimes :
Pharsalia — gave' liim Rome. Egypt — has since
Received his yoke, and the whole Nile is Cesar's.
Why should I mention Juba's overthrow.
Or Scipio^s death ? Numidia''s burning sands
Still smoke with blood; — 'tis time we should rfecree
What course to take ; our foe advances on us,
And envies us even Lybia's sultry deserts. [fix'd
Fathers, pro?iot<?ice your thoughts; are they stUl
To hold it out, and fight it to the last?
Or, are your hearts subdued at length, and wrought,
By time and ill success, to a submission ? Sempro-
nious — speak.
Anecdote. Hotu to prize good Fortune.
In the year preceding the J'rench revolution,
a servant girl, in Paris, drevsr a prize of fifteen
h undred pounds. She immediately called on
the ]iarish priest, and generously put two
hundred louisd'ors into his hands, for the
relief of the most indigent and industrious
poor in the district ; accompan-ying the dona-
tion with this admirable and ynsi observation,
" Fojfune could only have been kind to me,
in order that J might be kind to others.''^
True ]Eloquence, is good sense, deliver-
ed in a natural and unaffected way, without
the artificial ornament of tropes and figures.
Our common eloquence is usually a cheat
upon the understanding ; it deceives us with
appearances, instead of things, and makes
us think we see reason, whilst it is only tick-
ling our sense.
Essential honor must be in a friend,
M(Ot such as every breath fans to and fro ;
But born within, is its own judge and end, [know.
And dares not sin, though sure that none should
Where friendship's spoke, honesty's understood;
For none can be a friend that is not ^ood.
BK0N80N. 14
liaconlcs. 1. Wo too often fonn hasty opin-
ions, from external appearances, assumed merely
for deception, bv the wolf in sheep^s clothing. 2.
While prospetity gilds your day.s, you may reckon
many friends ; but, if the clouds of adversity de-
scend upon you, behold, they fee aivay. 3. Covf-
ards boast of llieir fancied prowess, and as=iume
an appearance of courage, which they do not pos-
sess. 4. 'J'he life of the true christian, is not one
of melancholy, and gloominess ; for he only nsigii3
the pleasure of sin, to enjoy the pleasure of hcA-
ness. 5. The blessings of peace cannot be loo
highly prized, nor the horrors of wat too earnesiiy
deprecated ; unless the J-ormer is obtained, and tho
latter — averted, by a sacrifice of principle. 6. The
conqueror is regarded with awe, and the leartvcd
man commands our esteem; but the good man aUne
is beloved.
Thy words — had such a melting^two,
And spoke of truth, so sweetly well,
They dropp'd — like heaven's serenest snow.
And all was brightness — where they fell.
Can gold — gain friendship ? Impudence of hope !
As well mere man — an angel might beget;
Love, and love only, is the loan for love.
Lorenzo ! pride repress ; nor hope to find
A friend, but who has found a friend in thee.
All — like the purchase ; few — the price will pay ;
And this — makes friends — such miracle* below.?
Honor and Virtue. Honor is unstable,
and seldom the same; for she feeds upon
opinion, and is as fickle as her food. She
builds a lofty structure on the sandy founda-
tion of the esteem of those who are of all be-
ings the most subject to change. But virtue
is uniform and fixed, because she looks for
approbation only from Him, who is the same
yesterday — to-day — and forever. Honor is
the most capricious in her rewards. She feeds
us with air, and often pulls down our house,
to build our monument. She is contracted
in her views, inasmuch as her hopes are root-
ed in earth, bounded by time, and terminated
by death. But virtue is enlarged and infinite
in her hopes, inasmuch as they extend be-
yond present things, even to eternal; tills 13
their proper sphere, and they will ceatje only
in the reality of deathless enjoyment. In the
storms, and in the tempests of lite, honor is
not to be depended on, because she herself
partakes of the tumult ; she also is bufFeteil
by the wave, and borne along by the whirl-
wind. But virtue is above the storm, and hai^
an anchor sure and steadfast, because it is cast
into heaven. The noble Brutus worshiped
honor, and in his zeal mistook her for virtue.
In the day of trial he found her a shadow and
a name. But no man can purchase his virtue
too dear; for it is the only thing whose vahie
must ever increase with the price it has cost
us. Our integrity is never worth so much as
when we have parted with our all to keep it.
Similitudes— axe like songs in hvep
They much describe, tho' nothing prov€.
210
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
517. Confidence, Cottrage, Boasting — is
hope elated, security of success in obtaining its
object; and courage is the contempt of any un-
avoidable danger in the execution of what is re-
solved upon : in both, the head and whole body
are erected rather gracefully, the breast projec-
ted, the countenance clear and open, the accents
strong, round, full-mouthed, and not too rapid;
the voice firm and even. Boasiivg, — exagger-
ates these appearances by loudness, blustering
and railing, what is appropriately called swag-
gering; the eye-brows drawn down, the face
red and bloated, mouth pouts, arms placed a-
kimbo, foot stamped on the ground, large strides
'n walking, voice hollow, thundering, swelling
iiito bombast; head often menacingly, right fists
clenched, and sometimes brandished at the per-
son threatened.
Base men, that use them, to so base effect :
But tncer stars — did govern Proteus' birth:
His words — are bonds; his oaths — are oracles;
His love — sincere ; his thoughts — immaculate :
His tears — pure messengers — sent from his heart,
His heart— ViS far from/raw^ asheave}i from earth.
518. Giving or Granting,— when done with
an unreserved good will, is accompanied with a
benevolent aspect, and kind tone of voice : the
right hand open, with the palm upward, extend-
ing toward the person favored, as if giving
what he asks ; the head at the same time inclin-
ing forward, as indicating a benevolent dispo-
eition and entire consent : all indicative of how
heartily the favor is granted, and the benefac-
tors joy in conferring it.
giving a daughter in marriage.
If I have too severely punished you,
Vour compensation makes amends ; for I
JIave given you here a thread of mine own life.
Or that for which I live, wliom once again
I tender to thy hand ; all thy vexations
Were but my trials of thy love, and thou
Hast strangely stood the test. Here, afore heav'n,
I ratify this my rich gift: Ferdinand,
l)o not smile at me, that I boast her off;
Fox thou wilt find she will outstrip sdl praise,
And make it halt behind her.
Then — as my gift — and thine own acquisition —
Worthily purchas'd — take — my daughter.
Impatience. In those evils which are al-
lotted to us by Providence, such as deformity,
privation of the senses, or old age, it is al-
ways to be remembered, that impatience can
have no present effect, but to deprive us of
the consolations which our condition admits,
by driving away from us those by whose con-
versation or advice we might be amused or
helped • and that, with regard to futurity, it
iis yet less to be justified, since, without les-
sening the pain, it cuts off the hope of that
reward, which He, by whom it is inflicted,
will confer upon those who bear it well.
Anecflote. Clemency. Alphonsus, king
of Naples and Sicily, so celebrated in history
for his clemency, was once asked, why he
was so favorable to all men ; even to those
most notoriously wicked ? He replied, " Be-
cause good men are won hy justice ; the had,
hy clemency.^'' Some of his ministers com-
plained to him, on another occasion, of this
clemency ; when he exd aimed " Would you
liave lions and tigers to rule over you'<
Know you not that cruelty — is the attribute
of wild beasts ; clemency — that of man ?
Varieties. 1. There is wo person so lit'
tie, but the gi-eatest may sometimes need his
assistance : hence, we should all exercise
clemency, when there is an opportunity, to
wards those in our power. This is illustra-
ted by the fable of the mouse and the liofii .
when the lion became entangled in the toils
of the hunter, he was released by the mouse,
which gnawed asunder the cords of the net
in consideration of having been spared hia
oivn life, by tlie royal beast, on a former oc-
casion. 2. It is a universal 3)ri7iciple — that
an essence camiot exist out of its form ,• nor
be perceived out of its form; nor can the
quality of a form be perceived, till the form
itself is an object of thought .• hence, if an
essence does not present itself in form, so
that its form can be seen in thought, it is to-
tally impossible to know anything about, or
be affected with, that essence. 3. The truths
of religion, and the truths of science, are of
different orders ; though sometimes blended,
yet never actually confounded : theology — is
the sun, and science — the moon — to reflect
its light and glory.
My Motlier. Alas, how little do we ap-
preciate a mother^ s tenderness while living /
How heedless, are we, in youth, of all her
anxieties and kindness! Cut when she is
dead and go7ie ; when the cares and coldness
of the world come withering to our hearts ;
when we experience how hard it is to find
true sympathy, how few love us for ourselves,
how few will befriend us in our misfortuneo;
then it is, that we think of the mother we
have lost.
The love oi praise, howe'er conceal'd by art.
Reigns — more or less, and glows — in every heart :
The jorowd — to gain it, toils on toils endure,
The modest — shun it — but to make it sure.
Think not the good.
The gentle deeds of m.ercy — thou hast done,
Shall die/orgoMen all; the poor, \he prisoner,
The fmtherless, the friendless, and the widow,
Who daily— own the bounty of thy hand.
Shall cry 'to heaven, and pull a blessing on thee.
Tir'd Nature's sweet restorer, balmy Sleep !
He, like the world, Ins ready visits pays
Where Fortune smiles ; the ivretched heforsalea
Swift on his downy pinions,/ies from grief.
In Nature there's no blemish, but the mind ;
None can be call'd deformed, but the unkind :
Virtue is beauty ; but the beauteous-evil
Are empty trunks, o'erflourish'd by the devil.
Can chance of seeing first, thy title prove '
And know'st thou not, no law is made for love 7
Law IS to things, which to free choice relate ;
Love is not in our choice, but in our fate :
Laws are but positive ; love's power, we see,
Is Nature's sanction, and her first degree.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
211
eao. gkati-
ruDu — puts on an
aspect full of com-
fl acency ; (see
.ove ; ) if the ob-
ject of it be a char-
acter greatly su-
perior, it express-
es much submis-
sion: the right
hand is open with
Uic fingers spread,
nnd press'd upon
the breast just o-
rer the heart, ex-
presses, very ap- ^
propnately, a sin-
cere and hearty sensibility of obligation. The
engraving represents the deep-felt emotions of a
noble mind.
O great Scioltol O my more xhan father .'
Let me not live, but at thy very name,
My eager heart springs up, and Igaps with joi/.
When I forget the vast, vast debt I owe thee,
{Forget — but 'tis impossible,) then let me
Forget the use and privilege o( reason —
Be banish"'/! from llie commerce o^ mankind.
To wander in the desert, among brutes,
To bear the various fury of the seasons,
The OT<Vinight cold, and the ?toontide scorching heat,
To be the scorn — oi earth, and curse of henven.
sai. A man is never the less an artist, for
not having his tools about him ; or a musician,
because he wants his fiddle : nor is he tlie less
brave, because his hands are bound, or the
worse pilot, for being upon dry ground. If I
only have will to be grateful, I am so. As
gratitude is a 7iecessa7y, and a glorious, so
also is it an obvious, a cheap, and an easy vir-
tue : so obvious, that wherever there is life,
there is place for it : so cheap, that the covetous
man may be gratified without expense : and
si) easy, that the sluggard may be so likewise
without labor.
To the generous mind.
The heaviest debt— is that of gratitude.
When 'tis not in our power to repay it.
'TIS the Creators primary great lata,
That links the chain of beings to each other,
Joining the greater lo the lesser nature.
When, gratitude — o'erflows the swelling hwart.
And breathes in free and uncorrupted praise
For benefits received, propitious heaven
Takes such acknowledgments as fragrant incense,
And doubles all its blessings.
Anecdote. The bill of indictment, pre-
ferred against Jolin Bunyan, author of Pil-
grhn's P7-ogress, &c., was as follows: "John
Bunyan liath devilishly and perniciously ab-
stained from coming to church, to hear divine
service, and is a common upholder of several
unlawful meetings and conventicles, to the
disturbance and distraction of tlie good sub-
jects of this kingdom, contrary to the laws of
our sovereign lord the king," &c., was con-
victed, and imprisoned twelve years and six
months.
AkI too >>nd of the right, to punue tbc ajpedient.
Views of Trutli. We see trutlif through
the medium of our own minds, as we aee objicti
around us thro' the atmosphere ; and, of course,
we see them not as tliey are in themselves, bul aa
they are modified by the quality of the medium
thro' which we view them ; and, as the minds of
all are different, we must all have different viiwa
of any particular truth; which is the reason, thai
differences of opinion exist, and always will exist:
hence, it is no argument against truth, that men
have different views of it; and because they musi
have different views, it is no reason why tliey
should quarrel about their opinions; for good usa^^
and not matters of opinion, are the touch-s\.oi\G of
fdlowship. Thus it is. that the all of religion re-
lates to life, and the life of religion is to do good^
from a love of doing good. While we agree, and
are united in doing good, we should not fight
among ourselves, about mere matters of opinion; •
still, we must not be indifferent about them; for
truth is necessary to give form to goodness; and
every good person will naturally desire to know
the truth, that he may regulate his coiiduct by it;
and thus, acquire the greatest and highest d«gTec of
goodness.
Varieties. 1. The young — are slaves to
novelty ,• the old — to custom. 2. The volume
of nature, is the book of knowledge, and he
becomes the wisest, who makes the best se-
lections, and uses them properly. The great-
est/;*iewd of truth — is time ; her greatest ene-
my— prejudice ; and her constant companion
is humility. 4. The best means of establish-
ing a high reputation is — to speak luell, and
act better. 5. Be studious, and you will be
learned; be industrious a.nd frugal, and you
will be rich ; be sober and temperate, and you
will be healthy ; be virtuous, and you will be
happy. 6. He, who governs his passions,
does more than he, who commands armies.
Socrates, being one day offended with his ser-
vant, said, " I would beat you, if I were not
angry. 7. The best mode of gaining a high
reputation, is — to be — what you appear to be.
Like birds, whose beauties langtdsh, half con«eai'd,
Till, mounted on the tving, their glossy plumes,
Expanded, shine with azure, green, and gold;
How blessings brighten — as they take their ^igA*
Beep — as the murmurs of the falling^oo<Zj ;
Sweet — as the warbles of the vocal woods :
The list'ning pensions hear, and sink, and rw c,
As the ricii harmony, or sioells, or dies !
The pulse of avarice— forgets to move ;
A purer rapture— fills the breast of love;
Devotion— Yifis to heav'n a holier eye,
And bleeding jjtiy— heaves a softer sigh.
I, solitary', court
The inspiring breeze, and meditate upon the book
Of nature, ever open; aiming tli^nce,
Warm from the heart, to learn the moral song.
A dark, cold calm, which nothtng now can l/rtak.
Or voarm, or brighten ;-like that Syrian Uie,
Upon whose surface, 'rnom and summer shed
Tb-iir smiles in vain ; for iJl beneath is dtad.
AU is xOent— 'twae mj fancy'.
Stm-t* the breathlew interBa/— between the,^* and thuntrt
212
PRINCIPLES OF ELO( UTION.
daa. To ad a Passion properly, we must
never attempt it, until the imagination has
conceived clearly and distinctly, a strong and
%ivid idea of it, and we feel its influence in our
inmost soul ; then, the form, or image of that
idea, will be impressed on the appropriate
muscles of the face, and communicate, in-
stantly, the same impressions to the muscles
of the body ; which, whether braced, or re-
laxedf (the idea being either active or j)assive,)
by impelling, or retarding the flow of the
affection, will transmit their own sensation to
the voice, and rightly dispose the proper ges-
ture.
COURAGE, DISTBACTIOK.
A generous /e?r, the vel'iuii hardy gleanings
Of viany a hapless fight, with
• Heroic fire, inspirited each other,
Resolved on death ; disdaining to survive
Their dearest country. " If we fall," I cried,
"Let us not tamely fall, like passive cowards ;
J^o : let us live, or let us die like men ;
Come on, my friends, to Alfred we will cut
Oar glorious way ; or, as we nobly perish.
Will offer, to the genius of our country.
Whole hecatombs of Danes."
As if one soul had moved them all.
Around their heads, they flashed [Danes !
Their flaming falchions — " Lead us to those
Our country! Vengeance !" was the gen'ral cry !
533. Passions. 1. The passions and desires,
like the two twists of a rope, mutually mix
one with the other, and twine inextricably
round the heart; producing good, if mode-
rately indulged ; but certain destruction, if
suffered to become inordinate. 2. Passion —
is the great mover and spring of the soul :
when men's passions are strongest, they may
have great and noble effects; but they are
then also, apt to lead to the greatest evils.
Anecdote. Pungent Preaching. An old
man being asked his opinion of a certain ser-
mon, replied, " I liked it very well, except
that there was no pinch to it. I always like
to have a pinch to every sermon."
Want is a bitter and a hateful good,
Because its virtues are not understood.
Vet many things, impossible to thought,
Have been, by need, to full perfection brought.
The daring of the soul proceeds from thence,
Sharpness of wit, and active diligence ;
Prudence at once, and fortitude it gives.
And, if in patience taken, mends our lives ;
For even that indigence which brings me low
Makes me myself, and him above, to know ;
A good which none would challenge, few would
A fair possession,wnich mankind refuse, [choose.
If we from wealth to poverty descend,
Want gives to Icftow the flatterer from the friend.
The darts of love, like lightning, wound within.
And, tho' they pierce it, never hurt tlie skin ;
They leave no marks behind them where they fly>
Tho' thro' the tend'rest part of all, the eye.
Darkness— the curtain drops on lifers dull scene
liSicoiiics. 1. When we behold a KHgrowc
man^ in the perfection of vigor and health, anJ
the splendor of reason and intelligence, and are
informed that '• God created man in his own
image, after his own likeness ;" we are attracted
with tenfold interest to the examination of the
object, that is placed before us, and the structure
of his mind and body, and the succinct develop-
ments of the parts and proportions of each. 2. A
workingman without tools, tho' he has the bosl
designs and most perfect practical skill, can do
nothing useful ; without skill, his design could
do nothing with the best of tools ; and without
design, his skill and tools would be both inopera-
tive : thus again, three distinct essentials are
seen to be necessary in every thing.
Mercy I I know it not, — for I am miserable ;
I'll give thee misery, for here she dwells,
This is her home, where the sun never dawiw.
The bird o? night — sits screaming o'er the roof;
Grim spectres— sweep along the horrid gloom ;
And naught is heard, but wailing and lamenting-
irarA:.'somethingcra''/:sabove! itshakes! \\totters!
And the nodding r» falls to crush us :
'Tis /aZZcn .' 'tis hererf I felt it on my brain !
A waving flood— of bluish ^re swells o'er me I
And now, 'tis out ; and I am drowned in blood !
Ha ! what art thou 1 thou horrid, headless trunk !
It is3 my Hastings : — see ! he wafis me on ;
Away I I go : Ifly: I follow thee !
Varieties. 1. Can actions be really good,
unless they proceed from good motives ? 2.
By doubting, we are led to think ,- or, considei
whether it be so, and to collect reasons, and
thereby to bring that truth rationally into oui
minds. 3. The effects of music — are pro-
duced directly upon the affections, without
the intervention of thought. 4. What shall
we do, to obtain justice, when we are injur'
ed'/ Seek recompense at law, if oX all. 5,
Suppose a person insults us in such a man-
ner, that the lav) cannot give us redress ?
Then forgive him. 6. In the Lord, are infi-
nite kwe, infinite wisdom, and infinite power
or authority, — which three essential attrir
butes — constitute the 07ily God of heaven
and earth. 7. The New Testament was di-
vided into verses,m 1551, by Robert Stevens,
for the convenience of reference to a Concor-
dance ,' and the Old Testament is supposed
to have been divided into verses, about the
same time ,- those divisions, of course, are of
no authority ,• nor are the punctuations.
All live by seeming.
The beggar begs with it, the gay courtier
Gains land and title, rank amd rule, by seeming
The clergy scorn it not, and the bold soldier
Will ekfc with it his service. All admit it,
All practice it ; and he, who is content
With showing what he is, shall have small credi
In church, or camp, or state. So wags the world
What is this world ? Thy school, O misery !
Our only lesson, is— to learn to suffer;
And he who knows not that, was born for nothing
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
213
. 524-. Despair. Sliakspeare has most exqui-
sitely depicted this passion, where he has drawn
cardinal Beaufort, after a most ungodly life, dying
in despair, and terrified with the murder of duke
Humphrey, to which he was accessory. The first
example is Despair, the second. Despair and Re-
morse.
If thou be'st Death, I'll give thee England's treasures,
Enough to purchase such another island,
So thou wilt let me live, and feel no pain.
Bring me to my trial, when you will;
Died he not in his bed? where should he die?
Can I make men live, whetJier they will or no ?
Oh! torture xv.e no more; I will confess.
Alive again? then show me where he is;
I'il give a thousand pounds to look upon him.
He hath no eyes, — the. dust — hath blinded them ;
Comb down his /jair; look! look! it stands w^rigAt,
I>ike K»i«-twigs — to catch my winged soul;
Give me some drink, and bid the apothecary
Bring in the strong ^joison, that I bought of him.
Henceforth — let no man — trust Xh.e first false step
To guilt. It hangs upon a precipice.
Whose deep descent, m fast perdition ends.
How/ar — am I plunged down, beyond all thought,
Which I this evening framed !
Consummate horror! guilt — beyond a name!
Dare not my soul repent. In thee, repentance
Were second guilt, and 'twere blaspheming heaven
To hope for mercy. My pain can only cease
When gods want power to punish. H a ! the dawn!
Rise, never more, O ! sun ! let night prevail.
Eternal darkness — close the world''s wide scene :
\ud hide me — from m
535. Grief is disappointment, devoid of hope:
but muscles braced instantly, imply hope strongly,
and a spirited vivacity in the eye, is the effect of
pleasure and elevation. They are inconsistent
with a passion that depresses, which grief mani-
fesT.'y does ; because depression slackens the
nei VJ3, and unbraced nerves deject the looks and
air, necessarily ; therefore, a relaxed mien, and
languid eye, form the truest picture of natural
torrow. The smaller engraving represents vacant
gr-.tf, and the other deep silent grief.
I'il go, and, in the anguish of my heart,
Weep o'er my child, — if he must die, my life
Is wrapt in his; and shall not long survive;
'Tis for his sake, that I have suffered life,
Grc med in captivity, and outlived Hector,
Yes, my As-ty-a.-na.xl we will go together;
Together — to the realms — of night — we'll go.
Anecdote. Lesson from a Spider. King
Robert Bruce, the restorer of the Scottish
monarch!/, being out one day reconnoi taring
the army, lay alone in a barn. In the morn-
ing; still rcdinin? on his pillov/^ of straw, he
saw a spider climbing up one of the rafterh;
the insect /e//, but immediately made a sec&nd
attempt to ascend ; and the hero saw, with
regret, the spider fall the sscG7id time ; it then
made a third unsuccessful attempt. With
much interest and concern the monarch saw
the spider baffled in its aim tiuelve times;
but the thirteenth essay was successful;
when the king, starting up, exclaimed, " This
despicable insect has taught me perseverance
I will follow its example. Have I not been
twelve times defeated by the enemy's siipo-
rior force ] On one fight more hangs the in-
dependence of my country.'^ In a few days,
his anticipations were realized, by the glori-
ous victory at the battle of Bannockburn, and
the defeat of Edward the Second.
Varieties. 1. The bee — rests on natural
flowers, never on painted ones, however in-
imitably the color may be laid on ; apply this
to all things. 2. The rapidity with which
the body ma.y travel by steam, is indicative of
the progress which the mind is about to make;
and improvements in machinery — represent
those which are developing in the art of teach-
ing. 3. Equal and exact justice to all, of
whatever state, or persuasion, religious and
political. 4. What is matter? and what are
its essential projjerties, and what its primeval
form ? 5. How much more do we know of
the nature of matter, than we do of the essen-
tial properties of spirit ? 6. What is the ori-
gin of the earth, and in what form did it
originally exist, — in a gaseous, or igneous
lonn 1 7. Everything that exists, is designed
to aid in developing and perfecting botli body
and mind : the universe is our school-house.
DESPAIR makes .1 despicable figure, and descends from a nieau
original. 'Tis the oflspriug of /tar, of laziness, and impatience;
it argues a defect of rjnrit and resolution, and oftentimes of Aon-
£9% too. / would not despair, unless I saw my misfortune record-
ed in the book of fate, and sig7ied and sealed by necessity.
I am not mad ; this hair I tear is mine;
My name is Constance; I was Goffrey''s wife; '
Young Arthur — is my son, — and he is lost.
I am not mad ; I would to heaveii I toere;
For then, 'tis like I should /org-et myself.
Oh, if I cotUd, what grief— \ should forget !
Preach some philosophy — to make me mad,
And, cardinal, thou shalt be canonized;
For being not mad, but sensible of grief,
My reasonable part produces reason.
That I may be delivered of these woes,
And teaches me to kill, or hang myself;
If I were mad, I should forget my son,
Or madly think a bale of mg-s were he,
I am not mad ; too well I feel
The diffused plague of each calamity.
Make thy demand on those, who own thy power,
Know, I am stiU beyond thee ; and tho' /ortutw
Has stripped me of this train, this pomp ofgreattusi,
This outside of a king, yet still— my soul
Fixed high, and on herself alone dependent.
Is ever free and royal; and even now,
As at the head o( battle, does defy thee.
214
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
586. Jealousy is
doubtful anger, s t r u g-
gling against faith and
pity ; ii is a tenderness
resisted by resentment
of suspected injury;
the nerves braced slrojig,
imply determination of
revenge and punishment;
while, at the same time,
a soft passive hesitation
in the eye, confesses a
reluctance at the heart,
to part with, or efface a
- gentle and indulged idea.
Again, it is rage at a con-
cluded infidelity ; and
then, the eye receives and flashes out sparklings of
mflamed ideas, while the muscles, contracting the
will's violence, from a reoressive disposition of
ihe heart, grow slack, and lose their spring, and
so disarm and modify the enraged indignation.
Now from this unsettled wavering in the balance
of the purpose, when the heart and judgment
weigh each other, aiid both scales alternately
preponderate, is induced a glowing picture of
jealousy.
Oh ! what dam-ned minutes tells he o'er,
Who doats, yet doubts, suspects, yet strongly /ot-es.'
O jealousy ! thou hane of social joy !
Oh ! she's a monster., made of contradictions !
Let truth, in all her native charms appear,
And with the voice of har)7iony itself
Plead the just cause of tnnocejice tradue'd ;
Deaf as the adder, blind as upstart greatness,
She sees, nor hears. And yet, let slander whisper,
Rumor has fewer tongues than she has ears ;
And Argus'' hundrd eyes are dim and slow,
To Tp'ierc'ing jealousrfs.
537. The Fruits. Men, instead of applying
the salutary medicines of philosophy and religion
to abate the rage, and recover the temper of their
vitiated imaginations, cherish the disease in their
lo-oms, until their increasing appetites, like the
hr.;:;!ds of Actaeon, tear into pieces the soul they
were intended to enliven ajid protect.
Jealousy — is like
A polish'd glass, held to the lips, when life's in doubt:
[f there be breadth, 'twill catch the damp and show it.
Jealous rage — is but a hasty flame,
That blazes out, when love too fiercely burns.
It is jealousy's peculiar nature,
To swell smaW things to great; nay, out of nought,
To conjure much, and then to lose its reason
Amid the hideous phantoms it has formed.
Where love reigns, disturhmg jealouty
Doth call himself affection^s sentinel;
Gives false alarms, suggesteth mutiny,
And, in a peaceful hour, doth cry, kill, kill ;
Distempering gentle love with his desire.
As air and water do abate the^re.
How blest am I
In my just censure ! in my true opinion I —
Alack for lesser knowledge ! — how accurs'd
In being so bless'd ! There may be in the cup
A spider steep'd, and one may drink, depart.
And yet partake no venom, for his knowledge
Is not infected ; but if one present
The abhorr'd ingredient to his eye, maTse known
How he hath drunk, he cracks his gorge, his sides,
VVith violent hefts. — I have drunk and seen the
spider I
Anecdote. Lord Gadsly, over (he en
trance of a beautiful grotto, had caused this
insorijjfion to be placed, — " Let nothing en-
ter here but what is good.'" Dr. Rennet, the
master of the temple, who was walking over
the ground, with much point asked — " Then
where does your lordship enter f"
Everything Useful. The mineral, ve-
getable, and animal kingdoms, are designed
for the nourislunent, clothing, habitation, re-
creation, delight, protection and preservation
of the human race ; abuse does not take
away use, anymore than the falsification of
truth destroys the truth ; except, with those
who do it. Everything which is an object of
the senses, is designed to aid in developing
the most external faculties of man ; and
what is of an economical and civil nature,
and wliat is imbibed from parents, teachers,
and others, and also from books, and reflec-
tions upon them all, is useful for perfecting
the rational faculties of the mind : and all
divine truths are designed to perfect the hu-
man mind, and prepare it for receiving a
spiritual principle from the Lord, our Crea-
tor and Redeemer^
Varieties. 1. A fit Pair. A Bandy is a
thing, in jmntalccns, with a body and two
arms, head without brains, tight boots, o-cane,
and white handkerchief, two broaclies and a
ring on liis little finger. A Coquette is a
young lady, with more beauty than sense^
more occomplishmmts than learning, more
charms of person than graces of mind,
more admirers \haxi friends, and more fools
than wise men for her attendants. 2. The
sunshine of prosperity — has attractions for
all, who love to bask in its influence, hoping
to share in its pleasures. 3 The verdant
lawn, the shady grove, the variegated land-
scape, the beautiful ocean and the starry ^r-
mament are contemplated with pleasure, by
every one, who has a soul. 4. A man should
not be ashamed to own, that he has been in
the wrong ,• which is only saying, in other
words, that he is wiser to-day than he was
yesterday. 5. The love of truth and good-
ness, is the best passion we can indulge. 6,
A luoman's life, is the history of the offec
tions ; the heart is her world ; it is then
her ambition strives for empire, and then
she seeks for untold treasures 7. The htsi
and noblest conquest, is that of reason gvcj
onr passions, and follies.
Those you make friends-,
And give your hearts to, when they once perceive
The least rub in yom fortunes, fall away
Like water from ye, ne\ev found again
But where they mean to sink ye.
Oh jealousy!
Love's eclipse ! thou art in thy disease
A xvild. mad patient, wondrous hard to pleosft
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
aio
6/88. Judging- demands a grave, steady look,
with deep attention, the countenance ahogether
clear from any appearance, either of disgust, or
favor: the pronunciation slow, distinct, and em-
phatical, accompanied with little action, and that
very grave.
JUDGIKfG ACCORniNG TO STRICT LAW.
If you re/use — to wed Demetrius —
Either must you die the death, or abjure,
Forever, the society of men.
Therefore, fair Hermia, question your desires,
Know of your youth, examine well your blood,
Whether, not yielding to your/a«Aer'5 choice,
You can endure the livery of a nun;
For aye — to be in a shady cloister raew'd;
Chi-unting faint hymns to the cold fruitless moon.
Take lime to jiause, and, hy the next new moon,
(The sealing day betwixt my love and me,
For everlasting bond o( fellowship,)
Upon that day, either prepare to die,
For disobedience to youtfatherh will,
Or dse — to wed Demetrius, as lie would,
Or on Diana's altar to protest —
For age — austerity — and single life.
Misceilaneous. 1. In opening a cause,
give a general view oi the grounds on which
the charge is made, and of the extent, magni-
tude, tendency, and effect of tJie crime al-
ledged. 2. There is some consolation for dull
authors, that the confectioner may put good
into their hooks, if they fail to do it themselves.
3. Uncle Tohy's oath : " The accusing spirit,
which Hew up to heaven's chancery, with the
oath, blushed — as he gave it in ; and the re-
cording angel — dropped a tear upon it, and
blotted it out forever, 4. Wotild not many
persons be very much surprised, if their ideas
of heavenly joys, should be exhibited here-
after, to sliow them their falsity ? 5. Beauty
is given, to remind us, that tlie soul should be
kept as fair and perfect in its proportions, as
the temple in which it dwells ; the spirit of
beauty flows in, only where these proportions
are harmonious. 6. Can any one be a lover
of truth, and a searcher after it, and yet turn
his back on it, when presented, and call for
jniracles? 7. The aphorism, "■Know thy-
self,^^ is soon spoken, but one is a long time
in obeying it ; Gracian — was placed among
the seven wise men of Greece, for having
been the author of the maxim ; but never, re-
plied the sage, was any one placed there for
having performed it.
Who painted Justice blind, did not declare
What magistrates should be, but what they are :
Not so much, 'cause they rich and poor should weigh
In their just scales alike ; but, because they,
Now blind with bribes, are grown so weak of sight,
They'll sooner feel a cause, than see it right.
Justice, painted blind.
Infers, his ministers are obliged to hear
The cause ; and truth, Xhe judge, determine of it;
And not sway'd or hy favor, or affection,
By a false gloss, or corrected comment, alter
The true intent and letter of the law.
Man's rich w.th littlt, were Ills judgment true.
Anecdote. In the early perijil of the
Frencli revolution, when the ttirone and the
altar had been overturned, a Benedictine
rniynasteryvfdiS entered, by a devastating band,
its inmates treated witli wanton and uni)ro-
voked cruelty, and the work of demolition
and plunder going on, — when a large body
of the inhabitants ralhed, drove the spoilers
away, but secured the ringleaders, whom they
would have severely punished, had not the
abbot, who had received the worst indignities
from these very leaders, rushed forward to
protect them. " I thank you, my children,"
said he, " for your seasonable interference-
let us, however, show the superiority of reli-
gion, by displaying our clemency, and suffer-
ing them to depart."' The ruffians were over-
powered by the abbot's humanity, fell at his
feet, entreated his benediction and forgiveness.
But yonder — comes the powerful king of day.
Rejoicing in the east. The less'ning cloud,
The kindling azure, and the mounlfi.in's brow,
IllumM with fluid gold, his near approach
Betoken glad. Lo, now, apparent all
Aslant the dew-bright earth, and color'd air,
IJe looks — in boundless majesty abroad ;
And sheds the shining day, that, burnish'd, plays
On recks, and hills, and tow''rs, and wand'ring
High gleaming from afar. [streams.
Varieties. 1. Should we be governed by
our feelings, or by our judgment ? 2. Earths,
waters, and a/mospheres — are the three ge-
neral elements, of which all natural things
are made. 3. The human body is composed
of all the essential things which are in the
world of nature. 4. The three periods of our
development are — infancy, including the first
seven years; childhood — the second seven,
and youth — the third seven ; the close of
which, — is the beginning of manhood. 5.
Adolescence — is that state, when man begins
to think, and act — for himself, and not from
the instruction, and direction of others 6.
The cerebellum, and consequently, the vo-
luntary principle of the mind, never sleeps;
but the cerebrum, and of course, the reason-
ing faculty — does. 7. Beware of the errone-
ous opinion, that you must be remarlcably
original ; and that to speak, and rvrife, un-
like anybody else, is a great merit.
'Tis certain, greatness, once fallen out with /orftinA
Must fall out with men too : what the declin'd is,
He shall as soon read — in the eyes of others,
As feel— in his own fall: for men, like butterflies,
Show not their mealy wings, but to the summer
f Je stood up
Firm in his bettefr strength, and like a tret
Rooted in Lebanon, his frame bent not.
His thin, white Aam— had yielded to the wind^
And left his brow uncoveied; and his/ace;
Impressed with the stern majesty of grief,
Nerved to a solemn duty, now stood forth
Like a rent rock, submissive, yet sublime.
216
PaiNCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
529« Malice, or Spile, is a habitual malevo-
lence, long continu^?d, and watching occasion to
exert itself on the hated object ; this hateful dis-
position sets the jaws and gnashes the teeth.
Bends blasting flashes from the eyes, stretches
the mouth horizontally, clinches the fieits, and
bends the elbows in a straining manner to the
body ; the tone of voice, and expression, are
much the same as in anger, but not so loud ;
which see. These two engravings represent, the
smaller one, revengeful hatred, and the other,
abhorrence, fear, contempt, without power, or
courage.
How like a fawning publican he looks !
I hate him, for he is a christian.
But more, for that, in low simplicity.
He .ends out money gratis, and brings down
The rates o( usance, here with us in Venice.
If I can catch him — once upon the hip,
I will feed fat — the ancient grudge I bear him.
He hates our sacred nation, and he rails,
(Even there where merch'nts most do congregate,)
On my bargains, and my well-won thrift ;
Which he calls interest. Cursed be my tribe,
If I forgive him.
530. Melas-cholt, or Fixed Grief, is
gloomy, sedentary, and motionless. The
lower jaw falls, the lips are pale, tlie eyes cast
down, half shut, the eyelids swollen and red,
or livid tears trickling silently and unmixed,
with total inattention to anything that passes.
Words, if any, are few, and tliose dragged out
rather than spoken; the accents weak and
interrupted, sighs breaking into tlie middle
of words and sentences.
There is a stupid weight — upon my senses ;
A dismal sullen stillness, that succeeds
The storm of rage and grief, like silent death,
After the tumult, and the noise of life, [like it ;
Wculi — it were death; as sure, 'tis wondrous
Fcr I am sick of living. My soul is pefVd :
She kindles not anger, or revenge,
Love — was the informing, active fire within :
Now that is quenched, the mass forgets to move.
And longs to mir.gle—vrith itM kindred earth.
The glance
Of melancholy — is a fearful gift;
What is it, but the telescope of truth ?
Which strips the distance of its phantasies.
And brings life near — in utter nakedness,
Making the cold reality— too real !
Moody and dull melancholy,
Kinsman to grief and comfortless despair.
fV,rth makes the man, and want of it the fellow.
Melancholy— discloses its symptoms accoril-
ing to the sentiments and pjissions of the minds
it affects. An ambitious man fancies himsell
a lord, statesman, minister, king, emperor, or
monarch, and pleases his mind with the vain
hopes of even future preferment The mind of
a coretous man sees nothing but his re or spcj
and looks at the most valuable objects with an
eye of hope, or with the fond conceit, that they
are already his own. A love-sick brain adores,
in romantic strains, the lovely idol of his heart,
or sighs in real misery, at her fancied frowns.
And a scholar's mitid evaporates in the fumes
of imaginary praise and literary distinction.
AikecAote, Routs. "How s<ra«g-e it is,"
said a lady, '* that fashiotiable parties should
be called routs ? Why, rout, formerly sig
nified — the defeat of an army / and when
soldiers were all put to Jli§ht, or to the sword^
they were said to be routed.''* "This title
has some propriety too ,•" said an observer oi
men and things, "for at these meetings,
vfhole families are frequently routed out of
house and home.'*
Varieties. 1. Agriculture — is the true
foundation of all trade and industry ; and
of course, the foundation of individual and
national riches. 2. WJien the moon, on a
clear, autumnal evening, is moving through
the heavens in silent glory, the earth — seems
like a slumbering babe, smiling in its sleep,
because it dreams of heaven. 3. The truths
of science are not only useful, in themselves,
.but their influence is exceedingly beneficial
in mental culture. 4. Let your amusements
be select and temperate, and such as will fit
you for the better performance of your dU'
ties ; all others are positively injurious. 5.
Raise the edifice of your virtue and happi-
ness, on the sui-e foundation of true religion^
or love to God, and love to man. 6. Tfiai
will be well and speedily done in ^family or
community, when each one does Ms part
faithfully. 7. Eloquence — is the power of
seizing the attention, with irresistable force,
and never permitting it to elude the grasp,
till the hearer has received the conviction,
that the sx)ea'ker intends.
That I must die, it is my only comfort ;
Death — is the privilege of human nature.
And life, without it, were not worth our taking,
Thither — the poor, the prisoner, and the mourner,
Fly for relief, and lay their burthen''s down.
Come then, and take me into thy cold arms.
Thou meagre shade; here, let me breathe my last.
Charmed, with my father'' s pity and forgiveness.
More than if angels tuned their golden viols,
And sung a requiem — to my parting soul.
On the sands of life
Sorrow treads heavily, and leaves a print,
Time cannot wash away ; while Joy trips bj*
With steps so light and soft, that the next wave
Wears his faint foot-falls out.
And coming ec«Mts— cast iheir shadows before.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
217
53 J • Pabdontng — differs from acquitting, in
tfiis — the latter — means clearing a person, after
trial, of guilt; whereas, Iheforvier — supposes guilt,
and signifies merely delirering llie guilty person
from punisknieiU ; pardoning requires some de-
gree of severity of aspect, and tone of voiee, be-
cause the pardoned one is )iot an ol)jt;ct ofac^tive,
unmixed approbation; otherwise, its expression
js much the same as granting ; which see.
PARDONING A CRUEL PERSECUTION.
We pardon thee ; live on, the state hath need of
Humility and gratitude for this our gift, [men.
May make a man of thee.
Grmt souls— forgive r.ot injuries, till time
Has put their enemies within their power,
That they may show -forgiveness — is their own.
That thou may'st see the difference of our spirits,
I pardon thee thy life, before thou ask it :
For half thy wealth, it is Antonio^s ;
The other half— comes to the general state;
Which humbleness — may drive into a. fine.
53a. Perplexity, Irresolution, Anxiety,
are always attended with some degree of fear ; it
collects the body together, as if for gathering up
the arms upon the breast, rubs the forehead, tJie
eyebrows contracted, the head hanging on the
breast, the eyes cast downward, the mouth shut,
the lips compressed ; suddenly, the whole body is
agitated, alters its aspect, as having discovered
something; then, falls into contemplation as be-
fore ; the motions of the body are restless and une-
qual; sometimes moving quick, and sometimes
slow; the pauses, in speaking to another, long, the
tone of voice uneven, the sentences broken and
unfinished; sometimes talks to himself, or makes
grimaces, and keepmg half of what arises in the
mind.
Yes; — 'tis Emilia: — by and by — she's dead.
''I'ls like she comes to speak of Cassio''s death ;
The noise was high; — ha! no more moving?
Still as the grave Shall she come in? weih good?
I think she stirs again. No. What's the best?
If she come in, she'll speak to my ivife.
Anecdote. Peter the Great made a law,
in 1722, that if any nobleman beat, or ill-
treated his slaves, he should be looked upon
as insane, and a guardian be appointed, to
take care of his person and estate. The great
monarch once struck his gardener, who, be-
ing a man of great sensibility, took to his bed,
and died in a few days. Peter, on hearing of
this, exclaimed, with tears in his eyes : I have
civilized my subjects,- 1 have conquered other
nations ; yet I have not been able to civilize
and conquer myself.
There is no remedy for time misspe^it.
No healing — for the waste of idleness,
V^'hose very languor — is a punishinent
Heavier thqm active souls — can feel or guess.
O hours of indolince — and discontent,
Not now — to be redeemed ! ye sting not less
Because I know — this span of life was lent
For lofty duties, not for selfishness;
Not to be whiled away in aimless dreams,
But to improve ourselves — and serve mankind,
Life — aad its choicest /acutoes were given.
Man should be ever better — than he seems :
And shape his acts, and discipline his mind,
To WP-lk idoming earth, with hope of heaven f
2? . T
Admiration and L«ove. Thero is a wide
dilTerence between admiration and love. Tlie
sublime, wliich is the cause of the former, al-
ways dwells on great objects, and terrible ;
the latter on small ones, and pleasing ; we
submit to what we admire, but we love what
submits to us ; in one case we are forced, in
the other we are flattered, into compliance.
liaconlcs. 1. Every one, who would be an
orator, should study Longinus on the sublime. 9,
Many of our books, containing pieces for decly-
mation, remind one of a physician's leaving ;7z«ie-
cine with a patient, without directions how to tote
it. 3. Would it not be well for some competent
person to compile a work, to be called " Songs of
the People," for all trades and avocations? 4. IxU
ters and words are like the notes of a tune, rep-
resentative of sounds and ideas. 5. Descriptive
speech and writing, are like landscape painting.
6. The natural world is an allegory, the meaning
of which we may find in ourselves. 7. Were a
spectator to come from the other world, into many
of our congregations, he would regard the sing'
ing, and perhaps the worship, as any tiling but
devotional.
Varieties. 1. He, who will peep into a
draiuer, will likely be tempted to take some-
tliing out of it ; and he, who steals a cent in
his youth, will be very apt to steal a dollar in
manhood. 2. A great change in life, is like a
cold bath in winter ,■ we all hesitate to make
tlie first plunge. 3. The farther you advance
in any art, or science, the more will you be
delighted with simplicity of manner, and less
attracted by superficial ornament. 4. One of
the grand objects of education is — to coUect
principles and apply them to practice ; and
when this is generally done, mankind vnll
be brought nearer to equality. 5. It is as im-
possible for us to understand a thing, witliout
having the image of it on the retina of the
mi?id's eye, as it is to see any thing, without
having its image on the retina of the bodily
eye. 6. Is not the education of children, for
time and eternity, the highest social, civiU
moral and religious duty, we are called up-
on to perform 1
pleasure op piety.
A Deity — believed, is joy begun;
A Deity adored, is joy advanced;
A Deity belov''d, is joy matured.
Each branch of piety delight inspires:
Faith — builds a bridge from this world to the nctc
O'er death''s dark gulf, and all its horror hides ;
Praise, the sweet exhalation of our joy.
That joy exalU:, and makes it sweeter sti//;
Pray''r ardent opens heaven, lets down a strtaiH
Of glorj', on the consecrated hour
Of man — in audience with the Deity.
So7n«— ne'er advance a judgment of their owiv,
But catch the spreading notions of the town;
They reason and conclude — from precedent,
And own stale notions, which they ne'er invent
Sowie judge of authors' names, not works; and then
Nor praise, nor blame *he writings, but the mm.
818
PRTNCTT^LES OF ELOCUTl JN.
5.3:{. Modesty— is a diffidence of ourselves,
accompanied with delicacy in our sense of what-
ever is mean, indirect, or "dislionoral)le, or a fear
of doing these tilings, or of having them imputed
to us. Submission is an huml)le sense of our
inferiority, and a quiet surrender of our power
to a superior. IVIodesty bends the body forward ;
has a placid, downcast countenance, bends the
eyes to the breast, if not to the feet, of the su-
perior chara<ter : the voice is low, the tone sub-
missive, and the words few. Submission adds
U> them a lower bending of the head, and a
spreading out of the arms and hands, down-
wards towards the person submitted to.
Now, good my lord,
Let there be some more test of my metal,
Before so noble, and so great a figure,
Be stamped upon it.
O liable sir !
i'our ever kindnesss doth wring tears from me ;
I do embrace your offer, and dispose,
From henceforth, of poor Claudia.
As lamps burn silent with unconscious light,
So modest ease in beauty shines more bright;
Unaiming charms, with edge resistless fall,
And she who means no mischief, does it all.
e!»34« Pride. Wlien our esteem of ourselves,
or opinion of our own rank or merit is so high,
as to lessen the regard due to the rank and
merit of others, it is called -pride : when it sup-
poses others below our regard, it is contempt,
scorn, or disdain. Pride assumes a lofty look,
bordering on the look and aspect of anger. The
eyes full and open, but with the eye-brow con-
siderably drawn down, the mouth pouting out.
but mostly shut, and the lips contracted : the
words walk out and strut, and are uttered with
a slow, stiff, bombastic affectation of importance;
the hands sometimes rest on the hips, with the
elbows brought forward in the position called
a-kimbo ; the feet at a distance from each other,
and the steps long and stately. Obstinacy-
adds to the aspect of pride.
Worcester! gel thee gone ; for I do see
Danger and disobedience in thine eye :
O sir, your prest.ice is too bold and peremptory.
And majesty— m\g\\l never yet endure
The moody frontier, of a. servant's brow ;
You have good leave to leave us ; when we need
Your use and counsel, we shall send for you.
Did'st thou not think, sjtcA vengeance must await
The wretch that with his crimes all fresh about
Rushes, irreverent, unprepared, uncalled, [him,
Into his Maker's presence, throwing back.
With insolent disdain, his choicest gifts ?
Anecdote. One of the emperors of China
met a procession, conducting: some malefac-
tors to punishment. On being informed of
the facfs, he burst into tears ,- when one of
his conrtiers endeavored to comfort him, say-
ing, " In a commonwealth, there must be
punishment; it cannot be auoi^/er/, as man-
kind now are." His majesty repUed, " I weep
not, to see those men jyrismiers, nor to see
them chastised,- I know the good must be
protected from the bad ,- but I weep, because
my time is not so happy as that of old was,
when the virtues of tne princes were such,
that they served as a bridle to the people, and
their example was sufficient to restrain a
whole kingdom."
To tei.ount Almighty works,
,What words, or tongue, of seraph — can suffice?
Pxiiiisliments. There are dre.idfui ptia,-
ishments enacted against thieves; but it were
much better to make such good provisions, by
which every man might be put in a method hovs
to live, and so be preserved from the fatal neces-
sity of stealing, and of being imprisoned, or dying
for it.
Varieties. 1. Some politicians consider
honesty excellent in theory, — and policy safe
in practice ; thus admitting the absurd theory,
that principles entirely false, and corrupt m
the abstract, are more salutary in their prac-
tical manifestation, than principles essentially
good and true. 2. In public and jorivate life,
in the learned and unlearned professions, in
scenes of business, and in the domestic circle,
the masterpiece of man is decision of character.
3. The moral sense of the people, is the sheet-
anchor, which alone can hold the vessel o.
state, amidst the storms that agitate the world,
4 True religion has nothing to fear, but much
to hope, from the progress of scientific truths,
5. A writer or speaker should aim so to
please, as to do his hearers and readers the
greatest amount of good. 6. It is not the
part of a lover of truth, either to cavil or re-
ject, without due examination. 7. Ill man-
ners are evidence of low breeding.
As turns a flock of geese, and, on the green.
Poke out their foolish necks in atvkward spleen,
(Ridiculous in rage !) to hiss, not bite,
So war their quills, when sons of Dullness write.
Clear as the glass, his spotless fame.
And lasting diamond writes his name.
All jealousy
Must still be strangled in iu birth : or time
Will soon conspire to make it strong enough
To overcome the truth.
When satire flies abroad on falsehood's wing,
Short is her life, and impotent her sting;
But, when to truth allied, the wound she gives
Sinks deep, and to remotest ages lives.
Every man in this age has not a soul
Of crystal, for all men to read their actions [der,
Thro' : men's hearts and faces are so far asun-
That they hold no intelligence.
Something heavy on my spirit,
Too dull for wakefulness, too quick for slumber.
Sits on me as a cloud along the sky,
Which will not let the sunbeams through, nor yet
Descend in rain and end, but spreads itself
'Twixt earth and heaven, like envy between
And man, an everlasting mist. [man
SONNET.
Like an enfranchiied bird, that wildl_ springs,
With a keen sparlcle in his glancing ve,
And a strong effort in his quivering wings.
Up to the blue vault of the happy sky, —
So my enamor'd lieart, so long thine own,
At length fir>m Love's imprisonment set free
Goes forth into the open world alone,
Glad and exulting in its liberty :
But like that helpless bird (confin'd eo long,
His weary wings have lost all power to soar, /
Who soon forgets to trill his joyous song,
And feebly fluttering, sinks to earth once moTb—
So, from its fornier bonds released in vain.
My heart still feels the weight of that remenioer'd ctiaifl.
AVhole years of joy glide unperceived away.
While sorrow counts the minutes as Ihey paM.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCJTION.
219
535* rRi.MisiNG is expressed by benevolent
ir>oks. a soft but earnest voice, and sometimes by
iKclinin^ the lie.ad, or nod of consent; tlie Jiands
open vv'itli palm upward, toward the person to
whom the promise is made : sincerity in jiromising
IS express'd by laying the hand gently on the
heart.
I'll deliver all,
And promise you calm seas, auspicious gales,
And sail, so expeditious, it shail catch
Your royal fleet far ctff".
I will be true to thee, -preserve thee ever.
The sad companion of this faithful breast;
While life, and thought remain.
Where'er I go, my soul shall stay with thee ;
Tis but my shadow, that I take aivay.
536* REFL'SiNi3,-^when accompanied with
displeasure, is done nearly the same way as dis-
missing with displeasure: without it — it is done
with a visible reluctance, that occasions the bring-
ing out the words slowly, with such a shake of
the head, and shrug, as is natural on heariiig
something that gives us a screw of the shoulders,
and hesitation in the speedli, as implies perplexity
between granting and refusing; as in the follow-
ing example of refusing to lend money :
They answer — in a joint — and corporate voice,
Tbat now — they are af.falt — want treasure — cannot
Do^what they would ; are sorry, (you are honorable) —
But yet they eould have wished— (they know not) —
Something hath been amis^s — (a jiohU nature
May catch a lorench) — would all were well— 'tis pity ;
And so intending other serious matter,
After dfatasteful loolu — and other hard fracHaiu —
VVjth certain AaZ/cap», and co.u-inoving vooras —
They frown me into silence.
Pride. The disesteem and contempt of
others is inseparable from pAde. It is hardly
possible to overvalue oiirselves,h\ii by Tender-
valuing our neighbors ,• and we commonly
most undervalue those, who are, by other men,
thought to be wiser than we are; and it is a
kind of jealousy in ourselves that they are so,
which provokes our pride.
They said, her cheek of youth was beautiful,
Till withering sorrow blanch'd the white rose there;
But grJe/'did lay his icy finger on it.
And chilVd it— to a cold and joyless statue.
Anecdote. Garrick and Hogarth, sitting
together one day, mutually lamented the
want of a picture of Fielding ; " I think," said
Garrick, "i could 7«afe? his face;" which he
did accordingly. " For heaven's sake, hold,^^
said Hogarth, " remain as you are a few min-
utes;" he did so, while the painter sketched
the outlines, which were afterwards finished
from their mutual recollection : and tltis draw-
\n% was the original of all the portraits we
have of the admired Tom Jones.
He that holds fa si; the golden mean,
And lives, contentedly, between
The little — and the gi'eat, —
Feels not the tvants — that pinch the poor,
Nor plagues — that haunt the rich man's door,
Tmbittering — all his state.
The tallest pines — feel most — the power
Of wintry blast; the loftiest tower —
Comes heaviest — to the ground.
The bolts— XhM span the mountain side,
His cloud-capt eminence — divide ;
And spread the ruin round.
Ntvture— is/r?<gai, and her wants Sive few.
Liaconics. 1. We must be n etric ed / y all
things of one thing, if we would hioio that one
thing thoroughly. 2. The evolutioi of the natitjcu
sciences, amounts to the creation of a new s-phare,
in the human mind. 3. All truths, scientific, philo-
sophical and theological, are in perfect harmony
with each other. 4. TJie use, or effect, which pro-
duces the end, must be ^.\\^i first point of analytic
inquiry ; i. e. first tlie fact, or result, and then, t>:e
reasoning upon it. 5. When it is impossible, to
trace effects to visible causes, the mental sight tni;8t
take up, and coi7ipUte the operation. (5. There is
a universal analogy between all tiio spheres of
creation, natural, mental and spiritual, and f)»v
tween nature, and all things in human society.
Nature— is simple and easy, it is man that is diji
cult and perjdexed.
Genius. They say of poets, that they must
be born such ; so must matkeniaticiuns, so
must great generals, and so must lawyers,
and so, indeed, must men of all denomina-
tions, or it is not possible that they should
excel; but with whatever /ac'///ie.9 we are
born, and to whatever studies ouvgenius may
direct us, studies they still must be. Nature
gives a bias to respective pursuits ,• and this
strong propensity is what we mean by genius.
Milton did not write his Paradife Lost ; nor
Homer his Iliad ; nor Newton his Prindpia^
without immense labor.
Light grief is proud oi state, and courts compassioa •
But there's a dignity — in cureless sorrow,
A sullen grandeur, which disdains complaint;
Rage is for little wrongs — despair — is dumb.
Let coward guilt, with pallid/ear,
To shelt'ring caverns fly,
knd.jusily — dread the vengeful fate,
That thundcis through the sky.
Protected by that hand, whose iatp,
The threat'ning storms obey,
Intrepid virttu — smiles secure.
As in the blaze of day.
Varieties. 1 . When you can do it, with-
out injury to truth and mercy, always avoid
a quarrel and a laivsuit. 2. When the foun-
dation of our hope is assailed, ought we not
to contend, earnestly, for the faith once deliv-
ered to the sat?its ? 3. When there is a right
desire, and an untiring industry, there will,
eventually, be tiie reward of light. 4. They,
who understand most of a subject, will be ve-
ry indulgent to those, who know but little of
it. 5. If w;e are unwilling to do anything for
ourselves, how can we expect others will do
much for us 1 6. Every deceiver, whether by
word, or deed, is a liar; and no one, that has
been once deceived by him, will fail to shun-,
if not despise him.
Whether present, or absent, you always appear,
A youth — most hewitchingly pleasant.
For when you are present, you're absent — my dear;
And when you are absent — you're present.
How charming — is divine philosophy!
Not harsh and crabbed, as dulI/ooZs suppose,
But musical as is Apollo''s lute.
And a perpetual feast— of necls-r'd sweets,
Where no crude surfeit reigns.
Seeming devotion doth but gild tlie knave,
That's nehherfaUhful, honest, just nor 6rat*>
But where religion doth— with virtue join.
It makes a hero—Uke an angel shine.
320
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION,
537. Remorse,
or a paiiiful sense
ofguilt. casts down
the countenance,
and clouds it with
anxiety ; hangs
down tlie head ;
draws down the
eye-b r o w^ s ; the
right hand beats
1 h e breast ; the
teeth gnashes with
iiiguisli, and the
whole body is
strained, and vio-
lently agitated: if
strong remorse is
succeeded by trie
more gracious dis-
position of peniienc;, or contrition, the eyes are
raised, (tho' wjlh great appearance of doubting
and fear.) to the throne of mercy, and immediately
east down again to the earth ; tlien floods of tears
are seen to "flow; the knees are bended, or the
body prostrated on the ground ; the arms are
spread in a suppliant posture, and the voice of
deprecation is uttered with sighs and groans,
timidity, hesitation, and trembling. The engra-
ving indicates a noble mind hi distress.
The heart,
Pierced with a sharp remorse for guilt,
Disdains tlie costly poverty of hecatombs^
And offers the best sacrifice— itee//.
Blest tears — of soul-felt-^en/tenf€ .'
In whose benign., redeeming flow —
Is felt theirs «, — the only sense —
Of guiltless joy — that guilt can know.
Go, maiden, weep — the tears of woe,
By beauty — to repentance given,
Though bitterly— on earth they flow.
Shall turn xo fragrant balm — in Heaven!
538. Security — diminishes the passions; the
mind, when left to itself, immediately languishes ;
end. in order to preserve its ardor, must be every
moment supported by a new flow of passion. For
the same reason, despair, though contrary to secu-
rity, has a like influence.
539. Raillery, in sport, without real animosi-
ty, puts on tlie aspect of cheerfulness, and some-
times a kind of simple laughter.-^and the tone of
voice is sprightly. With contempt or disgust, it
casts a look asqtunt from time to time, at the ob-
ject, and quits the cheerful aspect, for one mixed
between an affected grin and sourness : the upper
lip is drawn up with a smile of disdain: the
arms sometimes set a-kimbo on the hips, and the
right hand now and then thrown out towards the
object, as if they were going to strike one a back-
handed blow ; voice rather loud, arch and mean-
ing; sentences short, expressioiis satirical, with
inoci-praise occasionally intermixed.
You have done that, which you should be sorry for.
There is no terror, Cassius, in your threats ;
For I am arm'd so strong in honesty,
T)iat they pass by me as the idle wind,
Which I respect not. I did send to you,
For certain sums of gold, which you denied me;
For / can raise no money by vile means.
yo — Cassius, I had rather coin my heart,
And drop my blood for drachmas, than 1o wring —
From tbe hard hands of peasants, their vile trash,
By any indirection. I did send
To you for gold — to pay my legions;
Which you '.isnitd me; was that done, like Cassius?
Should 7— have answered Cams C>i$siui thus
When 3Iarcus Brutus — grows so covetous,
To lock such rascal-counters from his/rie^wis.
Be ready— gods, with all your thunderbolts,
Dash him to pieces !
Anecdote. A young gentleman, {ihe soil
of his Majesty's prinfer, who had tlie patent
for publishing Gibbon's works,) made his ap-
pearance, at an assembly, dressed in green
and gold. Being a new face, and extremely
elegant, though he was not overstocked with
se7ise, he attracted much atientian, and a gen-
eral murmur prevailed, to know who he was.
A lady repliecf, loud enough to be heard by the
stranger, " Oh ! don't yon know himl It is
young Gibbon, bound in calf, and gilt ; but
not Lettered.^''
Seeing Ril^lit. He, only, see.s well, who
sees the lohole, in the parts, and the parts, ir:
the ivhole. I know but three classes of men ,•
those who see the luhole, those who see Imt a
part, and those who see botth togetfier.
Varieties. 1. He, who lives well, and 6e-
lieves ari'^/it, will be saved ,- but he, who does
not live well, and believe aright, cannot be
saved. 2. Let times be ever so good, if you
are slothful, you will be in want .- but let
times be ever so bad, if you are diligent in
the performance of duty, you will py'osper.
3. The reptile, in human form, should be
avoided with great care. 4. If the sun is to
be seen by its 0W7i hght, must not the truth
be seen in like manner? The soundest ar
gument will produce no more conviction it'
an empty head, than the most superficial di c-
lamation ,- as vl feather and a guinea will fall
with equal velocity, in a vacuum, o. As
light — has no color, water — no taste, and
air — ^no odor, so, knowledge should be equal-
ly pure, and without admixture. 6. We
should nave a glorious conflagration, if all,
who cannot putj^re into their books, would
consent to put their books into the fire. 7.
The union of truth and goodness — is like
that of water and^re, which nothing can
resist.
As up the tower of knowledge slow we rise.
How wide and fair the opening prospect lies I
Butv/hile the viewexpands, the path grows steeper,
The steps more slippery, and the chasm 's deeper :
Then why climb on? N^ for the prospect's beauty,
Not for the triumph, but because 'tis duty.
What thing is love, which naught can countervail?
Naught save itself, ev'n such a thing is love.
And worldly wealth in worth as far doth fa-i,
As lov/est earth doth yield to heav'n above.
Divine is love, and scorneth worldly pelf.
And can be bought with nothing but with self.
We see but halfihQ causes of our deedfi..
Seeking them wholly in the outer life,
And heedless of the encirclings;9m«- world,
Which, tho' unseen, is felt, and sotvs in ue
All gems of pure, andworW-wide purposes
O fortune! thou canst not divide
Our bodies so. but that our hearts are tie.^
And we can love by letters still, and gifte,
And dreams.
It is in vain, tliat we would coldly gaze —
On such as sinile upon us ; the heart — «i«:t
Leap kindly back — to kindness.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
221
540. Rbproving — i>uts on a stern aspect;
Toughens the voice, and is accompanied with ^es-
'ures, not difTering much from that ol'threatening,
but not so lively ; it is like reproach, (which see,)
but without the sourness and ill-nature.
Ilxustratiox. What right have you, to
waste your time, which is the state's ; your
health, wliich makes time worthful, and the
life of goodness in you, which makes living
all your acts ? Answer me — what right have
you to wrong yourself, and all the v)orld ?
How comes it, Cassio, you are thus/orgo</
That you unlace your reputation thus.
And spend your rich opinion— tor the name,
Of a night brawler ? Give me answer to it.
RESIGNATION.
Yet, yet endure, nor murmur, O my soul ; [less ?
For, are not thy transgressions great and number-
Do they not cover thee — like rising^oo<i5 .''
A nd press thee — like a weight of waters down ?
Does not the hand of righteousness — afflict thee?
And who — shall plead against it ? tvho shall say —
To Power Almighty, thou hast done enough ;
Or bid his dreadful rod ofvetigeance stay ?
Wait then; with patience, till the circling hours
Shall bring the time — of thy appointed resz,
And lay thee down — in death.
Duties of Society. Every right pro-
duces a corresponding duty : hence, may be
inferred tlie positive duty of society, to give
every individual, born in its bosom, an ade-
quate education. For if society has a right to
uie services of every one of its members, —
this right necessarily involves sonie duties
and what can that duty more directly be, than
that .eociety should give to all its children,
such an education, as will fit them for the
services it intends to exact from them in after
life 7 And if parents are unable to give their
children such an education, it is the duty of
society to assist them ; and if they are un-
willing, society ought to take the place of
Sarents, and perform the duty of the parents.
Jo one can violate the laws of God, nor the
government of the world, with impunity ;
and the more sacred the trust, the more ter-
rible will be the effects of a disregard of them.
J'lach substance of a grief— hath twenty shadows,
Which show like grief itself, but are not so :
For sorrow's eye, glazed with blinding tears,
Divides one thing entire — to many objects;
Fiike perspectives, which, rightly gazed upon,
Sl'.ow notiiing but confusion; eyed awry^
Disti nguish ybrm. •
Too Common. Envy, hatred, malice,
and uncharitablen ess. H ow melancholy and
heart-rending — to reflect upon the vast nuin
her of professing christians — oiall orders, who
saow, by their "f/€e^.<?, that they are under the
mfluence of these infernal passions ; altho'
in their sabbath devotions, they may pray
against them with their lips, and entreat their
Maker to enable them to keep the law which
says, "Thou shalt not bear false witness
against thy nei^hbor.''^ Let a man of one
branch of the church, leave it, even from the
best of motives, and join another, which hap-
pens to differ from it in religious belief, and
how soon the air is rent with the political cry,
** SMot the deserter.''^ Nothine: seems too bad
for the disaffected to say about their marked
t9
victim; whose departure from thtri tacitly
calls in question the infallibility of their doc-
trines, and thereby wounds their self-love,
which makes them care more for their party,
than for the progress of truth. What is the
character, business, peace and hajyjmiess of the
supposed offender, to t/icm. when bent on his
destruction.^ Alas! how unlike the conduc*
of the true christian ! Thus is seen the rot-
tenness of ^^ prof essioji, without princifZe."
Dead lianguages. That man must have a
strange value for words, when he can think ix
worth while to hazard the innocence and virtue of
his son for a \\i\A&Greek and Latin; whilst he should
be laying the solid foundations of knovAedge in hia
mind, and furnishing it with just rules to direct hia
future progress in life. — Locke.
Anecdote. Dandies. As \a.dy Montague
was walking through a public garden with a
party, she was very much annoyed by an
impertinent coxcomb, who was continually
making some foolish obseriHition. On ap-
proaching one of the temples, over which
there was a Latin inscription, she took ad-
vantage of it, to expose his ignorance, in the
hope of putting him to silence. " Pray sir,"
said she, " be kind enough to explain that in-
scription to us." " Madam," said he, with an
affected air, " I really do not know what it
means, for I see it is dog Latin." " How
very extraordinary it is," said lady Mary,
" that puppies should not understand theii
own language."
IMAGINATION.
The lunatic, the lover, and the poet,
Are, of imagination, all compact:
Oni — sees more devils, than vast hell can hold ;
That — is the madman : the lover, all asfrantk,
Sees Helen''s beauty— in a brow of Egypt:
The poefs eye, in a hne frenzy rolling, [heaver.
Doth glance from heaven to earth, from earth W
And, as imagination bodies forth
The forms of things unknown, the poet's pen
Turns them to shapes, and gives to airy nothing,
A local habitatioyi, and a name.
Su^h tricks hath strong imagitiation ;
That, if it would but apprehend some joy,
It comprehends some bringer of that joy ;
Or, in the night, imagining some /ear.
How easy is a bush — supposed a bear ?
An honest soul — is like a ship at sea,
That sleeps at anchor— upon the occasion's calm
But, when it rages, and the wind blows high.
She cuts her way— with skill and majesty.
Varieties. 1. What is the difference be-
tween acute and chronic disease] 2. It ia
folly for an eminent man to think of escap-
ing cen5wre,and a weakness to be affected by
it. 3. If we had it in our power to gratify
every wish, we should soon teel a surfeit. 4.
When anything below God— is the supreme
obiect of our lave, at some time or other, it
win be an object of sorrow. 5. Truth— \s its
own witness, and fears not a/ree and impar-
tial examination ; it seeks to be seen m its
oxon resplendent brightness. 6. Bv confes-
sing our faults to others, we contribute very
much towards putting tliem away, ann m«-
frming ourselves against them. 7. Whicn
IS icorse — to worship the works of our own
hmd-'!, or the creations of our own imagina
tions ?
222
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
541. Scorn.
IS negligent an-
ger: it insinuates
therefore, by a
voluntary slack-
ness, or disarm-
in|;of the nerves,
a Known, or con-
cluded essence
of all power in
the united ob-
jec:, even to
make t h e de-
fence seem necessary : and the unbraced muscles
are assisted inthissliowofconlempluousdisregard,
by an affected smile upon the eye. because slack
aerves, if at the same time the looks were also lan-
faid, w^ould too much resemble sorrow, or even
tear; whereas, the purpose is disdain and insult:
and tho' in more provoking serious cases, where
bcorn admits disturbance, it assumes some sense
of anger, it must still retain the slack unguarded
languor of the nerves, lest it should seem to have
conceived impressions of sojne estimable and im-
portant weightiness, where its design is utter dis-
regard and negligence.
Age, thou art shamed;
Rome, thou hast lost the breed of noble bloods ;
When went there by an age, since the S2cn shone,
But it was famed with more than one man ?
When could they say, till ■noio, who talked of Rome,
That her wide walls — encompassed but one man !
543. Language op Feeliivg. There is
an original element in our natures, a connec-
tion between the senses, tlie mind and the
heart, implanted by the Creator, for pure and
noble purposes, whicJi cannot be reasoned
away. You cannot argue men out of tlieir
senses and feelings ; and, after liaving wea-
ried yourself and others, by talking about
hooks and history, set your foot upon the
spot, wliere some" great and memorable ex-
ploit was achieved, especially, with those
wliom you claim kindred, and your heart
sivells within you. You do not now reason ;
y on feel the inspiration of the place. Youi
cold philosophy vanishes, and you are ready
to put off your stioes from your feet; for the
place whereon you stand is holy. A lan-
guage which letters cannot shape, which
sounds cannot convey, speaks, not to the
head^ but to the heart; not to tlie understand-
ing, but to the affections.
The player's profession,
fJes not in trick, or attitude, or start,
Nature's true knowledge is the only art,
The strong-felt passion bolts into his face ;
The mind unlouch'd, what is it but grimace !
To this one standard, make your just appeal,
Here lies the golden secret, learn to feel:
Or fool, or monarch, happy or distress'd,
No actor pleases that is not possess-d.
A single look more marks the internal woe,
Than all the windings of the lengthening oh !
Vp to the face the quick sensation flies.
And darts its meaning from the speaking eyes ;
Lcve, transport, madness, anger, scorn, despair,
Ai.d all the passions, all the soul is there.
Thoughts ! what are they ?
They are my constant friends;
Who, when harsh fate its dull brow bends,
Uncloud me with a smiling ray,
Ani, in the depili of midnight, force a day.
Anecdote. To a maji of exalted mma
the forgiveness of injuries, is productive of
more pleasure and satisfaction, than obtain-
ing vengeance. The Roman emperor, Adri-
an, who was skilled in all the accomjJish-
ments of body and mind, one day seemg a
person, wJio had injured him, in his farmer
station, thus addressed liim, " You are sqfe
now ; I am emperor."
Braying. There are braying men in tho
world as well as braying asses ; for, what's
loud and senseless taiking, huMng, and
swearing, any other then a more fashionable
way of braying ?
Varieties. 1. Idlers — should leave the
industrious to their labor, and visit only those
who are as idle as t/iemselves. 2. There are
some minds, which, like the buzzard's eye,
can pass heedlessly over the beauties of na-
ture, and see nothing but the carcase, rotting
in the corner. 3. He, is well constituted, who
grieves not for wliat he has not, and rejoices
for that he has. 4. True ease in writing,
speaking and singing, comes from art, not
chance. 6. When once a man falls, all will
tread on him. 7. The action should always
keep time with the emphasis and the voice :
it should be tlie result of feeling, not of
thought.
His words weiejire, both light and heat I At once
With zeal they warmed, us and convinc'd with rear
I had read and heard of eloquence before, [ton
How 't is despotic — takes the heart by storm,
Where'er the ramparts, prejudice, or use.
Environ it withal ; how, 'fore its march.
Stony resolves have given way like flaz;
How it can raise, or lay, the mighty surge
Of popular commotion, as the wind,
The wave that frets the sea — but, till to-day,
I never proved its power. When he began,
A thousand hearers pricked their ears to list.
With each a different heart; when he left off,
Each man could tell his neighbor''s by his own.
Rage — is the shortest passion of our souls.
Like narrow liaoks,iha.l rise with sudden sAow'rsi
It swells in haste, and falls again as soon.
Still, as it ebbs, the softer thoughts flow in,
And the deceiver — love — supplies its place.
VIRTUE THE BEST TREASURE.
Virtue, the strength and beauty of the soid.
Is the best gift of Heav'n : a happiness —
That, even above the smiles B.nAfrovjns of fate,
Exalts great nature's/avmto : a wealth
That ne'er encumbers ; nor to baser hands
Can be transferr'd. It is xl^only good —
Man justly boasts of, or can call his own
Riches — are oft by guilt and baseness earn'd.
But for one end, one much-neg\ecXeA use,
Are riches worth our care; (for nature's wants
Ate few, and without opzdence supplied ;)
This nohle end is— to produce the soul:
To show the virtues in their fairest light;
And make humanity— the minister
Of bounteous Providence.
I stand— as one upon a roth,
Environ'd — with a wilderness of sea ;
Who marks the waxing twfe— grow wave by
Expecting ever, when some env-ous surge
Will, in his brinish bowds, swallow liim
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
223
543* Shame — or a sense of appearing to a dis-
advantage, before one's fellow-creatures, turns
away the face from the beholders, covers it with
blushes, hangs the head, casts down the eyes,
draws down and contracts the eye-brows ; either
strikes the person dumb, or, if he attempts to say
anything, in his own defence, causes his nangue to
falter, confounds his utterance, and puts him upon
making a thousand gestures and grimaces, to keep
himself in countenance : all which only heightens
his confusion and embarrassment.
Oh my dread Lord —
I should be guiltier — than my guiltiness,
To think — I can live undiscernible,
When I perceive your grace, like power divine,
Hath looked upon my jaasses ; then, good prince,
No longer session — hold upon my shame.
But let my trial — be my own confession;
Immetiiate sentence then, and sequent death,
Is all the grace I beg.
Hard Q,uestious. In every step, which
reason takes in demonstrative knowledge,
must there be intuitive certainty ? Does tlie
power of intuition, imply that of reasoning,
when combined with the faculty of memory?
In examining those processes of thought,
which conduct the mind, by a series of con-
sequences, from premises to a conclusion, is
there any intellectual act whatever, which
the joint operation of memory, and what is
called intuition, does not sufficiently ex-
plain ? Wliat is the distinction between the
elements of reasoning, and the principles of
reasoning '.' If the elements of reasoning are
employed to connect the concatenations in
an argument ; and if an argument could not
be made luithout the elements of reasoning ;
does it follow, that the elements of reasoning
imply the principles of reasoning] If, in
every step which reason takes in demonstra-
tive knowledge, there must be intuitive cer-
tainty, does this necessarily imply anything
more', than that, without the intuitive power,
we could not know when one link m the
chain was completed '?
544:. SURPRISE AT UNEXPECTED EVENTS.
Gone 10 be married; gone to swear a peace!
Faise blood Xo false blood joined I Gone to befriends!
Shall Leivis have Blanch? and Blanch these fro-
Itisnotso: thou hast mis-spoie,mis-Aearrf.' [vinces?
Be well advised, tell o'er thy tale again:
It cannot be ! thou dost but say 'tis so ;
What dost thou mean by shaking of thy head?
What means that hand — upon that &rm5« of thine?
Why holds thine eye — that lamentable rheum.
Like a proud river — peering o'er his bounds ?
Be theE3 sad sighs— -fon/inners of thy words?
Then speak again ; not all thy former tale.
But this one word— whether thy tale he true?
Anecdote. To Cure Sore Eyes. " Good-
morning, landlord," said a man the other
day, as he st<^^p3d into a tavern to get some-
thing to drink. '■ Good-morning, sir," replied
mine host ; " how do you do ?" " Oh, I don't
know," said the man, raising his goggles, and
wiping away the rheum ; " I'm plagued most
to death with these ere pesky sore eyes. I
wish you'd tell me how to cure 'em." '" Wil-
lingly," said the merry host. "Wear your
goggles over your mouth, wash your eyes in
brandy, and I'll warrant a cuie."
Vica—o^ is hid in virtue's fair disguise,
And, in her honor''d form — escapes inquiring eyes.
Modesty in a man is never to be allowed as
a good quality, but a iveakness, if it su-ppresses h:3
virtue, and hides it from tlie world, when he has,
a the same time, a mind to exert himself. A mod^
est person seldom fails to gain the good-will of
those he converses with, because nobody envies a
man, who does not appear to be pleased wi;li
himself.
Miscellaneous. 1 . It is a striking featuiB
in the present day, that men are more and
more inchned to bring old sayings and doings
to the test of questions, as these — ^what do
they mean I and what for '! and consequent-
ly, are beginning to awake from a long men-
tal sleep, and to assert their right to judge and
act for themselves. 2. Great hinderance to
good is often fomid in the want of energy in
the character, arising from an individual not
having accustomed himself to try and do his
best, on all occasions. 3. Whoever would
become a person of intelligence and prud-
ence, in any of the departments of life, must
early accustom himself and herself to look
for the meaning of his own and others' say-
ings; and consider well the end and object oi
his own, and others' doings.
For often vice — provok'd to shame —
Borrows the color — of a virtuous deed :
Thus, libertines — are chaste, and misers — good,
A coward — valiant.
That holy Shame, which ne'er forgets
What clear renown — it used to wear;
Whose blush remains, when Virtue sets,
To show her sunshine — has been there.
A flush, [cheek,
(As shame, deep shame, had once burnt on her
Then linger' d there /oret-er) look'd like health
Offering hope, vain hope, to the pale lip ;
Like the rich crimson — of the evening sA;y,
Brightest — when night is coming.
Wise men — ne'er sit and wail their loss,
But cheerly seek how to redress their h.arms,
What thu' the mast—bft now blown ot'er-board,
The cable broke, the holding anchor lost.
And half our sailors swallow'd in the /ooti'
Yet lives our pilot still : Is 't meet, that he
Should leave the helm, and, like a fearful lad,
With tearful eyes, add water to the sea.
And give more strength to that which hath Xoormich;
AVhiles, in his moan, the ship splits on the rock,
Which industry — and courage — might have sav'd?
Varieties. 1. It is wrong to affront anv'
body ; and he who does it, must expect to 63
paid in his own coin. 2. Many persons, i-ii
easy circumstances, often ruin tliemselves,
by attempting to vie with the nc^. 3. Do not
the ivorks of God, as well as his IFord— teach
lessons of wisdom ? 4. Every^\x\% tends to
produce its likeness ; the idle make tlicir as-
sociates idle ; the libertine — corrupts the in-
nocent ; the quarrelsome — create broils;
gamesters — make gamesters, and thieves,-
tliieves. 5. Are thinking and moti/)n — all
the actions of which we can conceive I think'
ing — being an act of the mind, as motion is
of matter ? 6. Which invention is more im ■
portant, that of the mariner's compass, or Iho
art of jyrinting? 7. When we tnily love
God, we shall also love one another.
The real patriot— tears his private wrongs,
Rather than right them— at tlie public cosL
224
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
545. Suspicion : Jealocsy. Fear of another's
endeavoring to prevent our attainment of the de-
sired good, raises our suspicion ; and suspicion of
his ha\ring obtained, or likely to obtain it, raises,
or constitutes jealousy. Jealousy between the
sexes — is a ferment of love, haired, hope, fear,
shame, anxiety grief, pity, suspicion, envy, pride,
rage, cruelty, vengeance, sadness, and every oth-
er tormenting passion, vi'hich can agitate the
human mind. Therefore, to express it well,
one should know how to represent all these pas-
sions by turns, and often several of them together :
it shows Itself hy restlessness, peevishness, thought-
fulness, anxiety, and absence of mind. Some-
times it bursts out into piteous complaints and
weeping : tlren a gleam of hope, that all is yet
well, lights up the countenance into a momenta-
ry smile : immediately the face, clouded with gen-
eral gloom, shows the mind over-cast again with
horrid suspioions, and frightful imaginations ; thus
X\\e jealous — is a prey to the most tormenting feel-
ings, and is alternately tantalized with hope, and
plunged into despair.
Wlio finds the heifer dead, and bleeding fresh,
And sees fast by a butcher with an axe.
But will suspect, 'twas he that made the slaughter?
Who finds the partridge, in the puttock's nest.
But may imagine how the bird was dead,
Although the kite soar with unbloodied beak ?
54:6. Haxds, Feet astd Arms. Observe
accurately, the different positions of the feet,
hands, arms, &c. of the oratorical and poet-
ical engravings, and that of the passions;
and study out the various causes, or subjects,
and states of ihougfits and feelings, prompt-
ing them; and, in imitating tliera, there
u'ill ofte7i be suggested to yon tlie appropri-
ate feeling and thought. Each engraving
should be made a particular subject of study ;
and there is more matter on a page of en-
gravings, than on any printed page; but, in
speaking, never ttnnk about making gestures ;
let them be the result of unrestrained feel-
ing, and they will be more hkely to be nght :
guard, sedulously against all affectation, and
do nothing you do not feel and think. If
these hints and suggestions are not of use to
you, more would be of but little service; and
to illustrate every one, and many mare, you
will find an abundance of examples in the
work ; which is designed for those who
think.
Would he vrere fatter ; but I fear him not :
Ves, if my name were liableto fear,
I do not know the man, I should avoid
So soon as this spare Cassius. He reads much;
He is a great observer, and he looks
Quite through the deeds of men.
He loves no plays; he hears no music ;
Seldom he smiles; and smiles jn such -a sort,
As if he mocked himself, and scorned his spirit,
That could be moved to smile at anything.
Such men aa he, be never at hearVs ease,
Whilst they behold a g-rea/er than themselves,
And tk^refore. are they very dangerous.
Auecdote. Queen Caroline, having ob-
served that her daughter, the princess, had
made one of tlie ladies about her, stand a
Vong time, while the princess was talking to
nor, on some trifling subject, was resolved to
e;ive her a suitable reprimand. Therefore,
when the princess came, in the evening, to
read to her mother, as usual, and was draw-
ing a cltair to sit down, the queen said to her,
No, my dear, you must not sit; for I inlencS
to make you stand, this evening, as long as
you made lady B remain in the saniii
position.
liacoiilc. There is no difference between
knowledge and temperance; for he, who kiiowa
what is good, and embraces it, who knows what
is bad, and avoids it, is learned and temperate. But
they, who know very well what ought to be done,
and yet do quite otherwise, are ignorant and stupid
Varieties. 1 . What is the difference be-
tween jjossessing the good things of life, and
enjoying them! 2. In our intercourse with
others, we should ascertain what they wish
to hear ,• not what we wish to say. 3. True
politeness may be cherished in the hovel, aa
well as in the palace ,• and the most tattered
clothing, carmot conceal its charms. 4. Is
not true religion — eternally the same, what-
ever may be the conduct of its professors ?
5. Humility — learns tlie lessons from itself;
while it never scorns the instructions of oth-
ers. 6. Beauty — gains nothing, and home-
liness— loses much, by ^audy attire. 7.
Music — tends to liarmomze and melodize
the affections and thoughts, as well as to an-
imate, and lubricate the inventive faculties.
8. Everything that originates in order, is
truth, which manifests itself by virtue of its
inherent light. 9. The groves and the woods
are the musical academies of the singing
birds. 10. Time and space are confined to
matter.
As Nature and Garrickwere talking one day,
It chanced they had words, and fell out ;
Dame Reason would fain have prevented a fray,
But could not, for both were so stout.
Says Garrick, I honor you, madam, 'tis true,
And with pride, to your laws, I submit ;
But Skakspeare paints stronger and better than you,
All critics of taste wall admit.
How .' Shakspeare paint better and stronger than 1,
(Cries Nature, quite touch'd to the soul ;)
Not a word in his volumes I ever could see,
But what from my records he stole.
And thou, wicked thief.— nay, the story I'll tell,
Whenever I paint, or I draw.
My pencils you filch, and my colors you steal,
For which thou shall suffer the law ;
And when on the stage, in full lustre you shine,
To me all the praise shall be given :
The toil shall be yours, and the hotior be mine^
So Nature ajid Garrick are even.
Foul jealousy, that turnest love divine
To joyless dread, and mak'st the loving heart
With hateful thoughts to langui.sh and to pins,
And feed itself with self-consuming smart.
Of all the passions in the mind, thou vilest e'I
O, let him far be banished away.
And in his stead let love forever dwell ,
Sweet love, that doth his golden wings erahay
In blessed nectar, and pure pleasure's well,
Untroubled of vile fear or bitter fell.
The soul of man
Createth its otvn destiny of power ;
And, as the trial, — is intense here.
His being — hath a nobler strength in heaven.
O marriage ! marriage.' what a curse — is thirt'e.
Where hands, alone, consent- -and hearts -abho*
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
2'ib
/347» 'Teaching, Instructing, Explaining,
Inculcating, or Giving Orders, requires a mild,
eerene air, sometimes approaching to an authori-
tative ^avily; the features and gestures altering
according to the age, or dignity of the pupil, or au-
dience, and importance of the sui)ject discussed.
To youth, it should be mild, open, serene, and co)i-
descending. To equals and superiors, modest and
diffident; but, wjien the subject is of great dignity
and importance, the air and manner of conveying
lliC instruction, ought to be firm and emphatical ;
the eye steady and open, the eyebrovv' a little
'irawa over it, but not so much as to look dogmat-
ical; the voice strong, steady, clear; the arucula-
uon distinct; the utterance slow, and the manner
approaching to confidence, rather peremptory.
Pol. Wiere/ore, gentle maiden,
Do you neglect your gilly-Roweis and carnations ?
Per. I have heard it said.
There is an art, which, in their pieduess, shares
With great creating nature.
Pol. Say there be ;
Yet nature is made better by no mean,
15ut nature makes that mean ; so, over that art,
Wliich you say adds to nature, is an art
Which nature makes; you see, sweet maid, we
A gentler scion to the wildest stock; [marry
And make conceive a bark oiba^er kind
By bud oi nobler race. T/iis is an art
Which does mend nature, change it rather; but
The art itself is nature.
54r8. Language of the Feet. The feet
advance or retreat, to express desire or aver-
sion, love or hatred, courage ox fear, dancing
or leaping, — is often the efl'ect oijoy and ex-
sltatwn; stamping of the feet expresses
t arnestness, anger or threatening. Stabihty
Li position and facihty oi change, general ease
and grace of action, depend on the right use
ofihefeet; see the whole length engravings,
a large part of which is to be imitated, not
with any specific recitations in view, but for
tlie purpose of disciplining the limbs and
muscles.
PrriABLE. TERROR.
The bay-trees, in our country, are all wither''d,
And wrfeors— fright the fixed stars of heaven;
The pale-fared moon — looks bloody on the earth.
And lean-iook'd prophets — whisper fearful change;
Rich men look sad, and ruffians dance and leap,
The one, in fear to lose what they enjoy,
The other, to enjoy — by rage and war.
Go to your bosom ;
Knock there; and ask your heart what it doth know
That's like my brothers fault: if it confess
A natural guiltiness, such as his is,
r>et it not sound a thought upon your tongue
Against my brother.
B110.\6UA. 15
liaconics. 1. Il is very easy, when a child
asks a silly question, to sliow that it is so; and, i*
the question cannot be answered, it is better to
say so at once ; for a child has too much common
perception to expect that his parent knows ev'ry
thing ; but to refuse to answer, without giving a
reason, impresses the child, that his parent is un-
kind and unreasonable. 2. The very sight of u
child ought to inspire a parent, or teacher, with
the thought, "What can I say to be useful to hira?
or what can I say to please him?" 3. The habil
of talking familiarly and usefully to his ch'ldreiv,
to each according to his capacity, is an invaluajjla
quality in a parent, and its exercise will be de-
lightful to both. 4. Let it be a rule with us, in all
cases, never to charge want of charity, except
where we can, from a want of justice.
Anecdote. Sir Isaac Newton — possessed
a remarkably mild and even temper. On a
particular occasion, he was callea out of his
study, to an adjoining apartment, when his
favorite little dog, named Diamond, threw
down a lighted lamp among his papers, and
tlie almost finished labors of many years, were
consramed in a few moments. Sir Isaac soon
returned, and beheld, with great mortification,
his irreparable Zo.ss/ but he only exclaimed,
witli his usual self-possession, " 0 Diamond.
Diamond ! tliou liitle knowest the misckiej
thou hast done."
You undergo too ttrict a paradox,
Striving to make an ugly deed look/oir;
Your words liave took such pains, as if they laborU
To bring manslaughter into form, set quarreUng
Upon tlie head of valor; which, indeed,
Is valor misbegot, and came into the vrorld
When sects and factions were newly bom :
He's truly valiant, that can wisely suffer
Tlje worst, that man can breathe ; and make bis wrongs
His outsides; wear them, like his raiment, carelessly;
And ne'er prefer his inijuries to his heart,
To bring it into danger.
If wrongs be exUs, and enforced, us kill,
What/o«y 'tis, to hazard Uft for iU?
Varieties. 1 . Is toleration a duty for oth-
ers, and not for ourselves ? 2. One blessing
of life, my dear friend, is — to give. 3. It is nc
proof of freedom from error ,^hat we are acute
\n distinguishing the en-ors of others; this
shows that all reformers, are men (\f\\ke pas-
sions with ourselves. 4. National industry
is the principal thing, that can mike a nation
great ,- it is the vestal fire, which we must keep
alive, and consider that all our prosperity is
coupled with its existence. 5. If we are fit
for heaven, are we not fit for earih ? 6. It is
better to live contentedly in our condition,
than to affect to look bigger than we arc, by a
borrowed appearsince. 7. Give your children
education rather than fine clothes, or rich food.
8. Love — never reckons ; the mother does voi
run up a milk score against her babe.
Though I look old, yet I am strong and lusty :
For, in my youth, I never did apply
Hot and rebellious liquors in my blood ;
Nor did not, with unbashful forehead, woo
The means of weainftw and debility;
Therefore, my o^e— is as a lusty icir^er.
Frosty, but kindly.
Give me that man
That is not passion'^s slave, and I will wear iiira •
In my hearVs core, ay, my heart of heart
!?26
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
«S49> Veneration. In religious veneration.
the body always bends forwani, as it" ready to
prostrate itself before the Lord of Hosts ; the
arms are spread out, but modestly, as high as the
breast, and the hands are open ; the tone of
voice is submissive, timid, trembling, weak, sup-
pliant ; the words are brought out with a visible
anxiety, approaching to hesitation ; they are few,
and slowly pronounced ; nothing of vain repeti-
tion, haranguing, flowers of rhetoric, or reflected
figures of speech ; all simplicity, humility, lowli-
ness, such as become a worm of dust, when pre-
suming to address the high and lofty One, who
inhabiteth Eternity ; yet dweileth with the meek
and contrite spirit, that trenibleth at iJis Word.
In intercession for our fellow creatures, and in
thanksgiving, we naturally assume a small de-
gree of cheerfulness, beyond what is clothed in
confession and deprecation : all afi'ected orna-
ments in speech or gesture, in devotion, are
very censurable. Example :
Hail, Sowrce of Being! Universal Soul
Of heaven and earth! Essential Presence, hail!
To Thee— I bend the knee ; to Thee my thoughts
Continual climb ; who, with a master hand,
Hast the great whole into perfection touched."
Almighty Gorf,— 'tis riffht,— 'tis J7ist,
That earthly forms should turn to dust ;
But oh ! the sweet — transporting truth,
The soul — shall bloom — in endless youth-
'550. Natttrai. Language of the
HAiins. The hand — has a great share in
expressing our thoughts and feelings : raising
the hands towards heaven, with the palms
united, expresses devotion and supplication ;
Wfnngingtheva, grief; throwing tliem towards
heaven, admiration ; dejected hands, despair
and amazement ; folding them, idleness ;
holding the fingers interyning led, musing and
thoughffulness ; holding them forth together,
yielding and submission,- lifting them and
\\ie eyes to heaven, so /em?i appeal; waving
the hand from us, prohibition ; extending the
right hand to any one, peace, pity, and sajety ;
scratching the head, care and perplexing
thought ; laying the right hand on the heart,
affection and solemn affirmation ; holding
up the thumb, approbaticm ; placing the
right forefinger on the lips perpendicularly,
bidding sil.ence,g&,c. &c. In these, and many
other ways, are manifested our sentimente
and passions by the action of the body : but
they are shown principally in the face, and
particularly in the turn of the eye, and the
eyebrows, and the infinitely various motions
of the lips.
551. Wonder— is inquisitive fear: and as it
it inquisitive, it is steadfast, and demands firm
muscles : I)ut as it is fear, it cannot be properly
expressed without the mark of apprehension and
alarm. Were this alarm too much disturbed,
full of motion and anxiety, it would then be Fear
tnstead of Wonder, and would carry no consis-
tence, with braced muscles ; it is therefore
nerved, because inquisitive, with purpose of de-
fence : and so, this application of alarm, with re-
solution to examine steadfastly, must constitute
a nervous, awful, fixed attentiveness, and give
the picture of the passion naturally. The effect
of wonder is, to stop, or hold the mind and body
•n the states and positions in which the idea or
object strikes us.
Says the earth to the moon," You're a pilf 'ring jarfc.
What you steal from the sun, is beyond all be-
Pak Cynthia n-.plies, " Hold your prate, [lief;"
The jHirtxket -is as bad as the thief."
Anecdote. The benevolent and immortal
John Howard, a celebrated English ^Ai^a/i-
thropist, having settled his accounts at the
close of a particular year, and found a bal-
ance in his favor, proposed to his wife to em-
ploy it, in defraying the expenses of a jour-
ney to London; or for any other amusement
she might prefer. " What a pretty cottage,"
she replied, 'would this build for a j9oor fami-
ly." The charitable hint met his approbation,
and the money was laid out accordingly.
No more thus brooding o'er yon hcai^^
With av'rice painful vigils keep ;
Still imenjuy''d the present store,
Still endless sighs are breath'd for mojt
Oh ! quit the shadow, catch the prize,
Which not all India's treasure buys !
To purchase Iieavhi, has gold the pow'r
Can gold remove the mortal Iiour ?
In life, can love be bought with gold 7
Are friendship's pleasures to be sold?
JVb — all that's worth a wish — a thought
Fair virtue gives, unbrib'd, unbought.
Cease, then, on trash thy hopes to bind ;
Let nobler views engage thy mind.
Varieties. 1. When we are polite to
others, entirely for our oivn sakes, we are de-
ceitful,- for nothing selfish has truth and
goodness in it. But there is such a thing as
m«e politeness, always kind, never deceitful.
2. The outward forrhs of politeness, are but
the expressions of such feelings, as should
dwell in every human heart. 3. True politeness
is the spontaneous movement of a good lieart,
and an observing mind. 4. Will tlie ruling
propensities of the parent, be transmitted ta
the child,Q.nd. affect, and give bias to his cluir^
acter? 5. Fioliih people are sometimes so
ambitious of being thought wise, that tliey
often run great hazards in attempting to shAO
themselves such. 6. Guilt may attain tempo-
ral splendor, but can never confer real hajyjd-
ness. 7. The principles, which your reason
andjudgment approve, avow boldly, and ad-
here to steadfastly ; nor let any false notion.s
of honor, or pitiful ambition of shining, ever
tempt you to forsake them.
A TALE OF WONDER.
Now the laugh shakes the hall, and the ruddy
Who, who is so merry and gay 1 [wine flows ;
Lemona is happy, for little she knows
Of the monster so grim, that lay hush'd in repose,
Expecting his evening prey.
While the music play'd sweet, and, with tripping
Bruno danc'd thro' the maze of the hall; [so light,
Lemona retir'd, and her maidens in white,
Led her up to her^chamher, and bid her good night,
Then, went down again to the hall.
The monster of blood — now extended his elatos^
And from under the bed did he creep ; [jtaws ;
With blood all besmear'd, he now stretch'd out hio
With blood all besmear'd, he now stretch'd out
To feed — on the angel — asleep. [his jaic*,
He seiz'd on a vein, and gave such a bite.
And he gave, with his fangs, such a tug —
She shriek' d ! Bruno ran up the stErtrs in a fright •
The guests follovv'd after, when bro't to the ligtitj
"O have mercy!" they cried, "what a 5^70 .'"
You'll ne'er convince a/ooi himself ia bo.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
227
553. Vexation, occasioned by some real or
imaginary misfortune, agitates the whole frame ;
and, besides expressing itself with looks, tones,
gestures and restlessness of perplexity, adds to
these complaint, fretting, lamentation, and re-
morse.
O.V NEGLECTING ONE^S DUTY.
O what a rogue and peasant slave am I ;
Is it not mojistrous, that this player here,
But in Sifiction, in b. dream of passion,
Could force his soul so to his own counsel,
That, from her working, all his visage warmed ;
Tears in his eyes, distraction in his aspect,
\ brcken voice, and his Vf\io\e function suiting,
♦Vith forms to hjs conceit; and all tor nothing;
For ifec-u-ba ! What 's Hec-u-ba to him, or he, to
That he shou d weep for her? {Hecuba,
553. Language op the Head. Every
part of the b3dy contributes to express our
thoughts and aflections ; hence the necessity
of training; the ivhole man. The head is some-
times erect, denoting courage, or firmness;
at others, down, or reclined, expressive of sor-
row, grief and shame ; again, it is suddenly
drawn back, with an air of disdain, or shaken,
as in dissent ; or brought forward in assent ;
sometimes it shows, by a significant nod, a
particular object, or person ; threatens by one
set of movements, approves by another, and
expresses suspicion by another. Private
practice must make all involuntary.
As yet — 'tis midnight deep. The weary clouds,
Plow meeting, mingle into solid gloom.
"!<Jow, while the drowsy world lies lost in sleep,
Let me associate with the serious jiight.
And contemplation, her sedate compeer;
Let me shake ofFth' intrusive cares of day,
And lay the meddling senses all aside.
\Vjfere now, ye lying vanities of life!
Ye ever tempting, ever cheating train .'
Where are you now ? and what is your amount ?
Vexation, disappointment, and remorse.
Sad, sichhiijig thought ! And yet, deluded man,
A scene of crude disjointed visions past.
And broken slumbers, rises still resolv'd.
With new flush'd hopes, to run the giddy rowid.
554. Language oy the Face. The/ace,
being furnished with a great variety of mus-
cles, does more in manifesting our tlwughts
and feelings, than the whole body besides;
so far as silent language is concerned. The
change of color — shows anger by redness,
fear — by paleness, and shame — by blushes ,-
every feature contributes its portion. The
niotith open, shows one state of mind ; closed,
another, and gnashing the teeth — another,
^he forehead smooth, and eye-brows easily
arched, exhibit joy, or tranquillity ; mirth
opens the mouth towards tne ears, crisps
the nose, half shuts the eyes, and sometimes
Bufi\ises them with tears ,- the front, wrinkled
into frowns, and the eye-brows overhanging
the eyes, like clouds fraught with tempests,
show a mind agitated with pity.
There is a history — in all men's lives,
Figuring the nature of the times deceased :
The which observed, a man may prophecy.
With a near aim, of the main chance of things
As yet not come to life; which, in their seeds.
And weak beginnings, lie intreasured.
Luxury— gives the m.'nd a childish cast.
Moderation in Disputes. When we are
in a condition to overthrow /aZse/iood and error, we
ought not to do it with vehemence, nor insultingly
and with an air of contempt; but to lay open the
truth, and with answers, full of mildness, to refuts
the falsehood.
Anecdote. An amiable youth, lamented
deeply, the recent death of a most affectionate
parent. His companion made an effort to
console him, by the reflection, that he had aZ-
ways behaved towards the deceased witJi du-
ty, 'tenderness and respect, "^o I thought^*
replied the son, " while my parent was liv-
ing ; but noil) I recollect, with pain and sor-
row, many instances of disobedience, and
neglect, for which, alas! it is too late tj
make atoJiement."
Happy the school-hoy ! did he prize liis bliss,
'Twere ill exchang'd — for all the dazzling gems.
That gaily sparkle in ambition's eye;
His are the joys of nature, his \\\g smile.
The cherub smile of innocence and health,
Sorrotv unknown, or, if a tear be shed,
He wipes it soon : for hark ! the cheerful voice
Of comrades calls him to the top, ox ball;
Away he hies, and clamors as he goes,
With glee, which causes him to tread on air.
Reason. Without reason, as on a tem
pestuous sea, we are the sport of every tvind
and wave, and know not, till the event hath
determined it, how the next billow will dis-
pose of us ; whether it will dash us against a
rock, or drive us into a quiet harbor.
What stronger breast-plate than a heart wntomted '
Thrice is he arm'd, that hath his q\ia.xTe.\ just ;
And he, but naked, though lock'd up in sted,
Whose conscience — with injustice is corrupted.
Varieties. 1. The dullest creatures are
sometimes as dangerous as the fairest. 2
He, who puts a man off from time to time, is
never right at heart. 3. What can reason per-
form, unassisted by tlie imagination? While
reason traces and compares effects, does not
imagination suggest causes? 4. Whenever we
are more inclined to persecute than persuade,
we may be certain, that our zeal has more of
self-love in it, than charity; that we are seek-
ing victory, more than truth, and are begin-
ning to feel more for ourselves, than for others,
and the cause of righteousness. 5, Is it pos-
sible, without divine aid, to obey the com-
mandments? 6. As soon think of sending
a man into the field, without good tools, as a
child to school, without proper books. 7.
What is more loiv and vile, than lying? and
when do we lie more notoriously, than in dis-
paraging, and finding /at/Z^ with a thing^ for
no other reason, than because it is out oi our
power to accomplish it ]
Rise with the lark, and with the lark to bid.
The breath of night 's destructive to the hue
Of every flower that blows. Go to the field,
And ask the humble daisy, why it sleeps
Soon as the sun departs. Why close the eyos
Of blossoms infinite, ere the still moon
Her oriental vail puts off? Think why.
Nor let the sweetest blossom be exposed,
That nature boasts, to nighfs untimely damp.
There is no merit, whe.n there is no trial;
And, till experience— sxsimps the mark of strength,
Cowards — may pass for heroes,faith, for falsehood.
228
PRINCIPLEis OF ELOCU'l ION.
555, The eyes, considered only as tangi-
ble objects, are, by their very forms, the win-
dows of the soul — the fountains of life and
light. Mere feeling would discover, that
their 6'ize and globular shape are not unmean-
ing. The eye-brow, whether gradually sunk-
en, or boldy prominent, is equally worthy of
attention: ashkewiseare the temples, wheth-
er hollow, or smooth. That region of the face,
which includes tlie eye-brows, eyes and nose.,
also includes the chief region of the will
and understanding.
Nature hath framed h{xa.n%e fellows in he? time :
Som«,that will evermore peep through their eyes,
And laugh, like parrots, at a feog'-piper ;
And other of such vinegar aspect,
That they'll not show their teeth in way of smile,
Though Nestor swear the jest be laughable.
556> The images of our secret agitations
are particularly painted in the eyes, which
appertain more to the soul, than any other
organ ; whicli seem affected by, and to par-
ticipate in all its emotions ; express sensa-
tions the most lively, passions the most tu-
multuous, feelings the most delightful, and
sentiments the most delicate. The eye — ex-
plains them in all their /orce and purity, as
they take birth, and transmits them by traits
50 rapid., as to infuse into other minds the
fire, tlie activity, the very image, with which
themselves are inspired. It receives and re-
flects the intelligence of thought and warmth
of the understanding.
One world sufficed not Alexander's mind :
Coop''d up he seem'd, in earth and seas confin'd ;
And struggling, stretch'd his restless limbs about
Tlie narrow globe, to find a passage out :
Yet, eiUer'd in the brick-built town, he try'd
The lotnb, and found the straight dimensions wide.
Death only, this mysterious truth unfolds,
The mighty soul — how small a body holds.
5A7* Language of the Exes. The eye
IS the chief seat of the soul's expression ; it
shows the very spirit in a visible form. In
every different state of mind, it appears dif-
ferently : Joy — bnghtens and opens it ; grief,
half closes, and drowns it in tears ; hatred,
and anger, flash from it, like lightning,'
love — darts from it in glances, like the orient
beam ; jealf>usy — and squinting envy, dart
their contagious blasts through the eyes ; and
devotion — raises them, or throws them back
on the wind, as if the soul were about to
take its flight to heaven.
From women's eyes — this doctrine I derive :
They sparkle still — the right Prosietheun fire ;
They are the books, the arts, the academies,
That show, contain, and nourish — all the world ;
Else none at all — in aught — proves excellent.
Old ag^e—is hoyiorable; the spinr— seems
lUady—tox hs flight— \o brighter worlds, —
And that strange change, which men miscall cZecaj/,
Is renovated life. The feeble voice,
With which the sot<Z attempts to speak its »te«mHf,
Is like the sit/-lark's note, heard /amtes<, when
Its wing soars highest; and whose hoary signs,
Those whiu and reverend locks, which move the
Of thoughtless ribalds, seem to me like snow, {scorn
Upon the Alpine summit, — only proving —
How near it is — to heaven.
Anecdote. Tinedle-dum and TwetdlS'
dee. About the year 1720, there were two
musical parties in England; o?ie in favor of
two Italians, Buo-non-ci-ni and Atrtil-io, and
the other admirers of Handel : and the con-
tention running high. Dean Swift, with his
usual acrimony in such cases, wrote the fol-
lowing epigram :
Some say, that signior Buononcini,
Compared to HandeVs a mere ninny :
Others do swear, that to him — Handel
Is hardly fit to hold a candle.
Strange — that such high contests should be
'Twixt tweedle-duOT — and tweedle-d««.
True Plirenology — treats of the mani-
festations of man's feelings and intellect ;
his heai't and his head ; his will and under
standing; and their related objects, physical
and moral ; principles, giving a knowledge
of one's original character ; of his excellen-
cies and talents, and how to make the most
of them ; of his defects, and how to remedy
them ; of reasoning and persxiading — of eih-
ucation and self-govemme^it : a system of
mental and ntKji'al philosophy, challenging
investigation.
Varieties. 1. All are modest, when they feel
that they are estimated, at what they consid-
der their just value; and incline to presume, in
the proportion they feel they are slighted. 2. It
signifies but little — to loish well, without doing
well ; as to do well, without willing it. 3. None
is so great, but that he may one day need the help,
or feel the unkindness — of the meanest of mortals.
4. Tlie more business a man has, the more he is
able to accomplish : for he learns to economize his
ttTne. 5. A ready recollection of our knowledge,
at the moment we have use for it, is a rare and
important acquisition. 6. The passions are plead-
ers, and their violence sometimes goes directly to
the heart. 7. As a vessel is known by the sound.
whether it is tohole or not, so, men are known by
speeches and actions, whether they are wise ai
foolish.
All the souls that were, were forfeit once,
And lfe,that might the 'vantage best have took,
Found out the remedy. How would you be.
If He, which is the top of judgment, should
But judge you as you are ? O, think on thnt,
And mercy then, will breathe within your lips.
Like man new made.
If pow'rs divine
Behold our human actions, (as they do,")
I doubt not then, but innocence shall make
Fcdse accusation — blush, and tyranny —
Tremble a.t patience.
That happy minglement of luarts.
Where, changed as chemic compounds are.
Each— with its own existence parts,
To find a new one, happier far.
We — ignorant of ourselves,
Beg after our own harm, which the wisepot/'er*
Deny us — for our good ; so find we profit,
By losing our prayers.
So very still that echo seems to listen ;
We almost hear the music of the spheres.
And fancy that we catch the notes of angele.
High stations tumult, but not bliss creete
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
229
557. Th£ Mouth. Who does not laiow
now much the ujiper lip betokens the sensa-
tions of taste, desire, appetite, and the endear-
ments of love 1 how much it is curled by jmde
or anger, drawn thin by cunning, smoothed
oy benevolence, and made placid by effemina-
cy P how love and desire, si^hs ana kisses,
cling to it by indescribable traits. The imder
lip is little more than its supporter, the easy
citshion m which the crown of majesty re-
poses. The chaste and delicate mouth, ts one
of the Jirst recommendations we meet with in
common life. Words are the pictures of the
mind; we often judge of the heart by tlie
portal ; it holds tile llaggon of truth, of love,
and enduring /nendsMp.
If there's on earth a cure
For the sunk heart, 'tis this — day after day
To he the blest companion of thy way! —
To hear thy angel doque.nct — to see
Those virtuous eyes forever turn'd on tnt;
And, in their light, re-chasten'd silently,
Like the stain'd tveb, that whitens in the sun,
Grow pure — by being purely shone upon!
558. Language of the Arms and
Hands. The arms are sometimes both thrown
out ; at others the ?-ight alone ; they are lifted
up as Jiigh as the face, to express ivonder, or
held out before the breast to show fear; when
spread forth with open hands, they express
■•iesire and affection ; or clasped in surprise on
occasions of sudden grief and joy; the right
nand clenched, and the arms brandlstied —
threaten ; the arms set a-kimho, (one hand on
3ach hip,) makes one look big, or expresses
contempt, or courage.
As a beam — o'er the face of the waters — may glow,
While the tide— mm in darkness and coolness below,
So, the cheek may be tinged— with a warm sunny smile,
Though the cold heart — to rtiin — runs darkly the while.
Oiie fatal remembrance, one sorrow, that throws
Its bleak shade — alike, o'er out joys, and our woes;
To which life — nothing darker, or brighter, can bring.
For which joy— has no balm, and affliction— no sting !
Oh ! this thought, in the midst of enjoyment will stay,
Like a dead leafless braTich— in the summcr't bright ray j
The beams of the warm «<n— play round it in vain.
It may smile — in his light — hut it blooms not again !
559. QuiNCTiLLTAN says, that with the
hands, we solicit, refuse, promise, threaten,
dismiss, invite, entreat, and express aversion,
fear, doubting, denial, asking, atfirmation,
negation, joy, grief, confession and penitence.
With the hands we describe, and point all
circumstances of time, place and manner of
what we relate ; with them we also excite the
passions of others and soothe them, approve
or disapprove, permit, prohibit, admire and
despise; thus, tney serve us instead of many
sorts of words-; and, where the language of the
longue is unknown, or the person is deaf, the
language of the hands is understood, and is
coraimon to all nations.
Between two worlds — life hovers like a star,
Twixt night and morn, upon the horizon's verge:
How little — do we know that which we are!
How less — what we may be ! The eternal surge
Of time and tide— roWs on, and bears afar
Our bubbles ; as the old — burst, new — emerge,
LnsVd — from the foam of ag^es ; while the graves
Ofemp'res — heave, but like some passing waves.
Your very goodness, and your company,
O'erpay aU th't I can do.
Iia«oiiics. 1. There is n:> great necess-ity for
us to be anxious about whaz good works we shall
do, in order to salvation ; because the business of
religion is— to shun all evils as sins. 2. Never be
so sinfully inconsistent, as to tell a child, tliat such
and such things are naughty, and then, becaose
his self-will is unyielding, leave him to persist in
doing it ; better, far better would it be, to let the
poor child do wrong, in ignorance. 3. Every one
should receive a scientific, civil, and religious ed-
ucation, and then he will be fitted for the life that
now is, and that which is to come. 4. Teach
children what is good and true, and lead them to
goodness, by precept and example. 5. Gratitude
is the sure basis of an amiable mind.
Anecdote. Right of Discovery. A gen-
tleman, praising the personal charms of a ve-
ry homely woman, before Mr. Foot, the come-
dian, who ivhispered to him, "And why don't
you lay claims to such an accomplislied beau-
ty ]" "What right have I to her'.'" said the
other. "Every right — by the law of nations,
as the Jirst discoverer.''^
Meanwhile, we'll sacrifice to liberty.
Remember, O my friends, the laws, the rights,
The generous plan of power delivered down,
From age to age, by your renowned forefathers,
(So dearly bought, the price of so much blood;)
O let it nerer perish in your hands.
But piously transmit it to your children.
Do thou, great liberty, inspire our souls,
And make our lives, in tliy possession, happy,
Or our deaths glorious — in thy just defence.
Varieties. 1. Will the time ever arrive,
whf!n the air will be as full of ballooiis, as the
ocean now is witii ships? 2. Pvcading history
and traveling, give a severe trial to our vir
tues. 3. It is not right to feel contempt for
am/ thing, to wliich God lias given life and
being. 4. Four things belong to a Judge:
to hear cautiously, to answer icLsely, to con-
sider soberly, and to give judgment without
partiality. 5. Regard talents and genius, as
solemn mandates to go forth, and la,l>or in
your sphere of u.oefulhess, and to keep alive
the sacred fire among your fe lit nv men; and
tur?i not these precious gifts, into servants of
evil; neitlier offer tliem on the altar of vanity,
nor sell them for a mess of pot age, nor a piece
of money. 6. 'i'he last war between the Uni-
ted States and England, commenced on the
18th of June, 1812, and continued two years,
eight months and eighteen days; when did it
end? 7. Let us manage our time as well as
we can, there will yet some of it remain m7j-
employed.
Ill fares the land, to hastening ills a prey,
When wealth accumulates, and 7nen decay.
Princes, and lords, may flourish, or may fade;
A breath can make them, as a breath has made
But a bold peasantry, their country's pride,
When once destroy'd, can never be supplied
The kindest, and the happiest pair.
Will find occasion— to/or6ear/
And every day, in which they live,
Tdpity, and, perhaps,/orgTvc.
Full many a shaft — at random sent.
Finds mark — the archer never meant;
And many a word — at random spoken,
May soothe, or wound— a heart that's broken
230
PRINCIFLES OF ELOCUTION.
560i PotYGLOTT OF BODT AKI) MlJfB.
Thus, we see that the body, in connection
with the mm<i, spealis many languages; and
he is a learned elocutionist, who understands
and can speak, them. In view of which, well
might Hamlet exclaim, " what a piece of
WORK IS MATf !" Observe well this strange
being, as embodied in the works of the pairi-
ter, and statuary : in what kingly wondrous
manner, appear his force of attitude and
looks ! Who, but would covet the glorious
«irt of making the flat canvas and rocky
marble, utter every passion of tlie human
mind, and touch the soul of the spectator, as
if the picture, or statue, spoke the pathetic
language of a Shakspeare 1 Is it any wonder
that masterly action, joined with powerful
elocution, s\\oxi\d. be irresistible? If poetry,
music, and statuary, is good, is not oratout
more excellent 1 for in that we have them all.
Woe for those, who trample o'er a tnind!
A deathless thing. They know not vi^hat they do,
Or what they deal with ! Man, perchance, may
The^oro V his step hath br uis'd; or light anew[bind
The torch he quenches ; or to music — wind
Again the ii/re-string from his touch that flew ;
But, for the soul ! — oh 1 tremble, and beware, —
To lay rude hands — upon God's mysteries there !
561- The Wtiittex Page can but ill ex-
press the nicer shades of sentiment, passion,
and emotion which the poet has painted.
There are depths of thought, which the eye
cannot penetrate — and subUmities of flight,
which it cannot reach. The loveliest and
sublimest of written poetry — even that con-
tained in sacred scripture — cannot speak to
the eye with that vivid power and intensity of
•■expression, drawn from it by the human voice,
when trained to the capacity given to it, by
the Creator. Hence, the ordained efficiency
of preaching ,- hence, the trembling of Felix,
as f he great Apostle reasoned — " of righteous-
iip.ss, temperance, and judgment to come."
Sn, with the production of the most consum-
mate human genius :
For ill — can poetry express,
Full mamj a tone — of thought sublime ;
And sculpture, mute and motionless,
Steals but one glance from time.
But, by the mighty actor's power,
Their weddeil triumphs come :
Verse — ceases — to be airy thought
And sculpture — to be dumb.
563. The following — is an example of the
sublvne, falling far short of a hi/perbole ; for,
as St. John observes, " even the world it-
BELF — could not contain the books, that should
be written" on the subject of infinite love
and ixfintte wisdom — displayed in man's
REDEMPTION and salvation.
Could we, with ink, the ocean fill,
Were the whole earth— a. parchment— made.
Were every single stick — a quill,
And every man — a scribe by trade ;
To write the love of God — to man,
Would drain the ocean dry ;
Nor would the scroll — contain the plan,
Tho' stretched— from sky to sky.
The mind — untaught,
Is a dark waste, where fieyids and tempests howl ;
a.8 Phcebua — to the world, is science-— to the soul.
Anecdote. Nc hero was more dishn-
guished in ancient times, than Alexander the
Great, king of Macedon. His courage was
undaunted, his ambition boundless,his friend-
ship ardent, his taste refined ; and what was
very extraordinary, he seems to liave con~
versed with the same fire and spirit, with
which he fought. Philip, his father, knowing
him to be very swift, wished him to run fot
the p^nze, at the Olympic games. " I would
comply with your request," said Alexander,
" if KINGS were to be my competitors."
The ocean— when it rolls aloud—
The tempest— bursting from her cloud,
!n one uninterrupted peal !
When darkness sits amid the sky;
And shadowy forms go trooping by ;
And everlasting mountains reel —
All — all of this is Freedom's song —
'Tis pealed — 'tis pealed eternally !
And all, that winds and waves prolong,
Are anthems rolled to Liberty !
Vai'ietifcs. 1. Although the truth can ne-
ver come to condemn, biit to save, the world
has ever pronounced its condemnation. 2.
Garbled extracts from any work, are no more
a correct rehires entation of the work, than
stone, mortar, boards, glass, and nails, are a
fair specimen of a splendid palace. 3. Never
let private interest, poverty, disgrace, danger,
or death, deter you — from asserting tiie liber-
ty of your country, or from transmitting to
posterity, the sacred rights to whicli you
were born. 4. What are the pleasures of the
bodilv senses, without the pleasures of tlie
soul ? 5. Themistocles, when asked to play
the lute, rei)lied, I cannot play the fiddle, but
I can make a little village a great city. 6.
The skin — co-operates with the lungs in pu-
rifjing the blood. 7. How shall we know
that the American government, is founded
on the true principles of human nature ? By
learning what tlie true principles of human
nature are and an extensive induction of facts,
derived from the study of history, and our
own observation.
Yet, though my dust — in earth be laid.
My life — on earth — withdrawn ;
'Twill be— but as a fleeting shade
Of night — before the dawn I
For I shall spring— beyond the tomb.
To new — immortal prime.
Where all is light, and life, and bloom ;
And no more winter-time.
I had a frienil, that lov'd me :
I was his soul : he liv'd not, but in we .
We were so close within each other's breast,
The rivets were not found, tha.tjoin'd us first.
That does not reach us yet ; we we re so mix'd-
As meeting streams ; both to ourselves were lost
We were one mass ; we could not give, or taka,
But from the same : for he was /; /, he :
Return, my better half, and give me all myself.
For thou art all !
If I have any joy when thou art absent,
I grudge it to myself: methinka I rob
Thee— of thy part.
Stillest streams
Oft water /aire5t meadows ; and the bird,
That^utters least, is longest on the wing
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
231
563. GusTCRi.or a just and elegant ad-
aptation of every part of the body to the sub-
ject, is an essential part of oratory ; and its
power is much greater than tliat of ivonls :
for it is the language of nature, and makes its
way to the heart, without the utterance of a
single word: it affects the eye, (which is the
quickest of all our senses,) and of course, con-
veys impressions more speedily to the mind,
than that of the voice, which affects the ear
only. Nature, having given to every senti-
ment on^^ feeling its proper outward expres-
sion, what we often mean, does not depend
BO much on our wortb^, as on our manner of
speaking them. Art — only adds ease and
grax;efulness, to wliat nature and reason dic-
tate. Study tlie Gesture Engravings thor-
oughly.
All natural objects have
An echo in the lieart. This flesh doth thrill,
And has connection, by some unseen chain.
With its original source and kindred substanc'e:
The mighty forest, the proud tides of ocean,
Sky-cleaving hills, and in the vast air,
The starry constellations ; and the sun,
Parent of lile ekhaustless — these maintain
With the mysterious mind and breathing mould,
A coexistence and community.
MADNESS AND TERROR.
Stretch of T]iou§^lit. A fellow-student,
in consequence of too close application to
study, and neglect of proper diet and exercise,
became ^artmlly deranged ; but being very
harmless, it was thought best that he should
go and come when, and where he pleased;
in hope of facilitating his restoration. One
Saturday afternoon, he went out through the
gardens and fields, and gathered every variety
of flowers, from tlie modest violet to the gaudy
sunfimuer, — with which he adorned himself
from head to foot, in the most fantastical
manner ; in which condition he was display-
ing his imaginary kingly power, on a hillock
in the college green, just as the president and
one of the professors were going up to attend
chapel prayers ; when the former observed to
the latter-what a great pity that such a noble
mind should be thus m ruins! the maniac
hearing what he said, rose majestically upon
his throne, and with a most piercing look and
voice, exclaimed ; " What is that you say, old
president! you presume to talk thus about
me? Solomon, in all his glory, was not ar-
rayed as I am. You old sinne)', come here ;
and I will tear you limb from limb, — and
scatter you tlirough infinite space; where
Omniscience cannot find you, nor Omnipo-
tence put you together again.
A Great Mistake. The so.ts of the rich fso
often die poor — and the sons of the poor so often
die rich, that it has growii into a proverb; and yet,
how many parents are laboring and toiling to ac-
cumulate tcealth for their children, and, at the
same time, raising them up in habits of indolence
and extravagance. Their sons will scatter their
property much sooner than they can gather it to-
gether. Let them have their heads well stored vr.tk
useful knowledge, and their hearts with sound and
virtuous principles, and they will ordinarily tako
care of themselves. However affluent may be hif.
circumstances, yet every parent inflicts upon liie
son a lasting injury, who does not train him up to
habits of virtue, industry and economy.
Anecdote. Francis I., king of France,
{opponent and rival of Charles V,, of Ger-
many,) consulting with his generals, how to
lead "his army over ihe, Alps into Italy, his
fool, Amarel, sprung from a carrier, and ad-
vised him to consult how to bring them back
again.
A child is born. Now take the germ, and make .t
A bud of moral fteaw/y. Let the dews
Of knowledge, and the light of virtue, wake it
In ri chest yVagrance, and in purest hues ;
When passion''s gust, and sorrow^s tempest shake it,
The shelter of affectio^i — ne'er refuse,
For soon, the gathering hand of death will break .♦.
From its weak stem of life, — and it shall lose
All power to charm; but, if that lonely flowei
Hath swell'd one pleasure, or subdued one pert,
O, who shall say, that it has lived in vaiti,
However fugitive — its breathing hour?
For virtue — leaves its sweets wherever tastel,
And scattei-''d truth is never, never wasted.
Varieties. 1. All those, who have pre-
sented themselves at the door of the world,
with a great truth, liave been received with
stones, or hisses. 2. Wfio has not observed
the changed, and changing condition of the
human race! 3. We are indebted to the
monastic institutions for the preservation of
ancient libraries. 4. No good can brin"
pleasure, unless it be that, for the loss of
which we are prepared. 5. They, who sac-
rifice at the altar of Apollo, are like those,
who drink of the waters of Claros ; •they re-
ceive the gift of divination, tliey imbibe tlie
seeds of death. 6. The same misconduct
which we pardon in ourselves, we condemn
in others ; oecause we associate a palliation
with the one, which we cannot perceive in
the otiier. 7. What constitutes true Twor-
riage ?
Sheba — was never
More cautious of wisdom, and fair virHu^
Than this pure soul shall be ;
Truth — shall mtise her.
Holy and heavenly thoughts — still counsel her.
Can you raise the dead.'
Pursue, and overtake— Ihe waves of time?
Bring back again— the hours, the days.
The months, the years, that made me happy f
The heart has tendrils— like the viru,
Which round another^s bosom twine,
Outspringing from the living tree—
Of deeply -p\anted sympathy;
Where fowers- are hope, its /rutte— are bUsSj
Beneficence— ha harvest is.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
56*. VEUiWENCK OF AcTiox. Ciccro —
very judiciously observes, that a speaker
must remit, occasionally, the vehemence of
his actions, and not utter every passage with
all the force, of which he is cajmble ; so as to
set off, more strongly, the eniphalical parts ;
as painters make their figures stand out hold-
er, by means of light and shades : there are
alvpays strong points, as they may be called,
in every well written piece, which must al-
ways be attended to, — thus hill and dale,
mountain and precipice, cataract and gulph :
always keep some resources, and never ut-
ter the weaker with all your energy; for if
you do, there will be a failing in liie strong
points — the most pathetic parts.
In peace, there's nothing so becomes a man,
As modest stillness, and humility :
But, when the blast of war blows in our ea-s,
Then, imitate the action of the tiger;
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood.
Disguise fair nature with hard-favor'd rage;
Then lend the eye a terrible aspect;
Let it pry through the portage of the head.
Like the brass cannon ; let the brow o'erwhelm it,
As fearfully, as doth a galled rock
O'erhang and jutty his confounded base,
SwilI'd with the wild and wasteful ocean.
Now set the teeth, and stretch the nostril wide ;
Hold hard the breath and bend up every spirit
To his full height!— On, on! you noblest English.
465. The Forehead. To what specta-
tor can the forehead appear uninteresting 7
Here, appear light and gloom; joy and
ANXIETT,STUPII)ITT, ignorance, and VICE.
On this brazen tablet are engraved many com-
binations of SENSE and of soul. Here, all
the GRACES revel, and all the Cyclops thun-
der. Nature has left it bare, that by it, the
countenance may be enlightened and
DARKENED. At its loioBst extremities,
thoughts — appear changed into acts ; the
mind here collects the powers of resist-
ance; and HERE headlong obstinacy, or
wise PERSEVERANCE take up their fixed
abode.
That brow, which was, to me,
A blooming heaven (it was a heaven, for there
Shone fofth twin stars o( excellence, so brightly,
As though the winds of paradise had fann'd
Their orbed lustre, till they beam'd with love ;)
That brow— was as the sleep-imprison'd lake,
Treasuring the beauty — of the deep blue skies.
Whose charm'd slumber, one small breath will ruffle.
Anecdote. A commonwealth'' s man, in
England, on his way to the scaffold, for
t'»uth''s sake, saw his wife, looking at him
from the tower window, and standing up in
the cart he waved his hat, and cried, " To
HEAVEN, my love, to heaven, and I leave
you in the storm awhile."
WA» might Lord Herbert write his love —
Were not our souls — immortal made.
Our eqvM /ore— would make them such.
Tie sweet to know, — there is an eye— will mark,
Our coming, and look brighter, — when we come.
O, coWer— than the wind, that freezes
Founts, that but now — in sunshine played,
IS that congealing pajig, which seizes
< rhe barstmg iosom, when betrayed.
Three Modes of Forming Tlieories*
0;ie— to imagine them, and tlien search for facta
to siistain, prove and confirm them ; one — to col-
leci facts, which are only effects, and out of them
to form theories; and one— to observe all these
facts, and look through them to their catises ; which
causes constitute the only true theories : Aen, all
known or probable effects, will not only confirm
such theories, but they can be explained by these
theories. Hence, the true theories of all things,
will explain and demonstrate all things, so far as
they can be seeii and understood; i. e. rcuiotially
perceived, according to the state and capacity of the
human mind. That which enables one to explain a
thing, analytically and synthetically, is the true
cause or theory of that thing ; thus, true theoriea
are the causes of things, and facts are the legiti-
mate effects of those things. The Ends of Things.
There is one step higher, which must be taken,
and then we shall have all, that the human mind
can conceive of, or think about ; which is the end
of things : thus we have ends, causes, and effects ;
beyond which sphere, man cannot go ; for every
thing, object or subject, concerning which we can
feel, think or act, is either an end, a cause, or ai
effect; the latter only, are accessible to our senses •
the other must be seen intellectually : i. e. in a re-
gion of mind above our senses.
Varieties. 1. Can what is incomprehen-
sible, be an object of thought .^ 2. Humani-
ty, justice, dind patriotism — are qualities — of
universal benefit to mankind. 3. The only
way to expel what is false from the mind, is
to receive the opposite truth. 4. Faith — is
savvig, when we learn truths from the Bible,
and live according to them. 6. A man ie
said to be square, when he does not, from in-
justice, incline to this or that party. 6 The
power of the muscles, is derived through the
nerves, as the power of good is from truth,
7. Nothing remains with us, that is not re-
ceived in freedom.
Look nature through ; 'tis revolution all : [ ni^rht
All change; no death. Day — follows night, ajid
The dying day ; stars rise, and set, and rise;
Earth — takes the example. See, the Summer, gay
AVith her green chaplet — and ambrosial ^o«Wi,
Droops into pallid Autumn: Winter, gray,
Horrid with frost, and turbulent with storm,
Blows Autumn, and his ^o\Aen fruits, away ; —
Then, melts into the Spring. Soft Spring, with
Favonian, from warm chamb'rs of the south, [breath
Recalls \h.e first. All, to re-^o\ix\sh, fades ;
As in a tvheel, all sinks to re-ascend —
Emblems of ma^i, who passes, not expires.
Say, dear, will you not ?iave me ?
Then take the kiss — you gave me ;
You elsewhere would, perhaps, bestow it,
And I would be as loath — to owe it ;
Or, if you will not take the ih'mg — once given.
Let me — kiss you, and then, we shall bo even
And then, alone, would Ila mourn ;
And count the hours, till his return.
For v}hen — did xooman's love expire,
If fondly fanned— the holy fire ?
He, that doth pidilic good— for multiiudes.
Finds /en; — are truly gratetui.
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
233
566. De-
mo 8T HE IT ES,
the most emi-
nent of Gtecian
orators, was
born 385 years
b e for e the
christian era,
and died by
poison, self-Sid-
ministered, to
escape the
vengeance o f
Antipater, 322
B.C. He was
celebrated o n
account of the
/ire, strength,
a n d vehemence
of h i 8 e 1 o-
quence, which
wa.s excited in
rousing the
Athenians t o
war with the Maeedomans, and in defeating ir.3
rivals, who were bribed by the latter. The char-
acteristics of his oratory were, strength, sublimity,
piercing energy and force, aided by an emphatic,
and vehement "elocution; he sometimes, however,
degenerated into severity. In reculing his orations,
we do not meet with any sentiments that are very
exalted; they are generally bounded hy self-love
and a love of the world. His father died when he
was seven years old ; and his guardians having
wasted his property, at the age of seventeen, he
appeared agaitrst them at the court, and plead his
own cause successfully; which encouraged him to
speak before the assembly of the people ; but he
made 9. perfect failure: after which, he retired,
stud) 'id and practiced in secret, until he was twen-
ly-/i,''e, v/lren he came forward again, and com-
runoced his brilliant career.
\n ^u>nest statesman— io a prince— is like
fi vJar, planted by a spring, which bathes its
/?ooU: the grateful free— rewards it— with the sJiadote.
ily tedious toil,— no passion is expressed :
Hii hand, who/eei« the strongtst, paints the hest,
56T. Marcus
TuLLius Cicero,
the most distin-
guished of the
Roman orators,
was b o r n 1 0 6
years before the
birth of Christ;
and died at the
a g e o f 63. He
made the Gref.ks
his model; and,
as an orator, he
possessed the
strength of De-
mos-the-nes, the
vopiousnessof
Plato, and the su-
axnly of I-soc-ra-
tes. His Jirst
t 'loher was the
poet Ar-chi-as ;
and in elocution he was taught by A-pol-fo-ni-us
Moto of Rhodes; after which he visited Athens, and
on his return was made qumstor, aitd then consul;
when he rendered the greatest service to the sto^e,
by the suppression of the conspiracy of Catiline;
he was af'erwards banished, and voluntarily re-
tired to Crr;ece, but was soon honorably recalled. ;
after wliicl;. he undertook the prcetorship of Cilicia.
In the civil wars of Cctsar and Pompey, he adher-
ed to the party of the latter; and after the battle of
Pharsalia, was reconciled to Caesar, but was soon
siain by Pompilius, at the instigation o( Marc An-
30 U2
568. Eve. Are not gcod sense, anj good hu-
mor of more advantage than beauty? When Xdmn
is introduced by Milton, describing Bue, in para-
dise, and relating to the angel, the impressions he
felt on seeing her, at her first creation, he does no*
represent her— like a Grecian Venus, by her shapj,
or features, but by the lustre of her mind, which
shone in them ; and gave them their power of
charming :
Grace— -was in all her sUps, heaven— in har eye.,
In every gesture — dignity ^ and love.
Anecdote. A Humane Driver Rewarded,
A Macedonian soldier, was one day leading
before Alexander a mule laden with gold for
the king's use ,- and the decwif being so tired,
that he could not go, or sustain the load, his
driver took it off, and, with great dijfficulti/t
carried it himself a considerable way. Alex-
ander, seeing him just sinking under the
burden, and about to throw it on the ground^
cried out, " Do not be weary yet; try and car-
ry it through to the tent, for it is all thy own.^*
Faint not, heart of man * though yearc wane slow !
There have been those, that, from the deepest cave.?,
And cells of night, and fastnesses, below
The stormy dashing of the occa?i-waves, —
Down, farther down — than gold lies hid, have nurs'd
A quenchless hope, and watch'd their time, and hur^
On the bright day, lilse voakeners from tht giavex I
Varieties. 1. When we §j ) 'U! let Js
consider what we have to dr, / .jr,, wfien we
return, what we have done. 2. There are
viany subjects, that are not easily understood;
but it is easy to misrepresent them ; and when
arguments cannot be controverted, it is not
difficult for the uncharitable — to calumniate
motives. 3. A man's true character is a greater
secret to himself, than to others; if he judge
himself, he is apt to be partial; if he asks the
opinions of others, he is liable to be deceived.
4. Really learned persons never think of hav-
ing finished their education, for they are stu-
dents during life. 5. The insults of others
can never make us wretched, or resentful, if
our hearts are right ; the viper, that stings us,
is within. 6. Beware of drawing too broad
and strong conclusions— from feeble and ill-
defined premises 1. When human policy
wraps one end of the chain round the ancle or
a ma7i, divine justice rivets the other end round
the neck of the tyrant. 8. All who have been
great, without religion, would undoubtedly
have been much greater, and better — with it.
QUALITIES — SURPASSING LOVELINESS.
■ She had read
Her father's well-filled library — with projit.
And could talk charmingly. Then she would stng,
And play, too, passably, — and dance with spirit;
She sketch'd from nature weU, and studied/otOTrj^
Which was enough, alone, to love her for ;
Yet she was knowing — in all needle-vrork, —
And shone— in dairy, — and n kitchen, too,—'
As in the parlor.
The wwe man, said the Bible, walks with 6ro<f,
Surveys far on— the endless line of life;
Values his soul; thinks of eternity ;
Both worlds conside-s, and provides for both;
With reason''s eye— his passions guards ; abstBinfi
From evil; lives on hove — on hope, the fruit
Of faith; looks upward; purifies his 50«Z/
Expands his wings, and mounts into the sky;
Passes the sun, and gains his Fatlier's house;
And drinks— with angels— 'ram the fount of bliss.
i
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
569. Rhetorical Action -respects the atti-
tude, g<j8ture, and expression of the countenance.
Words cannot represent certain peculiarities ;
they depend on the actor. Simplicity, or a strict
adherence to the modesty of nature— correct-
ness—or adaption to the word— ami beauty, as
opposed to awkwardness — are the principal
marks of good action. Beauty belongs to objects
of sight. Action should be easy, natural, varied,
and directed by passion. Avoid affectation and
display ; for they disgust. The best artirts are
famous for simplicity, which has an enchanting
effect. Profuse decorations indicate a wish to
cupply the want of genius by multiplying inferi-
or beauties. There is in every one an indis-
cribable something, whic^i we call nature, that
perceives and recognizes the inspirations of na-
ture ; therefore, after bringing your voice under
your control, if you enter fully into the spirit of
the composition, and let your feelings prompt
and govern your action, you cannot greatly err.
The victory "is half won when you fully feel and
realize what you read or speak. Resolve to ac-
quire the power, the witchery, the soul of elocu-
tion— that lightning of ancient times which pour-
ed a blaze of light on the darkest understanding,
and that thunder which awakens the dead.
They never fail — who die
'In a great cause: the block— may soak their g-ore :
Th&ir heads — may sodden in the swra ; their limbs
Be strung to city gales — and castle walls —
But ^(t7Z— their spirit walks abroad. Tho' years
Elapse, and others — share as dark a doom,
They but augment the deep and swelling thoughts
Which overpower all others, and conduct
The world, at last, to Feeedom.
570. Tliis system teaches you to harmon-
ize matter and manner, to imbite the author's
feelings, to bring before you all the circum-
stances, and plunge amid the living scenes,
and feei that what you describe is present, and
actually passing before you. Speak of truths
as truths, not as fictions. Give the strongest,
freest, truest expression of the natural blend-
ings of tliought and emotion ; break thro' all
arbitrary restraint, and submit, after proper
trainings, to the suggestions of reason and
nature. Let your manner be earnest, col-
lected, vigorous, self-balanced. In the intro-
duciion, be respectful, modest, conciliatory,
winning, rather mild and slow; in the dis-
cussi/m, clear, energetic ; in the application,
animated, pathetic, persuasive.
Jill — sot7ie force obey !
Oold — will dissolve, and diamonds — melt away ;
Marble — obeys the chisel, and the saw ;
And 5o?ar-beanv— a rock of fee will ihaw;
The flaming/or^'eo'ercomes well-temper'd steel;
And flinty glass — is fashioned at the wheel :
lint man's rebellious heart — no potoer can bend,
So flames can soften, no concussion — rend ;
Till the pure spirit soften, pierce and melt,
And the warm blood — is in the conscience felt.
571. T>ook your hearers in the face— give
yourself, body and soul, to the subject — let not
the attention be divided between the manner
and matter. Practice in private to establish cor-
rect habits of voice and gesture, and become so
familiar with all rules as not to think of them
v/hen exercising. The head, face, eyes, hands,
and upper part of the body are principally em-
ployed in oratorical action. The soul speaks
moat intelligibly in the muscles of the face, and
through the eye, which is the chief seat of ex-
presBion; let the internal man. and the external
correspond. An erect attitude, and a firtrineeg
of position, denote majesty, activity, strength j
the leaning — affection, respect, earnestness of
entreaty, dignity of composure, indifference, dis-
ease. The air of a person expresses a language
easily understood. The husbandman, dandy,
gentleman and military cliief bespeak the habits
and qualities of each. The head gently reclined,
denotes grief, shame ; erect — courage, firmness;
thrown back or shaken — dissent ; forward — as
sent. The hand raised and inverted — repels,
more elevated and extended — surprise, astonisli
ment ; placed on the mouth — silence ; on thtj
head, pain ; on the breast — affection, or appeal to
conscience ; elevated — defiance ; both raised an.i
palms united — supplication ; gently clasped —
thankfulness ; wrung — agony.
Anecdote. Tyrolese Songs. In the
mountains of Tyrol, hundreds of women and
children — come out, at bed-Wme, and sing
their national cWn§-.<f, until they hear their hus--
hands, fathers, and brothers, answer them
from the hills on their return home. Upon
the shore of the Adriatic, the wives of the
fishermen come down, about sunset, and
sing one of their melodies. They sing the
first verse, and then listen — for sometime:
then they sing a second ; and so on, till they
hear the answer from the fishermen, who
are thus guided to their homes.
Hail memory, hail ! in thy exhaustless mine.
From age — to age, unnumbered treasures shine !
Thought, and her shadowy brood, thy call obey,
And place, and time, are subject to thy sway :
Thy pleasures most we feel, when most alone,
The only pleasures we can call our own.
Lighter than air, Hope^s summer visions fly,
If but a fleeting clotid obscure the sky ;
If but a beam of sober Reason play,
Lo '. Fancy^s fairy frost-work melts away :
But, can the wiles of art, the grasp oi power.
Snatch the rich relics of a well-spent hour ?
These, when the trembling spirit takes her flight,
Pour round her path a stream of living light.
And gild those pure and perfect realms of rest,
Where virtue— triumphs, and her so7is are ble^i.
Varieties. 1. Co5/ww?e, when once regula-
ted by true science, and art, remains in un-
changablegood taste;comfortable, convenient,
as well as picturesque and becoming. 2. In
1756, a white headed old woman — died in
London, whose hair sold for 244 dollars to a
ladies' periwig maker. 3. In some countries,
intellect has sway; in some — wealth,- and
in others — beauty and ra7ik ,• but the most
powerful influence in the best societies, is
goodne.ss combined with truth in practice.
4. Mci'it — in the inheritor, alone makes valid
an inheritance of glory in ancestry. 5. Why
does 7ieiv sweet milk become sour — during a
thunder storm 1 6. Why can no other na-
tion make a Chinese gong ? 7. Is not the
American government ibunded upon the true
principles of human nature ? 8. How prone
many are, to worship the creature more
than the Creator ! 9. When apparent truths
are taken, and confirmed for real ones, they
become fallacies. 10. Actions — show best
the nature of the law of life ; and deeds —
show the man.
In all thy humors, whether grate or mellow,
Thou'rt such a touchy, testy, pleasant fellow; [thee,
Hast so much wit, and mirth, and spleen about
That there's no living with thee, or without theo.
PMNCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
23o
573« The emphatic strokesof the hand accom-
hany emphasis ; its ele^^ated termination suits high
passion ; horizontal — decision ; downward move-
ment— disapprobation. Avoid excess, violence
and constancy of action ; gentleness, tranquillity
and dignity prevail more. What is the appro-
priate gesture in this? "Liglu are the outward
6 gns of evil thought; w\i\\n\^ within — 'twas there
the spirit wrought." Middle finger of the right
hand points to the body — its fore-hnger gently laid
in the palm of the left, in deliberation, proof, or ar-
gumentation— sometimes it is pressed hard on tlie
lalm. The left hand often acts with great signifi-
cancy with the right; rarely used alone in the
principal gestures, except when something on the
left hand is spokeii of. as contradistinguished from
Bomething on the right, and when two things are
contrasted, iVIotion of the hands should corres-
pond with those of the eyes. Rules say, " Do not
raise the hands above the head;" but if natural
passion prompts them — it will be well done ; for .
passion knows more than art.
Om thoughts B.xe boundless, tho'our/rames are frail,
Our souls immortal, though our limbs decay :
Though darke^i'd — in this poor life, by a vail
0{ suffering, dying matter, we shall play
In Truth's eternal sunbeams ; on the way
To Heaven^s high capitol — our car shall roll;
The temple — of the power, whom all obey;
IViat is ilie mark — we tend to, for the soul
Can take no lower flight, and seek no meaner goal.
573. Keep the hands out of your pockets — don't
finger your watch-key or chain— let your business
influence you. Feel your subject thoroughly and
speak without fear: have a style and manner of
your own, for an index to yourself. Expression
IS the looking out of the soul, through the eyes,
which are its windows, into the natural world.
The body should generally be erect : not constant-
ly changing, nor always motionless — declining in
humiliation— rising in praise and thanksgiving;
should accompany motion of the hands, head, and
eyes; never turn your back on the audience. Do
not appear haughty, nor the reverse ; nor recline
the head to one .shoulder— nor stand like a post;
avoid tossings of the body from side to side, rising
on tip-ioe, writhing of the shoulders. Study well
the engravings ; their position, gracefulness and
awkwardness : some are designated for both — dis-
criminate, which to imitate, which to avoid — refer
within, to your own nature, for dictation — and
never adopt any gesture that you do not make
your own by appropriation. All gestures must
originate within. Let everything you do and say
correspond.
The Muse of inspiration — plays
O'er every scene ; she walks the/or«si-maze,
And climbs the mountain ; every blooming spot
Burns with her step, yet man — regards it not!
^le wmspers round; her words are in the air,
I3ut .O'A, unheard, they linger— /reezing' there,
Without one breath ofsoul, divinely strong,
One ray of heart — to thaw them into song.
574. Some of the sources of faults in action, are
unmanly diffidence, which makes one appalled at
nis audience, or makes him fear to stir, lest he
make a mistake ; and servile imitation — whence is
a want of action, excess or awkwardness, or un-
due resrard to improper models. Do lUDt become
an artificial, made-up character, a compound of
affectation and imitation, a poor creature of bor-
rowed shreds and patches: preserve your own
identity.
Of those few fools who with ill stars are curst,
Sure scribbling fools, call'd poets, fare the worst:
For they're a set of fools which Fortune makes,
\pA after she has made them fools, forsakes.
In man or ivoman, but far mos\ m man,
And most of all — in man that ministen
And serves the altar, in my soul — I loathe
All affectation. 'Tis my perfect scorn ;
Object — of my implacable disgust.
What !, — will a man play tricks, will he indul^
A silly— (oud conceit — of his fair /orm
And jast proportion, fashionable mien,
And p-''tty/a';«, in presence of his Gcd^
Or, wi\l he -seek to dazzle me with tnopa,
As with. the diamond on hLi lily hand,
And play his brilliant j>arts before ray eyo«
When I am hungry for the bread of lifk?
He mocks his iWo/cer, prostitutes and shame?
His noble office, and, instead of truth,
Displaying his otvn beauty, starves hie floch.
Therefore, avaunt all attitude and stare,
And start theatric, practic'd at the glass.'
. seek divine simplicity— hi him,
Who handles things divine ; and all — besides,
Tho' learn'd with labor, and tho' much admii 'd
By curious eyes, and judgments ill-inforra'd,
To me is odious — as the nasal twang
Heard at conventicle, where ivorthy men,
Misled by custom, strain celestial themes
Through the press'd nostril, spectacle-bestrid.
Anecdote. Indian Virtue. A married
woman, of the Shawanee Indians, made this
beautiful reply — to a man whom she met in
the woods, and who implored her to love and
look on him. " Oulman, my husband,]'' said
she, " who is forever before my eyes, hinde'S
me from seeing you, or any other person."
So dear to Heaven — is saintly chastity.
That when a soul — is found sincerely so,
A thousand liveried angels — lackey her,
Driving/ar q^— each thing of «n, and guili •
And, in clear dream, and solemn vision,
Tell her of things, that no gross ear can hear.
Till oft converse — with heavenly habitants
Begins to cast a beam. — on the outivaiJ shape.
The unpolluted temple of the mind.
And turns it, by degrees, to the souPs essence,
Till all — be made immortal!
Varieties. 1. Children learn but little
from what they read, while the attention is
divided between the sense and malting out
the words. 2. Few parents and teachers are
aware of the pre-emment importance of oral
over book instruction. 3. Truths, inculcated
without any sense of delight, are like seeds,
whose living germ has been de.stroyed ; and
which, therefore, when sowri, can never come
to anything. 4. The idea of the Lord, com
ing into the world, to instruct us, and make
us good, is an idea particularly delightful to
young children, as well as to those of riper
years. 6. We were not created — to live on
the earth, one moment in vain ; every moment
has a commissvm, connected with eternity ;
and each minute, improved, gives power to
the next minute, to proceed with an acceler-
ated ratio and impulse.
Let talkers talk; stick than to what is best,
To think of pleasing all, is all ^jest.
Let conquerors — boast
Their fields oi fame: he, who in virttit, arms
A young, warm sp?W/— against heautifs charms,
Who feels her brightness, yet defies her thrall,
Is the best, bravest conqueror of them cdl.
236
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
575. Stability of position, faciJity of change,
and general grace of action, depend on the right
use of the feet; [see the engravings of tliem,] the
motions of children are graceful, becauf^e prompt-
ed by nature : see how the dilferent passions af-
lect their countenances ; what a pity ihcy are not
kept on in this way, without being led by their
teachers into capiivity to bad habits. Keep your
mind collected and composed: guard against
bashfuluess, which will wear off by opposition.
One generally has confidence in doing anything
with whose manner he is familiar. Assurance
is attained by — 1, entirely mastering your subject,
az'.d a consciousness that what you have to deliv-
er is worth hearing— 2, by wliolly engaging in it,
ooind intent on it, and heart warmed with it : nev-
er be influenced by approbation or rfisapproba-
r.oi:; master yourself; but how can you unless
you know yourself?
Think'st thou— there are no serpents in the world,
But those, which slide along the grassy sod,
And sting the luckless/oo«, ihal presses them?
There are, who, in the path of social life,
Do bask their spotted skins— in Fortune^s sun,
And sting the soul — ay, till its healthfulframe
Is chang'd to secret, festering, sore disease —
So deadly — is the wownd.
576. Look at the limbs of a willow tree, gently
and variously waving before the breeze, cutting
curved lines, which are lines of beauty; and cul-
tivate a graceful, easy, flowing and forcible ges-
ticulation. Adapt your action, as well as vocal
powers, to the occasion and circumstances — the
action to the word, and the word to the action. A
young speaker may be more various than an old
one. Do not act words instead of ideas ; i. e. not
make gestures to correspond, when you speak of
anything small, low, up, large, &c. Let the voice,
countenance, mien, and gesture, conspire to drive
home to the judgment and heart, your impassion-
ed appeals, cogent arguments, .strong conclusions,
and deep convictions. Let Nature, guided by
science, be your oracle, and the voice of unso-
phistocated feeling your monitor. Fill your soul
A-ith the mighty purpose of becoming an orator,
and turn aside from no labor, shrink from no ef-
fort, that are essential to the enterprise. Self-
niade men are the glory of the world.
Man — is a harp, whose chords elude the sight ;
Each yielding harmony, disposed aright:
The screws reversed,
Ten thousand thousand strings at once go loose, —
Lost, till he tune them, all their potoer and use.
I have read the instructed volume,
Of human nature; there, long since, have learned.
The way — to conquer men — is by their passions :
Catch— but the ruling foible of their hearU,
And all their boasted virtues — shrink — before you.
577. Educatiox — is a companion, which
no miafortune can suppress, no clime des-
troy— no enemy alienate — no despotism en-
slave. At home — a friend, abroad — an in-
troduction ; in solitude a solace, in society,
an ornament. It lessens vice, it guards vir-
tue ; it gives, at once, a grace and govern-
ment to genius. Without it, what is man?
a splendid slaiy. ! a reasoning savage
dilating, between the dignity of an intelli-
gence derived from God, and the degradation
Di brutal passion.
It 18 a note
Of upstart greatness— to obserDe and waUh
For those poor irifes, which the no'jle mind —
NcglKts, and %eofis..
Anecdote. Somewhere. One gentleman
riding in a stage-coach, with another, ob-
served to him, — " Sir, I think, I have seen
you somewhere.'" " I presume you have, Sir,"
replied the other ; " for I have been there ve-
ry often.''
Brtite force— may crush the heart, but cannot kill ;
The mind, that thinks, no terrors can compel ;
But it will speak at length, and boldly tell
The world its loeakness, and its rights; the ni^ht
Our race so lo7ig has grop'd through, since man fell
From his imagin'd Eden of delight.
Must, will, ere long, retire from TrutJCs fast dawn-
ing liglit.
Varieties. 1. Mind may act on mind,
though bodies be fir divided. 2. A bold man,
or difool must be he, who would change his
lot with another. 3. A wise man, — scorneth
nothing, be it ever so small or tiomely. 4.
Mind — is a perpetual motion,- for it is a run-
ning stream, from an unfethomable source,
tlie depth of the diyink ixtklligence. 5.
Nature — is the chart of God, mapping out
all his attributes ; Art — the shadow of his
wisdom, and copieth his resources. 6. In a
dream, thou mayest live a Z?!fetime, and all
be forgotten in the morning. 7. A letter
timely writ, is a rivet to the chain of affec-
tion. 8. As frost to the bud, and blight to
the blossom, even such is se//-intcrest to
friendship. 9. Confidence — cannot dwell
where selfishness is porter at the gate. 10.
Those hours are not lost, that are spent in
cementing affection. 1 1 . Character — is main-
ly modeled, by the cast of the minds that sur-
round it. 12. The company a man choos
eth, is a visible index of his heart.
A drainless shower
Of light — IS poesy; 'tis the supreme of power ;
'Tis MIGHT — slumbering on its own right arm.
A generous mind, though sioay''d awhile by paision,
Is like the steely vigor of the bow.
Still holds its native rectitude, and bends
But to recoil more forceful.
Great minds, like Heaven, are pleased iu doing
Though th' ungrateful subjects of their/afors [good,
Are barren in return.
Cowards — are scar'd with threafnings ; bnys are
Into confessio:is ; but a steady mind [whipjj'd
Acts of itself, — ne'er asks the body counsel.
The mind — is full
Of curious changes, that perplex itself,
•lust like the visible vjorld; and the heart—ehha
Like the great sea; first /oirs, and then retires,
And on the 77rtss/ori5 doth the spirit ride,
Through sunshine — and in rain, from good — to t'Ji
Then to deep vice, and so on — back to virtue;
Till, in the grave, that universal cahn,
We sleep— the sleep of death.
Virtue, while 't is free from blame.
Is modest, lowly, meek, and unassuming ;
Not apt, like fearful utce, to shieM its weakness
Beneath the studied pomp of boastful phrase.
Which swdls, to hide the poverty it shelters ;
But, when this virtue— feels itself suspected.
Insulted, set at nought, its whiteness stain'd.
It then grows proud, forgets its huir.ble worthj
And rates itself— above its real value.
A brain of feathers, and a heart of lead
PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
237
578. SusGESTioss. The author is aware,
from experience, that there are many things
teiidiDg to discourage a new beginner in de-
clamation; one is, a consciousness of his
own awkwardness; which teaches us the
importance of knowing kow to do a thing,
before attempting it in the presence of others.
Let him select a short, and ordinary piece,
iirst, and commit it perfectly to memory, and
be sure that he understands" every word of the
author. Never appear in an improper dress ;
let your clothing be clean and neat, and pro-
perly adjusted to the body ; neither too loose,
nor too tight. Never be mfluenced, (me way
or another, by what your companions may
Bay, or do ; be your own master, and feel de-
termined to succeed ; at the same time, you
may be as modest and unassuming as you
please, the more so the better : let your sub-
ject and object be to you all in all.
Applause —
Waits on success : the fickle multitude,
Like the light straw, that floats along the stream,
Glide with the current still, and follow^/brmne.
Men judge actions — always by events:
But, when we manage, by a justforsesight,
Success — ia prudence, and possession — right.
579. Our Book. In this abridged outline
of the Principles of Elocution, the author has
endeavored to appreciate the age and state
of those, who will be likely to read, or study
the work ; for it is designed for both purposes;
and if the reader, or student, shall experience
a tithe of the pleasure in rightly using it, as
the author has in un-iting it, his aspirations
will be fully realized. Tlie more these sub-
jects are examined, and their priticiples ap-
plied to practice, the more will it be seen and
felt, that no one can becom* a good elocu-
tionist, unless he studies body and miwtdj
MATTER and spirit ; and makes the results
his own, by actual appropriation; science
and art, theory and practice, must go hand
in hand, to develop and perfect us for earth
or HEAVEN.
If you did know — to whom I gave the ring,
If you did know— /or whom I gave the ring,
And would conceive for what I gave the ring,
And how umuillingly — I left the ring,
When nought would be accepted — but the ring,
Yon would abate the strength of your displeasure.
As travelers — oft look back, at eve,
AVhen eastward — darkly going.
To gaze— upon that light — they leave,
Still famt behind them — glowing, —
Sj, wjien the close o{ pleasure's day —
To gloom hath near consign'd us,
We turn — to catch one fading ray
Of joy, that's left behitid us.
Miscellaneous. 1. A tvise man — is wil-
ling to profit by the errors of others ; because
he does not, under the impulse of pride, con-
demn and despise them ; but, while his judg-
ment— disapproves, his heart— pities them.
2. It is the constant tendency of man, when
in a perverted state of the will, and according
•o the state of such perversion, to make the
reason, or understanding, everything, and to
pay little or no attention to the state of the
qffectix)ns; and also to regulate his actions
more by exteriial, than internal considera-
tions; lids state and tendency is the cause
of the prevalence c the pride of science in
the literary world. 3. The true christian has
no confidence in mere feelings, or in that
sort of good, which, being without truth, its
appointed guide and protector, is transient
and inoperative.
Anecdote. A Wise Decision. Eliza Am-
bert, a young Parisian lady, resolutely dis-
carded a gentlman, to whom she was to havs
been married, because he ridiculed religion.
Having given him a gentle reproof, he replied,
" that a man of the world could not be bo old-
fashioned, as to regard God and religion''-
EUza started ; but, on recovering herself, said,
" From this moment, sir, when I discover that
you do not regard religion, I cease to be
yours. He, who does not love and honor
God, can never love his luife, constantly and
sincerely.''^
Yes, love indeed is light from Heaven ;
A spark of that immortal fire
With angels shared, by Alia given,
To lift from eartii our low desire
Devotion wafts the mind above,
But Heaven itself descends in love ;
A feeling from the Godhead caught.
To wean from self each sordid thought ;
A ray of him who form'd the whole ;
A glory circling round the soul !
Varieties. 1. Neglect not time present ;
despair not of time iMst; never despair. 2
Infamy — is where it is received. If thou art
a mud wall, it will stick, — if marble, it will
rebound. If thou storm at it, it is thine; if
thou contemn it, — it is gone. 3. Ridicule
seems to dishonor, worse than dishonor itself!
4. It is heaven, on earth, to have the mind
move in charity, rest in Providence, and turn
on the truth. 6. A long life may be passed
without finding a friend, in whose under-
standing and virtue, we can equally confide,
and whose opinion we can value at once for
its justice and sincerity. 6. A weak man,
however honest, is not qualified to judge. 7.
A man of the ivorld, however penetrating, is
not fit to counsel. 8. What is the great, es-
sential evil of intemperance ? The voluntary
extinction of reason. 9. What breaks the
heart of the drunkard's wife ? It is not, that
he is poor ; but, that he is a drunkard, 10.
How shall we arrest, how suppress this great
evil ] To rescue men, we must act on them
inwardly, and outwardly ; by giving strength
within, to withstand the temptation, and re
move the temptation ivithout.
Thou sz<n, (said I,) fair light!
And thou snlightened earth, &o fresh, and gay ;
Y e hills, and dales, ye rivers, wooilt and plains,
And ye, that live and move, fair creatures, tell,
Tell — if you know, how came I thus ; how here ?
Flowers — are the alphabet of angels, whereby
They write on hills, and felds, mysterious trulhe.
Riches, like insects, when concealed, they lie,
AVait but for their wings, and in their season, fy.
N. B. The latter part of the work ie much abridged, and jrir
Sons of the original matter omitted, to make more room for fhn
Readings and Recitations, and still keep the book, within what
are deemed proper Jimits : this will rationally account for its in-
coherency, as well as brevity.— One mon last word to tJiefupil
FEEL RIGHT — THINK RIGHT, AND ACT RIGHT, AND
YOU SHALL BECOME ALL THAT TOU ARE CAPABLE
OF, AND ALL THAT YOU CAN DESIRE.
238
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
Notes* In these exercises, tlidre is a continual recurrence
of the preceding principles, and all designed for thinkers and
workers. As there are no such things as TIME and SPACE be-
longing to the mind, the nearer we approach to their anniKilation,
Ihe more readily can we memorize : for which reason small
type are used ; and also variety, for the purpose of assisting in the
preservation of the sight, and maintaining our independence of
spectacles: in consideration of which, it should be observed, that
Books must be read, by varying their distances from the eyes;
sometimes quite near, at others farther off: also practice the light
in .ooking at surrounding objects, in their proper posltioDs from
marest to farthest.
5SO. Immortality of the Soul.
Among various excellent arguments — for the
immortality of the soul, tJiere is one drawn
fVom tJie perpetual progress of the soul to its
perfection, withou; a possibility of ever arri-
ving at it.
li^w can it enter into the thoughts of man,
tliat the soul, w^hich is capable of such im-
mense perfections, and of receiving new im-
provements to all eternity, shall fall away into
nothing, almost as soon as it is created 1 Are
such abilities made for no purpose ] A brute
arrives at a point of perfection that he can
never pass : in a few years, he has all the en-
dowments he is capable of; and, were he to
live ten thousand more, would be the same
thing he is at present.
Man does not seem born to enjoy life, but
to deliver it down to others. This is not sur-
prising to consider in animals, which are
formed for our use, and can finish their busi-
ness in a short life. The silk-worm, after hav-
ing spun her task, lays her eggs, and dies.
Biit a man — can never have taken in his full
measure of knowledge, has not time to sub-
due his passions, establish his soul in virtue,
and come up to the perfection of his nature,
before he is hurried off the stage.
Would an infinitely wise Being — make
such glorious creatures for so mean a pur-
pose '{ Can he delight in the production of
such abortive intelligences, such short-lived
reasonable beings] Would he give us tal-
ents, that are not to be exerted! capacities
that are never to be gratified 1
How can we find that wisdom, which shines
through all his works, in the formation of
man, without looking on this world as only a
nursery for the neoct, and believing, that the
several generations of rational creatures,
which rise up and disappear, in such quick
successions, are only to receive their first ru-
diments of existence here, and afterwards, to
be transplanted into a more friendly climate,
where they maj^ spread, and flourish — to all
eternity '! — Addison.
VIRTUOUS FRIENDSHIP.
Is aught so fair,
In all the dewy landscapes of the spring,
In the bright eye of Hesper, or the morn ;
In nature's fairest forms, — is aught so fair
iis virtuous friendship? as the candid blush
Of him who strives with fortune to be just?
Tlie graceful tear, that streams fwr others' woes ?
Or the mild majesty of private life,
Where peace, with ever-blooming olive, crowns
The gate ? where honor's liberal hands effuse
Unenvied treasures, and the snowy wings
Of innocence and love, protect the scene ?
That — I sjient, — that — I had;
That — I gave^ — that — I have;
That~A left,— that— I lost
581. F AN CIED IXFALLIBILITY. WhclV
man has looked about him, as far as he can,
he concludes there is no more to be seen;
when he is at the end of his line, he is at
the bottom of the ocean ; when he has shot
his best, he is sure none ever did, nor ever
can shoot better, or beyond it ; his own rea-
son is the certain measure of truth ; his own
knowledge, of what is possible in nature;
though his mind and his thoughts, cliange
every seven years, as well as his strength and
his features : nay, though his opinions change
every week or every day, yet he is sure, or at
least confident, that his present thoughts and
conclusions are just and true, and cannot bo
deceived.
OUK TOILS AND THEIR REWARD.
He, who ascends to mountain-tops, shall find
The loftiest peaks, most wrapt in clouds, and
He, who surpasses, or subdues mankind, [snow;
Must look down on the hate, of those below.
Though high above, the sun of glory glow,
And far beneath, the earth and ocean spread ;
Round him, are icy rocks, and loudly blow
Contending tempests, on his naked head, [led.
And thus, reward the toils, which to those summits
583. Parts of the Whole. This sun,
with all its attendant planets, is but a very
little part of the grand machine of the uni-
verse; every star, though no bigger in ap-
pearance than the diamond, that glitters
on a lady's ring, is really, a vast globe, hke
the sun in size, and in glory ; no less spa-
cious, no less luminous, than the radiant
source of the day : so that every star is not
barely a world, out the centre of a magnifi-
cent system ; has a retinue of worlds irradia-
ted by its.beams, and revolving round its at-
tractive influence, — all which are lost to our
sight, in unmeasurable wilds of ether.
SHE WALKS IN BEAUTT.
She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes, and starry skies ;
And all that's best, of dark and bright,
Meet in her aspect, and her eyes :
Thus mellowed to that tender light.
Which heaven, to gaudy day denies.
One shade the more, one ray the less.
Had half impaired the nameless grace,
Which waves in every raven tress.
Or softly lightens o'er her face ;
Where thoughts, serenely sweet, express
How pure, how dear, their dwelling place.
And on that cheek, and o'er that brow.
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent.
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days, in goodness spent,
A mind at peace, with all below,
A heart, whose love, is innocent !
Men— are made to bead
Before the mighty^ and to follow on
Submissive, where the great may lead — the greoi,
Whose might — is not in crowns and palaees^
In parchment-rolls, or blazon'd heraldry.
But in the power of thought, the energy
Of unsupported mind, whose steady will
No /orce can daunt, no tangled patA divert
From its right onward purpose.
Will he be idle, who ha? mucli C enjoy ?
READINGS AND R ECITATIONS.
23S
5S3« CuANGiNQ A\D lTmchanging. When
wc have looked on the pleasures of life, and they
have vanished away ; when we have looked on
the works of nature, and perceived that they were
changing ; on the monuments of art, and seen that
they would not stand ; on our friends, and they have
fled while we were gazing ; on ourselves, and felt
that we were as fleeting as they ; when we have
looked on every object to which we could turn our
aj.xious eyes, and they have all told us that they
could give us no hope nor support, because they
wec8 so feeble themselves; we can look to the
throne rf God : change and decay have never
rea<5hed that; the revolution of ages has never
moved it, the waves of an eternity have been rush-
nig past it. but it has remained unshaken; the
waves of another eternity are rushing toward it,
but it ig fixed, and can never be disturbed.
INFANT SLEEPING IN A GARDE:?.
Sleep on, sweet babe ! the flowers, that wake
Around thee, are not half so fair;
Thy dimpling smiles, unconscious break,
Like sunlight, on the vernal air.
Sieep on ! no dreams of care are thine.
No anxious thoughts, that may not rest;
For angel arms around thee twine,
To make thy infant slumbers bless'd. •
Perchance her spirit hovers near,
Whose name, thy infant beauty bears,
To guard thine eyelids, from the tear
That every child of sorrow shares.
Oh! may thy life, like hers endure,
Unsullied to its spotless close;
And bend to earth, as calm and pure
As ever bowed the summer rose. — Dawes.
584. The estimate and valor of a man, con-
sist in the heart, and in the will ; there, his
true honor lives ; valor is stability, not of Ic^s
and arms, but of courage, and the soul ; it
does not lie in the valor of our horse, nor of
our arms, but in ourselves. He, that falls ob-
stinate in his courage. Si succiderit de genu
vugnat. ; if his legs fail him, fights upon his
Imees.
A mother's love.
Hast thou sounded the depths — of yonder sea,
And counted the sands, that under it be ?
Hast thou measured the height — of heaven above?
Then — mayest thou mete out — the mother''s love.
Hast thou talked with the blessed, of leading on,
To the throne of God — some wandering son?
Hast thou witnessed the ctngels'' bright employ?
Then — mayest thou speak of a mother'' s joy.
Emning and morn — hast thou watched the bee
Go forth, on her errands of indtistry?
The bee, for herself, hath gather'd and toil'd.
But the mother^s cares — are all for her child.
Hast thou gone with the traveler, Thought, afar,
From poU to pole, and from star to star!
Thou hast — but on ocean, earth, or sea.
The fuarl of a mother — has gone with thee.
There is not a grand, inspiring thought.
There is not a truth— hy wisdom taught,
There is not 2i feeling, pure and high.
That may not be read — in a mother^s eye.
There are teachings on earth, and sky, and air.
The heavens — the glory of God declare ;
But /ottder^than voice beneath, above.
He is heard to speak— through «j mother-s love.
585. Balance OF Happiness EauAL. An
extensive contemplation of hurr.an affairs,
will lead us to the conclusion, — that among
the different conditions, and ranks of men,
the balance of happiness — is preserved, in
a great measure, equal ; and that the high
and the low, the rich and the poor, approach,
in point of real enjoyment, much nearer to
each other, than is commonly imagined. In
the lot of man, mutual compensations, both
of pleasure, and of pain, universally talce
place. Providence never intended, that any
state here, should be either completely happy,
or entirely miserable. I f tlie fechngs of pleas-
ure are more numerous, and more lively, in
the higher departments of life, such, also, are
those of pain. If greatness flatters our vani-
ty, it multiplies our dangers. If opulence in-
creases our gratifications, it increases, in the
same proportion, our desires and demand.s.
If the poor — are confined to a more narrow
circle, yet, within tliat circle, lie most of those
natural satisfactions, which, after all tlie re-
finements of art, are found to be the most
genuine and true. In a state, therefore,
where there is neither so much to be coveted,
on the one hand, nor to be dreaded, on the
other, as at first appears, how submissive
ought we to be — to the disposal of Provi-
dence!'how temperate — in our desires, and
pursuits! how much more attentive — to
preserve our virtue, and to improve our
minds, than to gain the doubtful, and equivo-
cal advantages of worldly prosperity. — Blair.
A RAINY DAY.
It rains. What lady — loves a rainy day 1
Not she, who puts prunello on her foot,
Zephyrs around her neck, and silken socks
Upon a graceful ankle,— nor yet she.
Who sports her tasseled parasol along
The walks, beau-crowded, on some sunny noon,
Or trips in muslin, in a winter's night,
On a cold sleigh-ride— to a distant ball.
She loves a rainy day, who sweeps the hearth.
And threads the busy needle, or applies
The scissors to the torn, or thread-bare sleeve ;
Who blesses God, that she has friends at home ;
Who, in the pelting of the storm, will think
Of some poor neighbor, that she can befriend ;
Who trims the lamp at night, and reads aloud,
To a young brother, tales he loves to hear;
Or ventures cheerfully abroad, to watch
The bedside of some sick, and suffering friend.
Administering that best of medicines ..
Kindness, and tender care, and cheering hope ;
Such— are not sad, e'en on a rainy day.
Mankind are all hunters in various degree ;
The priest hunts a living— the lawyer a fee,
The doctor a patient— the courtier a plaoi.
Though often, like us, he's flung out in the chaco.
The cit hunts a plum— while the so.dier htinle
The poet a dinner— the patriot a name ; [fknie.
And the practic'd coquette, tho' she seems to re-
in spite of her airs, stilljher lover pursues, [fure.
He's on his guard, who knows his enemy ;
And innocence — may safely trust her shield
Against an open foe ; bur who^t bo mailed.
That slander shall not reach himi Coward
Stabs in the dark. icalumn'j
Heaven's great view is one, and that— the whole.
240
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
58T. OuB Country. And let the sa-
cred obligations which have devolved on
this generation, and on us, sink de^p into
our hearts. Those are daily dropping from
among us, who established our liberty and
our government. The great trust now des-
cends to new hands. Let us apply our-
selves to that which is presented to us, as
our appropriate object. We can win no lau-
rels in a war for independence. Earlier and
worthier hands have gathered them all. Nor
are there places for us by the side of Solon,
and Alfred, and other founders of states.
Our fathers have filled them. But there re-
mains to us a great duty of defence and pre-
servation ; and there is opened to us, also, a
noble pursuit, to which the spirit of the times
strongly invites us. Our proper business is
improvement. Let our age be the age of im-
provement. In a day of peace, let us advance
the arts of peace, and the works of peace ;
let us develop the resources of our land; call
forth its powers, build up its institutions, pro-
mote all its great interests, and see whether
we also, in our day and generation, may not
perform something wortliTy to be remembered.
Let us cultivate a true spirit of union and
harmony. In pursuing the grq^t objects which
our condition points out to us, let us act un-
der a settled conviction, and an habitual feel-
ing, that these twenty-six states are one
country. Let our conceptions be enlarged
to the circle of our duties. Let us extend our
ideas over the whole of the vast field in which
we are called to act. Let our object be, our
country, our whole country, and nothing but
our country. And, by the blessing of God,
may that country itself become a vast and
splendid monument, not of oppression and
terror, but of wisdom, of peace, and of liberty,
upon which the world may gaze with admir-
ation forever. — Webster.
DISAPPOINTED AMBITION.
In full-blown dignity — see Wolsey stand,
Law— in his voice, and fortune— in his hand ; [sign;
To him, the church, the realm, their po\yers con-
riirough him, the rays of regal bounty shine ;
Turn'd by his nod, the iitream of honor flows ;
His smile alone, security bestows.
St.ll, to new heights, his restless wishes tower;
Claim leads to claim, and power advances power ;
Till conquest, unresisted, ceased to please,
And rights submitted — left him none to seize.
At length, his sovereign frowns; the train of state
Maik the keen glance, and watch the signtohffte.
Where'er he turns, he meets a stranger's eye ;
His suppliants scorn him, and his followers fly.
How drops, at once, the pride of awful state,
The golden canopy, the glittering plate,
The regal palace, the luxurious board.
The liveried army, and the menial lord !
With age, with cares, with maladies oppressed,
He seeks the refuge of monastic rest.
Grief aids disease, remembered folly simgs,
And his last sighs — reproach the faith of kings.
Expectation. It is proper for all to re-
member, tliat they ought not to raise expect a-
tion, wlilch it is not iri their power to satisfy,
and that it is more pleasing to see smoke
briglitening into jiame, than jlame — sinking
Into smoke.
fVai2<y— thy name Id Man; the eor<A— waits her king-,
ftuitty—thy name is Woman; the earth — waits hntjiuen.
588. Moral Effects of Intemperance.
The sufferings of animal nature, occasioned
by intemperance, are not to be compared with
the moral agonies, which convulse the soul.
It is an immortal being, who sins, and suflfers ;
and, as his earthly house dissolves, he is ap-
proaching the judgment-seat, in anticipation
of a miserable eternity. He feels his capti-
vity, and, in anguish of spirit, clanks his
chain, and cries for help. Conscience thun-
ders, remorse goads, and, as the gulph opens
before him, he recoils, and trembles, and
weeps, and prays, and resolves, and pro-
mises, and retorms, and " seeks it yet again ;'
again resolves, and weeps, and prays, and
"seeks it yet again!" Wretched man! he
has placed himself in the hands of a giant,
who never pities, and never relaxes his iron
gripe. He may struggle, but he is in chains.
He may cry for release, but it comes not ;
and lost ! lost ! may be inscribed on the door-
posts of his dwelling. In the meantime, these
paroxysms of his dying nature decline, and
a fearful apathy, the harbinger of spiritual
death, comes on. His resolution fails, and
his rpental energy, and his vigorous enter-
prise ; and nervous irritation and depression
ensue. The social aflbctions lose their full-
ness and tenderness, and conscience loses its
power, and the heart its sensibility, until all
that was once lovely, and of good report, re-
tires and leaves the wretch, abandoned to
the appetites of a ruined animal. In this de-
ploraule condition, reputation expires, busi-
ness falters, and becomes perplexed, and
temptations to driiik multiply, as inclination
to do so increases, and the power of resistance
declines. And now the vortex roars, and the
struggling victim buffets the fiery wave, with
feebler stroke, and warning supplication, un-
til despair flashes upon his soul, and, with an
outcry, that pierces the heavens, he ceases to
strive, and disappears. — Beecfier.
THE DESTRUCTION OF SENACHEBm.
The Assyrian came down, like a wolf — on the fold,
And his cohorts — w-ere gleaming — in purple, and gold ;
And the sheen of his spears — was like stars — on fhe sea,
When the blue wave — rolls nightly, on deep Galilee.
Like the leaves of the forest — when summer is green,
That host, with their banners, at sunset were seen :
Like the leaves of the forest when autumn hath blown.
That host, on the morrow lay withered and strown.
For the angel of death— spread his wings on the blast.
And breathed m the face of the foe, as he passed ;
And the eyes of the sleepers— waxed deadly, and chill.
And their hearts, but once heaved, and forever, were still
And there — lay the steed, with his nostrils all wide,
But through them— there rolled not the breath of bis pride;
And the foam of his gasping — lay white on the turf,
And cold— as the spray of the rock-beating surf.
And there — lay the rider, distorted, and pale,
With the dew on his brow, and the rust on his mail;
And the tents were all silent, the banners alone,
The lances — unlifted, the trumpets — unblown.
And the widows of Ashur — ambud in their wail,
And the idols are broke — in the temple of Baal ;
And the might of the Gentile, unsmote by tlie sword,
Hath melted, like snow, in the glance of fhe Lord ! — Byron-
Justice — is as strictly due between neigh-
bor natimis, as between neighbor citizens.
A fdgliwayman is as much a robber, when
he plunders in a gang, as when single, and
a nation, that makes an unjust war, is only
a great gang.
True happiness — is to no place confined:
But stW- is found — in a contented mind
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
241
597. KATIONAL GLORT.
We are asked, what have we gained hy the
war '! I have shown, that we have lost noth-
ing, either in rights, territory, or honor ; noth-
ing, for which we ouglat to have contended,
according to the principles of the gentlemen
m the other side, or according to our oivn.
Have we gained nothing — by the war'.' Let
any man — look at the degraded condition of
this country — before tlie war, the scorn of
tiie universe, the contempt of ourselves, and
tell me if we have gained nothing by the
war. What is our present situation 1 Re-
spectability, and character, abruad, security,
and confidence, at hutne. If we have not ob-
tained, in the opinion of some, the full meas-
ure of retribution, our character, and constitu-
tion, are placed on a solid basis, never to be
shaken.
The glory acquired by our gallant tars, by
our Jacksons, and our Browns on the land —
is that — nothing '.' True we had our vicissi-
tudes: there are humiliating events, which
the patriot cannot review, without deep re-
gret— but the great account, when it comes
to be balanced, will be found vastly in our
favor. Is there a man, who would obliterate,
from the proud pages of our history, the bril-
liant achievements, of Jackson, Brown, and
Scott, and the host of heroes on land, and
sea, wliom I cannot enumerate 1 Is there a
man, who could not desire a participatioii —
in the national glory, acquired by tne war]
Yes, national glory, which, however the ex-
Eression may be condemned by some, must
e cherished by every genuine patriot.
What do I mean by national glory '\ Glo-
ry such as Hull, Jackson, and Perry have ac-
quired. And are gentlemen insensible to
their deeds — to the value of them in anima-
ting the country in the hour of peril hereaf-
ter^! Did the battle of Thermopylfe — pre-
serve Greece but once 1 Whilst tne Missis-
sippi— continues to bear the tributes of the
Iron Mountains, and the AUeghenies — to her
Delta, and to the Gulf of Mexico, the eighth
of January shall be remembered,and the glo-
ry of that day shall stimulate /w/r^re patriots,
and nerve the arms of unborn freemen, in
driving the presumptuous invader from our
country's sod.
Gentlemen may boast of their insensibility
to feelings inspired by the contemplation of
such events. i5ut T would ask, does the re-
collection of Bunkers Hill, Saratogti, and
Yorktown, afford no pleasure 1 Evejy act
of noble sacrifice of the country, eve) y in-
stance of patriotic devotion to her cause, has
its beneficial influence. A nation's character
— is the sum of its splendid deeds ; they con-
stitute one common patrimony, the nation's
inheritance. They awe foreign powers ; tliey
arouse and animate our own people. I love
tnie glory. It is this sentiment which ought
to be cherished ; and, in spite of cavils, and
sneers, and attempts to put it down, it will
rise triumphant, and finally conduct this na-
tion to that height — to which nature, and na-
ture's God — have destined it. — Clay.
598. THK FLIGHT OF XERXKS.
I saw him~on the battle-eve,
When, like a king, he bore him, —
Proad hosts, in glittering helm, and greave,
And prouder chiefs — before him:
The -varrior, and the warrior's deeds —
BRJNSON. 16
The morrow, and the morrow's meeds,-
No daunting thoughts— came o'er hin: ;.
He looked around him, and his eye —
Defiance flashed — to earth, and sky.
He looked on ocean, — its broad breast
Was covered — with his fleet;
On earth : and saw, from east— to we&t,
His bannered millions meet :
While rock, and glen, and cave, and coasi
Shook — with the war-cry of that host,
The thunder— of their feet !
He heard — the imperial echoes ring,-
He heard, — and felt himself— a king.
I saw him, next, alone : nor camp,
Nor chief, his steps attended;
Nor banner blazed, nox courser's tramp^
With war-cries, proudly blended.
He, stood alone, whom fortune high,
So lately, seemed to deify ;
He, who with heaven contended,
Fled, like a fugitive, and slave !
Behind. — the foe; before, — the wave.
He stood ; fleet, army, treasure, — gone-
Alone,, and in dispair 1
But wave, and wind — swept ruthless o;i,
For they were monarchs there ;
And Xerxes, in a single bark,
Where late — his thousand ships were dark.
Must all their fury dare :
What a- revenge — a trophy, this —
For thee, immortal Salamis \^Jewsbury.
599. OSSIAX'S ABBRESS TO THE MOOX.
Daughter of heaven, fair art thou ! tlie si-
lence of thy face is pleasant! Thou comest
forth in lovliness. The stars attend thy blue
course in the east. The clouds rejoice in
thy presence, O moon. They brighten their
dark-brown sides. Who is like thee, in heav-
en, hght of the silent night ! The stars, in
thy presence, turn away their sparkling eyes.
Whither dost thou retire from thy course,
when the darkness of thy countenance grows?
Hast thou thy hall, like OssianT Dwellest
thou in the shadow of grief! Have thy sis-
ters fallen from heaven 1 Are they, who re-
joice with thee at night, no more! Yes!
"they have fallen, fair light ! and thou dost oft-
en retire to mourn. But thou thyself shalt
fail, one night, and leave thy blue path m
heaven.
The stars will then lift up their heads, and
rejoice. Thou art now clothed with thy
britihtness. Look from thy gates in the sky.
Burst the cloud, O wind, that the daughter of
night may look forth : that the shaggy moun-
tains may brighten, and the ocean roll iU
white waves in light.
SHIP.
Her sails were set, but the dymg wind
Scarce wooed them, as they trembled on the yaid
With an uncertain motion. She arose,
As a swan rises on her gilded wings.
When on a lake, at sunset, she uprears
Her form from out the waveless stream, and ateere
Into the far blue ether— so, that ship
Seem'd lifted from the waters, and suspended,
Wing'd with her bright sails, in the silent air.
For age, and want, jm?*— while you nu%y;
No morning sun— lasts a whole day.
812
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
599. A Battle-fitxd. We cannot see
an individual expire, though a stranger, or
an enemy, without being sensibly moved, and
prompted by compassion, to lend him every
assistance in our powder. Every trace of re-
aentment — vanishes in a moment; every
other emotion — gives way to pity and terror.
In these last extremities, we remember noth-
ing, but the respect and tenderness, due to
our common nature. What a scene, then,
must a field of battle present, where thou-
sands are left, without assistance, and with-
out pity, with their wounds exposed to the
Siercing air, while their blood, freezing as it
ows, binds them to the earth, amid the
trampling of horses, and the insults of an en-
ranged foe! Far from their native home,
no tender assiduities of friendship, no well-
known voice, no wife, or mother, or sister, is
near, to soothe their sorrows, relieve their
thirst, or close their eyes in death. Unhappy
man ! and must you be swe,pt into the grave,
unnoticed, and unnumbered, and no friendly
tear be shed fer your sufferings, or mingled
with your dust'.'
593. BURIAL OF SIR JOKN MOORE.
Not a drum 1 was heard I nor a funeral | note,
As his corse I to the ramparts,! we hurried,
Not a soldier I discharged I his farewell shot,
O'er the grave I where our hero I we buried.
We buried him I darkly I at dead of night,
The turf I with our bay 'nets I turning.
By the struggling moonbeam's I misty light,
And our lanterns I dimly burning.
Few and sliort 1 were the prayers I we said,
And we spoke I not a word I of sorrow, [dead,
But we steadfastly gazed I on the face I of the
And we bitterly thought I on the morrow.
No useless coffin I confined his breast,
Nor in sheet I nor in shroud I we bound him,
But he lay I like a warrior I taking his rest,
With his martial cloak I around him.
We thought I as we heaped I the narrow bed,
And smoothed down I his lonely pillow.
That the foe I and the stranger I would tread o'er
And we I far away I on the billow, [his head,
Lightly they'll talk | of the spirit I that's gone,
And o'er his cold ashes I upbraid him,
But nothing he'll reck I if they let him sleep on,
In the grave I where a Briton has laid him.
But half I our heavy task I was done,
When the clock I told the hour for retiring,
And we heard the distant 1 and random gun,
That the foe I was sullenly firing.
Slowly I and sadly I we laid him down.
From the field of his fame, fresh, and gory,
We carved not a line, we raised not a stone,
But we left him I alone in his glory.
594. CAS8IU8 AGAINST C^SAR.
Honor— is the subject of my story ;—
I cannot tell what you, and other men —
Think of this life ; but for my single self,
I had as lief not be, as live to be
In awe — of such a thing — as myself.
/ was born free as Csesar ; so were you ;
We have both fed as well ; and we can both
Endure the winter's cold as well as he.
For, once upon a raw and gusty day,
The trouoled Tiber, cbafing with its shores,
Cffisar says to me,— "Darest thou, Cassiue, now
Leap in with me, into this angry flood.
And swim lo yonder point ■?"— Upon the word,
Accoutred as I wag, I plunged in,
And bade him follow ; so, indeed, he did.
The torrent roared, and we did buffet it ;
With lusty sinews, throwing it aside,
And stemming it, with hearts of controversy.
But ere we could arrive the point proposed,
Cjcsar cried,— "Help me, Cassius, or I sink."'
/. as ^neas, our great ancestor,
Did from the flames of Troy, upon his shcuider
The old Anchises bear, so, from the waves oi
Did /—the tired Ccesar ; and this man — [Tiber
Is now — become a god ; and Cassius — is
A wretched creature, and must bend his body.
If Cajsar — carelessly but nod on him.
He had a fever when he was in Spain,
And when the jit was on him, I did mark
How he did shake : 'tis true, this god did shake;
His coward lips did from their color fly ;
And that same eye, whose bend doth awe the
Did lose its lustre ; I did hear him groan, [world,
Aye, and that tongue of his,that bade the Roman3
Mark him, and write his speeoiies in tlveir books,
"Alas!" it cried— "Give me«omedrink,Titiniu8."
As a sick girl.
Ye gods ! it doth amaze me,
A man of such a feeble temper — should
So get the start of the majestic world,
And bear the palm alone.
Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world,
Like a Colossus, and we, petty men.
Walk under his huge legs, and peep about,
To find ourselves dishonorable graves.
Men, at some time, are masters of their fates :
The fault, dear Brutus, is net in our stars,
But in ourselves, that we are underlings. [Csesar?
Brutus~a.nd Cmsar ! What should he in thtvt
Why should that name be sounded more than
yoiirs 7
Write them together: yours is as fair a name ;
Sound them : it doth become the mouth as well <
Weigh them : it is as heavy ; conjure with 'em :
Brutus — will start a spirit, as soon as Csesar.
Now, in the name of all the gods at once,
Upon what meats— doth this our Csesar feed,
That he hath grown so great? Age, thou art
ashamed ;
Rome, thou hast lost the breed of noble bloods.
When went there by an age, since the great flood,
But it was famed with more than with one mail?
When could they say, till now, that talked oi
Rome,
That her wide walls encompassed but one mani
Oh ! you, and I— have heard ou r fathers say.
There was a Brutus once, th't would have brooked
The infernal devil, to keep his state in Rome,
As easily as a king.
A wartn heart — in this cold world — is like
A fteacon-light— wasting feeble flame
Upon the wintry deep, that feels it not,
And, trembling with each pitiless gust th't blowf.
Till its faint fire— ia spent.
Mature, in her productions slow, aspires.
By just degrees, to reach per fee ion's height.
READINGS AND RECITATIONS
248
60Ct lOAINST THE AMERICAN WAR.
I cannot, my lords, I will not, join in con-
igratulation on misfortune, and disgrace. This,
my 16rds, is a perilous, and tremendous mo-
Tient.- It is not a time for adulation: the
smoothness of flattery — cannot save us, in
this rugged, and awful crisis. It is now ne-
cessary, toonstruct the throne, in the language
of truth. We must, if possible, dispel the de-
lusion, and darkness, which envelop it ; and
display, in its full danger, and genuine colors,
the ruin, which is brouglit to our doors. Can
ministers, still presume to expect support, in
their infatuation] Can parliament, be so
dead to its dignity, and duty, as to give their
support to measures, thus obtruded, and for-
ce(5 upon them J Measures, my lords, which
have reduced this late flourishing empire — to
scorn, and contempt ! " But yesterday, and
Britain might have stood against the world ;
noiv, none so poor, as to do her reverence. ''
The people, whom we at first despised as re-
bels, but whom we now acknowledge as ene-
mies, are abetted against us, supplied with
every military store, have their interest con-
sulted, and their embassadors entertained by
our inveterate enemy — and ministers do not,
and DARE not, interpose, with dignity, or ef-
fect. The desperate state of our army abroad,
is in part known. No man more highly es-
teems, and honors the British troops^ than I
do ; I know their virtues, and their valor ; I
know they can achieve anything, but impos-
sibilities; and I know that the conquest of
British America is an impossibility. You
cannot, my lords, you cannot conquer Amer-
ica. What is your present situation there !
We do not know the worst,- but we know,
that in three campaigns, we have done no-
tliing, and suffered much. You may swell
every expense, and accumulate every assist-
ance, and extend your traflic to the shambles
of every German despot : your attempts will
be forever vain, and impotent — doubly so,
indeed, from this mercenary aid, on which
you rely ; for it irritates, to an incurable re-
sentjnent, the minds of your adversaries, to
oven-un them with the mercenary sons of ra-
pine, and plunder, devoting them, and their
fossessions, to the rapacity of hireling cruelty,
f Z were an American, as I am an En^lish-
r/^cf7^, while a foreign troop was landed in my
country, I never would lay down my arms ;
No — Never, never, never. — Chatham.
605. THE WHISKERS. •*
The kings, who rule mankind with haughty sway,
Tlie prouder pope, whom even kings obey — [fall,
Love, at whose shrine both popes, and monarchs
And e'en self-interest, that controls them all —
Possess a petty pow^er, when all combined.
Compared wit*' fashion's influence on mankind;
For love itself will oft 1o fashion bow;
The following story will convince you how :
A petit maitre wooed a fair,
Of virtue, wealth, and graces rare;
But vainly had preferr'd his claim.
The maiden own'd no answering flame ;
At length, by doubt and anguish torUj
Suspense, too painful to be borne,
Low at her feet he humbly kneel'd.
And thus his ardent flame reveal'd :
" Pity my grief, angelic fair,
Behold my anguish, and despair;
For you, this heart must ever burn—
O bless me, with a kind return ;
My love, no language can express,
Reward it then, with happine.««s:
Nothing on earth, but you I prize,
All else is trifling in my eyes;
And cheerfully, would I resign
Tlie wealth of worlds, to call you mifti
But, if another gain your hand.
Far distant from rny native laud.
Far hence, from you, and hope, I'll flv,
And in some foreign region die."
The maiden heard, and thus replied :
"If my consent to be your bride,
Will make you happy, then be blest; ■•
But grant me, first, one small request ;
A sacrifice I must demand,
And, in return, will give my hana."
" A sacrifice I O speak its name,
For you I'd forfeit wealth, and fame;
Take my whole fortune — every cent—"
" 'Twas something more than wealth I meant''
" Must I the realms of Neptune trace'
0 speak the word — where'er the place,
For you, the idol of my soul,
I'd e'en explore the frozen pole ;
Arabia's sandy desert tread,
Or trace the Tigris to its head."
" O no, dear sir, I do not ask, '
S^^ long a voyage, so hard a task ;
"¥ou must — but ah! the boon I want,
1 have no hope that you will grant."
" Shall I, like Bonaparte, aspire
To be the world's imperial sire?
Express the wish, and here I vow.
To place a crown upon your brow."
" Sir, these are trifles"— she replied—
" But, if you wish me for your bride,
Yen must — but still I fear to speak —
You'll never grant the boon I seek."
" O say !" he cried—" dear angel say —
What must I do, and I obey;
No longer rack me with suspense,
Speak your commands, and send me hence."
" Well, then, dear generous youth ^" she cnes,
" Pf thus my heart you really prize.
And wish to link your fate with mine,
On one condition I am thine ;
'Twill then become my pleasing duty,
To contemplate a husband's beauty ;
And, gazing on his manly face,
His feelings, and his wishes trace ;
To banish thence each mark of care,
And light a smile of pleasure there.
O let me then, 'tis all I ask.
Commence 'at once the pleasing task ;
O let me, as becomes my place.
Cut those huge whiskers from your face."
She said— but O, what strange surprise-
Was pictured in her lover's eyes !
Like lightning, from the ground he sprung,
While wild amazement tied his tongue ;
A statue, motionless, he gazed,
Astonish'd, horror-struck, amazed
So, look'd the gallant Perseus, when
Medusa's visage met his ken;
So, look'd Macbeth, whose guilty eye
Discern'd an '• air-drawn dagger" nigh;
And so, the prince of Denmark stared.
When first his father's ghost appeared.
At length, our hero, silence broke,
And thus, in wildest accents spoke :
" Cut off my whiskers .' O ye gods '
I'd sooner lose my ears, by odds ;
Madam, I'd not be so disgraced,
So lost to fashion, and to taste,
To win an empress to my arms ;
Though blest with more than mortal ch^rmsw
My whiskers ! Zounds 1" He said no more,
But quick retreated through tlie door,
And sought a less obdurate fair,
To take the beau, with all his hair. — Woodwotth
Thii path, you say, is hid in endlas nigfU ;
Tis f elf amuit, alone, obstructs your tig/U.
tu
READINGS AND RECITATIONS,
59T. Oss^t.:^'s Abdhess t* the Suit. O
thou, that rollest above, round as the shield
of my fathers ! whence are thy beams, O
sun! thy everlasting hghtl Thou comest
forth in thy awful beauty; the stars — hide
themselves in the sky ; the moon, cold and
{)ale, sinks in the western wave. But thou,
hyself, movest alone: who can be a com-
panion of thy course 1 The oaks of the
mountains fall; the mountains themselves
decay with years: the ocean shrinks, and
crows again ; the moon, herself, is lost in the
Heavens ; but thou — art forever the same, re-
joicing in the brightness of thy course. When
the world is dark with tempests, when thun-
ders roll, and lightnings fly, thou lookest in
thy beauty from the clouds, and laughest at
the storm. But to Ossian — thou lookest in
vain ; for he beholds thy beams no more ;
whether thy yellow hair — flows on the east-
ern clouds, or thou tremblest at the gates of
the west. But thou art, perhaps, like me, for
a season : thy years will have an end. Thou
wilt sleep in thy clouds, careless of the voice
of the morning.
598. DOUGLAS'S ACCOUNT OP HIMSELF.
My name is Nerval: on the Grampian hills
My father feeds his flocks ; a frugal swain,
Whose constant cares, were to increase his store,
And keep his only son, myself, at home.
For I had heard of battles, and I longed
To follow to tlie field — some warlike lord ;
And Heaven soon granted — what my sire denied.
This moon which rose last nighi,round as my shield,
Had not yet filled her horn, when, by her light,
A band of fierce barbarians, from the hills,
Ru.shed like a torrent — down upon the vale,
Sweepi.agour flocks and herds. The shepherds iicd
For safety, and for succor. I, alone,
With bended bow, and quiver full of arrows,
Hovered about the enemy, and marked
The road he took ; then hasted to my friends,
Whom, with a troop of fifty chosen men,
F met advancing. The pursuit I led,
Till we o'ertoofe the spoil-encumbered foe. [drawn,
We fought, and conquered. Ere a sword was
An arrow from my bow — had pierced their chief,
Wlio wore, that day, the arms which now I wear.
Returning home in triumph, I disdained
The shepherd's slotliful life ; and having heard
That our good king — liad summoned his bold peers
To lead their warriors to the Carron side,
I left my father's house, and took with me
A chosen servant to conduct my steps, —
Yon trembling coward, who forsook his master.
journeying with this intent, I passed tliese towers,
And, heaven-directed, came this day to do
TY.e happy deed, that gilds my humble name.
MORAL TKUTH IXTELLIGIBLB TO ALL.
The shepherd lad, who, in the sunshine, carves
On the green turf a dial, to divide
The silent hours ; and who, to that report,
Can portion out his pleasures, and adapt
His round of pastoral duties, is not left
With less intelligence, for moral things.
Of gravest import. Early, he perceives,
Within himself, a measure^ and a rule,
Which, to the sun of truth, he can apply,
Thtt shines for him. and shines fa; all mankind.
599. Of Elocution. Eloci tion — i^ tha
art, or the act, of so delivering our ow?i tiiJta
and feelings, or the thoughts and feelings of
others, as not only to convey to those around
us, with precision, force, and Jiarmony, the full
purport, aiid meaning of the words and sen-
tences, in which tliese thoughts are clothed;
hut also, to excite and to impress upon their
minds the feehngs, imaginations, and pas-
sions, by which those thoughts are diciLted, oi
by which they should naturally be accoaipa'ui-
ed. Elocution, therefore, in its more ample
and liberal signification, is not confined touie
mere exercise of the organs of speech, ft
embraces the whole theory and practice of
the exterior demonstration of the inward
workings of the mind. To concentrate what
has been said by an allegorical recapitulation:
Elqque?jce — may be considered as the soul, or
animated principle of discourse ; and is de-
pendent on intellectual energy and intellect-
ual attainments. Elocution — is the embo-
dying form, or representative power; depen-
dent on exterior accomplishments, and on
the cultivation of the organs. Oratory — ia
the complicated and vital existence, resulting
from the perfect harmony and combination
of eloquence and elocution. The vital exis-
tence, however, in its full perfection, is one
of the choicest rarities of nature. The high
and splendid accomplishments of oratory,
even in the most favored age and the most
favored countries, have been attained Ijy few ;
and many are tlie ages, and many are the
countries, in which these accomplishments
have never once appeared. Generations have
succeeded to generations, and centuries have
roiled after centuries, during which, the in-
tellectual desert has not exhibited even one
solitary specimen of the stately growth and
flourishing expansion of oratorical genius.
The rarity of this occurrence is, undoubtedly,
in part, to be accounted for, from the diflicul-
ty of tlie attainment. The palm of oratori
cal perfection is only to be gi'asped — it is, in
reality, only to be desired, by aspiring souls,
and intellects of unusual energy. It re-
quires a persevering toil which few would be
contented to encounter ; a decisive intrepid
ity of character, and an untamableness of
mental ambition, which very, very few can
be expected to possess. It requires, also,
conspicuous opportunities for cultivation and
display, to which iew can have the fortune
to oe bom, and which fewer still will have
the hardihood to endeavor to create.
VIRTUE THE GUARDIAN OF YOUTH.
Down the smooth stream of life the stripling darta,
Gay as the morn : bright glows the vernal sky,
HOj^^Bwellshis sails, and Passion steers his courst?
So gi/des his little bark along the shore.
Where virtue takes her stand : but if too far
He launches forth beyond discretion's mark,
Sudden the tempest scowls, the surges roar,
Blot his fair day, and plunge him in the deep.
" Mybot/, the unwelcome hour is conn,
When thou, transplanted from thy genial home-,
Must find a colder soil, and bleaker air,
And trust for safety— Xo a stranger''s care "
Deceit — is ihe/alse road to happiness ;
And all ihejoyswe travel to, through vice,
JAke/airy banquets, vanish when we touch them
See all, but man, with xxneami'd pleasure gay.
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
245
600. Supposed Spkecii of John Adams on
a.doitino the declaration of independence.
It is true, indeed, that in the beginning, we aim-
ed not at independence. But there's a Divinity,
which shapes our ends. The injustice of England
has driven us to arms ; and, blinded to her own
interest, for our good, she has obstinately persist-
ed, till independence is now within our grasp.
We have but to reach forlli to it, and it is oura.
Why, then, should we defef the declaration? Is
any man so weak, as now to hope for a reconci-
liation with England, wliich shall leave either
safety to the country, and its liberties, or safety to
his own life, and his own honor ?
Are not you, sir, who sit in that chair ; is not
he, our venerable colleague near you; are you not
t>oth, already, the proscribed, and predestined ob-
jects of punishment, and of vengeance? Cut off
from all hope of royal clemency, what are you,
w^hal can you be, while the power of England re-
mains, but outlaws ? If we postpone independence,
do we mean to carry on, or to give up the war ?
Do we mean to submi to the measures of parlia-
;nent, Boston port-bill and all? Do we mean to
submit, and consent that we ourselves shall be
ground to powder, and our country and its rights
trodden down in the dust?
I know we do not mean to submit. We never
shall submit. Do we intend to violate that most
V)lemn obligation, ever entered into by men, that
plighting, before God, of our sacred honor to Wash-
ington, when, putting him forth to incur the dangers
of war, as well as the political hazards of the times,
we promised to adhere to him, in every extrem-
ity, with our fortunes, and our lives?
I know there is not a man here, who would not
rather see a general conflagration sweep over the
land, or an earthquake sink it, than one jot or tittle
of that pliglited faith to fall to the ground. For
myself, having, twelve months ago, in this place,
moved you. that George Washington be appointed
commander of the forces, raised, or to be raised,
for defence of American liberty, may my right
oand forget her cunning, and my tongue cleave to
the roof of my mouth, if I hesitate, or waver in the
support I give him.
The war, then, must go on. We must fight it
through. And, if the war must go on, why put off
longer, the declaration of independence? Thst
measure will strengthen us. It will give us char-
acter abroad. The nations will then treat with us ;
which they never can do, while we acknov.'ledge
ourselves subjects, in arms against our sovereign.
Nay, I maintain, that England herself will sooner
treat for peace with us, on The footing of indepen-
dence, than consent, by repealing her acts, to ac-
knowledge that her whole conduct toward us, has
been a course of injustice and oppression.
Her pride will be less wounded, by submitting
to that course of things, which now predestinates
our independence, than by yielding the points in
controversy to her rebellious subjectc. The former
she would regard as the result of fortune ; the latter
she would feel as her own deep disgrace. Why
ihen, sir, do we not as soon as possible, change
ihis froH' a. civil to a national war? And, since
wc mnsi fight it throughj why not put ourselves in
x2
a state to enjoy all the ben;fits of vctory, jf we
gain the victory ?
If we fail, it can be no worse for us.— But we
shall not fail. The cause will raise up armies j
the cause will create navies. The people, if we
are true to them, will carry us, and will cany
themselves, gloriously through this struggle. I care
not how fickle other people have been found. I
know the people of these colonies; and I know,
thai resistance to British aggression is deep end
settled in their hearts, and cannot be eradicated.
Every colony, indeed, has expressed its willing-
ness to follow, if we but take the lead.
Sir, the declaration will inspire the people with
increased courage. Instead of a long and bloody
war for restoration of privileges, for redress of
grievances, for chartered immunities, held under
a B.ritish king, set before them the glorious object
of entire independence, and it will breathe into
them anew the breath of life. Read this declara-
tion at the head of the army; every sword will be
drawn from its scabbard, and the solemn vow ut-
tered, to maintain it or to perish on the bed of honor.
Publish it from the pulpit; religion will approve it,
and the love of religious liberty will cling around
it, resolved to stand with it, or fall with it. Send
it to the public halls; proclaim it there; let them
hear it, who heard the first roar of the enemy's
cannon ; let them see it, who saw their brothers
and their sons fall on the field of Bunker-Hill, and
in the streets of Lexington and Concord, — and the
very walls will cry out in its support.
Sir, I know the uncertainly of human affairs-,
but I see clearly,through this day's business. You
and /, indeed, may rue it. We may not live to
the time, when this declaration shall be made good.
We may die; die, colonists; die, slaves; die, it
may be, ignominiously, and on the scaffold. Beit
so. If it be the pleasure of Heaven, that my coun-
try shall require the poor offering of my life, the
victim shall be ready, at the appointed hour of
sacrifice, come when that hour may.
But, whatever may be our fate, be assui'ed that
this declaration will stand. It may cost treasure,
and it may cost blood ; but it will stand, and it will
richly compensate for both. Through the thick
gloom of the present. I see the brightness of the
future as the sun in lieaven. We shall make this
a glorious, an immortal day. When we are in
our graves, our children will honor it. They will
celebrate it with thanksgiving, with festivity, with
bonfires, and illuminations. On its annual return,
they will shed tears, copious, gushing tears, not of
subjection and slavery, not of agony and distress,
but of exultation, of gratitude, and of joy. Sir, be-
fore God I believe the hour is come. My judgment
approves this measure, and my whole heart is ;n
it. All that I am, all that I have, and all tliat I hope
for, in this life, I am now ready here to stake upon
it : and I leave off, as I began ; sink or swim: live
or die ; survive, or perish, I am for the declaration .
it is my living sentiment ; and, by the blessing of
God, it shall be my dying- sentinient— Independence
now I and independence — forevek I— Wefcsfcr.
Be not dismayed— fear— navses up a d<m^erf
And resoluticn— kills it,— in the birt^
246
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
601. The Effects of Gektie jtess.
Gentleness — is the great avenue to mutual
enjoyment. Amidst the strife of interfering
mterests, it tempers the violence of conten-
tion^ and keeps alive the seeds of harmony.
It softens ammosities, renews endearments,
and renders the countenance of man, a re-
freshment to man. Banish gentleness from
I he earth; suppose the world to be filled,
with none but harsh and contentious spirits,
and what sort of society would remain ! the
sohtude of the desert were preferable to it.
The conflict of jarring elements in chaos,
the cave where subterraneous winds contend
and roar, the den where serpents hiss and
beasts of the forest howl, would be the only
proper representation of such assemblies of
men. Strange ! that, where men have all one
common interest, they should so often concur
in defeating it. Has not nature already pro-
vided a sufficient quantity of evils for .the
state of man 1 As if we dici not suflfer enough
from the storm which beats upon us without,
must we conspire also, in those societies
where we assemble, in order to find a retreat
from that storm, to harass one another?
A NIGHT SCENE IN TURKEY.
'Twas midnight: on the mountains brown
The cold round moon — shone brightly down ;
Blue rolled the ocean, blue the sky
Spread, like an ocean, hung on high,
Bespangled with those isles of light,
So wildly, spiritually bright ;
Who ever gazed upon them, shining,
And turned to earth, without repining,
Nor wished for wings to fly away.
And mix — witli their eternal ray ?
The waves, on either shore, lay there.
Calm, clear, and azure as the air,
And scarce their foam — the pebbles shook,
Cut murmured meekly, as the brook.
The winds— were pillowed oji the waves,
The banners drooped — along their staves,
And as they fell around them, furling.
Above them — shone the crecent curling ;
And. that deep silence was unbroke,
Save when the watch — his signal spoke,
Save when \he steed — neighed oft and shrill,
And echo answered— from the hill, '
And the wide hum — of that wild host
Rustled, like leaves, from coast to coast,
As rose the Muezzin's voice in air,
In midnight call — to wonted prayer.
It rose, that chaunted, mournful strain,
Like some lorje spirit's — o'er the plain ;
Twas musical, but sadly sweet.
Such as, when winds, and harp-strings meet;
And take a long, unmeasured tonOj
To mortal minstrelsy, unknown :
It seemed to those, within the wall,
A cry — prophetic of their fall ;
It Mruck- even the besieger's ear.
With something omnious, and drear, —
An undefined, and sudden thrill,
Which makes the heart — a moment still ;
Then beat, with quicker pulse, ashamed
Of that strange sense — its silence framed ;
Such as a sudden passing bell
Wakes, though but for a stranger's knell.
Know thyself.
608. Phess 0?f. This =s a speech, biief^
but full of inspiration, and opening the way
to all victory. The mystery of Napoleons
career was this, — under all difficulties and
discouragements, " press on !" It solves the
problem of all heroes ; it is the rule, by which
to weigh rightly, all wonderful successes, and
triumphal marches — to fortune and genius.
It should be the motto of all, old — and young,
high — and low, fortunate — and unfortunate,
so called.
"Press on !" Ne^sr despair; never be dis-
couraged, however stormy the heavens, how-
ever dark the way ; how^ever great the diffi-
culties, and repeated the failures, — " press
ON !" If fortune — has played false with thee
to-day, do thou play true tor thyself to-mor-
row. If thy riches have taken wings, and
left thee, do not weep thy life away ; but be
up and doing, and retrieve the loss, by new
energies and action. If an unfortunate bar-
gain—has deranged thy business, do not fold
thy arras, and give up all as lost ; but stir
thyself, and work the more vigorously.
If those whom thou hast trusted, have be-
trayed thee, do not be discouraged, do not
idly weep, but '* press on !" find others ; or,
what is better, learn to live within thyself.
Let the foolishness of yesterday — make thee
wise to-day. If thy affections — have been
poured out like water in the desert, do not sit
down and perish of thirst, — but press on ; a
beautiful oasis is before thee, and thou mayst
reach it, if thou wilt. If another — has been
false to thee, do not thou increase the evil — by
being false to thyself. Do not say — the world
hath lost its poetry and beauty ; 'tis not so
and even if it be so, make thine own poetry
and beauty, by a brave, a true, and, abov
all, a religious life.
ASPIRATIONS OK YOUTH.
Higher, higher, will we climb,
Up — the mount of glory,
That our names — may live through Omo,
In our country's story ;
Happy, when her welfare calls,
He, who conquers, — he, who falls.
Deeper, deeper — let us toil,
In the mines of knowledge ;
Nature's wealth— and Learning's spoil
Win from school — and college ;
Delve we there — for richer gems.
Than the stars of diadems.
Onward, onward — may we pass,
Through the path of duty ;
Virtue — is true happiness.
Excellence, true beauty ;
Minds — are of celestial bJith :
Make we, then, a heaven of eartl.
Closer, closer — let us knit
Hearts, and hands together,
Where our fireside comforts sit,
In the wildest weather ;
O, they wander wide, who roam
For the joys of life, from' home.
Nearer, dearer bands of love, .
Draw our souls in union,
To our Father's house above
To the saints' communion t
Thither— ev'ry hope ascend,
There— may all our labors end.
READINGS AND RECITA FIONS.
24?
G03 Hannibal to his Soldiers. On
wliat side soever I turn my eyes, I behold all
full of courage and strensjth; a veteran infant-
ry, a most gallant cavalry ; you, my allies,
most fkithful and valiant ; you, Carthaginians,
whom not only your country's cause, but the
justest anger, impels to battle. The hope, the
courage of assailants, is alw^ays greater than
of those, who act upon the defensive. With
hostile banners displayed, you are come down
upon Italy ; you bring the war. Grief, inju-
ries, indignities, fire your minds, and spur
1 ou forward to revenge.
First, they demand me — that I, your gener-
al, should be delivered up to them ; next, all
of //Of^, who had fought at the siege of Sagun-
tuni ; and we were to be put to death — by the
extremest tortures. Proud, and cruel nation !
every thing must be yours, and at your dis-
posal ! You are to prescribe to us, with whom
we shall make war, witJi wliom we shall make
peace ! You are to set us bounds ; to shut us
up within hills and rivers; but you — you are
net to observe the limits, which yourselves
have fixed.
Pass not the Iberus ! What next '? Touch
not the Saguntines ; is Saguntum upon "the
1 berus 1 move not a step towards that city. Is
it a small matter, then, that you have deprived
us of our ancient possessions, Sicily and Sar-
dinia] you would have Spain, too'.' Well,
we shall yield Spain; and then — you will
pass into Africa ! Will pass, did I say '{ this
very year, they ordered one of their consuls
into Africa, the other into Spain.
No, soldiers, there is notlnng left for us, but
wliat v/e can vindicate with our swords.
Conie on, then — be men. The Romans — may
with more safety be cowards; they have their
own country behind them; have places of
refuge to flee to, and are secure from danger
in the roads thither; but for you, there is no
middle fortune between death, and victory.
Let this be but well fixed in your minds, and
once again, I say, you are conquerors. — Livy.
604:. VULTURE AND CAFTIVE INFANT. "^
I've been among the mighty Alps, and wandered thro' their vaUt,
And heard the honest mountaineers— rtilsXe. their dismal taks,
As round the cotters' blazing hearth, when their daily work was o'er,
THey spake of those, who disappeared, and ne'er were heard of
more.
And there, I, from a shepherd, heard a narrative of fear,
A tale— tc rend a mortal heart, which mothers— might not hear ;
The tears — were standing in his eyes, his voice — was tremulous;
But, wiping all those tears away, he told his story thus:
" It is among these barren diffs—the ravenous vulture d77ells,
Who never fattens on tl-e prey, wliieh from afar he smells;
But, patient, watching uour on hour, upon a lofty rock.
He singles out some truant lamb, a victim, from the flock.
(ine cloudless Sabbath summer morn, the sun ^vas rising high.
When, from my children on the green, I heard a fearful cry.
As if some awful deed were done, a shriek of grief, and pain,
A cry, I humbly trjst in God, I ne'er may hear again.
I imrried out to learn the cause; but, overwhelmed v/iih fright.
The children never ceased to shriek ; and, from my frenzied tight,
I missed the youngest of my babes, tlie darling of my care ;
But something caught my searching eyes, alow sailing thro' the air.
Oh! what an awful spectacle— to meet Sl father''* eye,—
His infant — made a vulture's prey, with terror to descry ;
And knoio. with agonizing heart, and with a maniac rave.
That earthly power— could not oDat7— that innocent to save !
My infint— stretched his little hands— imploringly to me,
And itruggled with the ravenous bird, all vainly to get free:
At intervals, I heard his cries, as loud he shrieked, and
Until, upon tl e azurii shy, \ lesiening spot he seemed.
The tiMKure— flapped his sail-like wings, (hough nuvUv be flc:;
A mote, upon the sun's broad face, he seemed unto r»y view ;
But once, I thought I saw him stoop, as if be would alight, —
'Twas ouly a dtlus-ioe thought, for all had vanished quite.
All search was vain, and years had passed ; that child was Mfw
When once a daring hunter climbed unto a lofty spot, [for^t.
From thence, upon a rugged crag — the diamois never reached,
He saw — an infant's fleshless bones — the elements had bleacliedi
I clambered up that rugged cliff,—! could not stay away, —
I knew tliey were my infant's bones— thus hastemng to decay:
A tattered garment— yet remained, though torn to many a thrtd «
The crimson cap — he wore that morn — was still upon liie hc.ii ''
That dreary spot — is pointed cut to travelers, passing by,
Who often stand, and musing, gaze, nor go without a sigh ;
And as /journeyed, the next morn, along my sunny way.
The precipice was shown to me, whereon the infat^t lay. --vt'xri
605. THE HERMIT.
At the close of the day, when the hamlet is still.
And mortals the sweets of forgetfulnee* prove :
When nought, but tlie torrent, is heard ou the hill,
And nought, but the nightini^Ie's song, in the grov*
Twas thus, by the cave of the mountain afar.
While his harp rung syniphonious, a hermit btga: •
No more with himself, or with nature at war.
He thought as a sage, tho' he IcU a* a man.
"Ah ! why, all abandon'd to darkness and wo ;
Why, lone Philomela, that languishing fall ?
For spring sliall return, and a lover bestow,
And sorrow no longer thy bosom inthral.
But, if pity inspire thee, renew the sad lay.
Mourn, sweetest complainer, man calls tliee to mourn ;
0 soothe him, whose pleasures, like thine, pass away.
Full quickly they pass— but they never return.
" Now gliding remote, on the verge of the aky.
The moon, half extinguish "d, her crescent displayc
But lately I mark'd, when, majestic on high.
She shone, and the planets were lci<, in her blase.
Roll on, thou fair orb, and, with gladness, pursue
The path, that conducts thee to splendor again :
But man's faded glory, what change shall renew !
Ah fool ! to exult in a glory so vain !
"'Tis night, and the landscape is lovely uo more:
I mourn ; but, ye woodlands, I mourn not for you ;
For morn is approaching, your charms to restore,
Perfum'd with fresh fragrance, and glitt'rlng with diw
Nor yet for the ravage of winter I moum ;
Kind nature the embryo blossom will save:
But when shall spring visit the mouldering urn!
0, when shall day dawn, on the night of the grave
"'Twas thus, by the glare of false science betray'd,
That leads, to bewilder; and dazzles, to blind ;
My thoughts wont to roam, from shade onward to shado,
Destruction before me, and sorrow behind.
0 pity, great Father of light, then I cried.
Thy creature, who fain would not wanuer from tLee
Lo, humbled in dust, 1 relinquish my pride:
From doubt, and from darkness thou only, canst free.
"And darkness and doubt are now flying away :
No longer I roam in conjecture forlorn :
So breaks on tlie traveler, faint and astray,
The bright, and the balmy effulgence of morn.
See truth, love, and mercy, in triumph descending,
And nature all glowing in Eden's first bloom !
On the cold cheek of death smiles, and roses are blendina
And beauty immortal awakes from the tomb.— aec«if.
O what a vision — were tlie stars,
W hen first I saw them burn on high,
Rolling along, like living cars
Of //i-;i«,— for gods U) journey by. •
The world— is full of poetry— the au
Is living with its spirit; the wave»-
Dance — to the music of its melodisi,
And sparkle— in its brightness.
In struggling with misfortunes,
Lies the true proof— of vitiue.
248
READINGS AND RECIIATIONS.
606. The Character op Womaiv. The
influence of the female character — is now
felt, and acknowledged, in all the relations of
life. I speak not now, of those distinguished
women, who instruct their age through the
public press. Nor of those, whose devout
-5train8 we take upon our lips, when we wor-
ship. But of a much torg-er class ; of those,
whose influence is felt in the relations of
neighbor, friend, daughter, wife, mother.
Who waits at the couch of the sick, to ad-
minister tender charities, while life lingers, or
to perform the last acts of kindness, when
death comes ? Where shall we look for those
examples of friendship, that most adorn our
nature; those abiding friendships, which
trust, even when betrayed, and survive all
changes of fortune"? Where shaU we find
the brightest illustration of fihal piety 1 Have
you ever seen a daughter, herself, perhaps,
timid and helpless, watching the decline of an
aged parent, and holding out, with heroic for-
titude, to anticipate his wishes, to administer
to his wants, and to sustain his tottering steps
io the very borders of the grave 1
But in no relation — does woman exercise
so deep an influence, both immediately, and
••>Jospectively, as in that of mother. To her is
committed the immortal treasure of the infant
mind. Upon her — devolves the care of the
nrst stages — of that course of discipline,
which is to form a being, perhaps the most
frail and helpless in the world, the fearless
ruler of animated creation, and the devout
adorer of his great Creator.
Her smiles call into exercise the first affec-
tions, that spring- up in our hearts. She cher-
ishes, and expands — the earliest germs of our
intellects. She breathes over us her deepest
devotions. She lifts our little hands, and
teaches our httle tongues to lisp in prayer.
She watches over us, hke a guardian angel,
and protects us through all our helpless years,
when we know not of her cares, and her
anxieties, on our account. She follows us
into the world of men, and lives in us, and
blesses us, when she lives not otherwise upon
the earth.
What constitutes the centre of every home ?
Whither do our thoughts turn, when our feet
are weary with wandering, and our hearts
sick with disappointments 1 Where shall the
truant and forgetful husband go — for sympa-
thy, unalloyed, and without design, but to the
bosom of her who is ever ready, and waiting
to share in his adversity, or prosperity "! And
if there be a tribunal, where the sins and
the follies of a froward child — may hope for
pardon and forgiveness, this side heaven, that
tribunal — is the heart of a fond, and devoted
mother.
Finally, her influence is felt, deeply, in reli-
gion. *'If Christianity, should be compelled
to flee from the mansions of the great, the
academies of philosophers, the halls of legis-
lators, or the throng of busy men, we should
find her last, and purest retreat — with woman
at the fireside ; her last altar — would be the
female heart; her last audience — would
be the children gathered round the knees of
the mother; her last sacrifice, the secret
Krayer, escaping in silence from her lips, and
eard, perhaps, only at the throne of God."
How empt)j,learning; and how vain is art ;
Bave where it guides the life, and mends the heart.
Fancy and pride reach things at vast expense.
INDIAM NAKES
" Hovv can fbe red men be forgotten, whi so Kiy of cur rtato-
and territories, bays, lakes, and rivers, are indelibly stamped bj
names of their givmg ?"
Ye say— they all have pass'd away.
That noble race — and brave ;
That their light canoes— have vamsh'd
From off the crested wave;
That, 'mid the forests— where they roumd.
There rings no hunter's shout;
But their name — is on your waters,
Ye may not wash it out.
'Tis where Ontario's billow —
Like ocean's surg^ — is curl'd ;
Where strong Niagara's thunders— wake
The echo— of the world ;
Where red Missouri—bringeth
Rich tribute— from the west ;
And Rappahannock— sweetly sleeps
On green Virginia's breast.
Ye say — their conelike cabins,
That ciuster'd o'er the vale,
Have disappear'd, as wither'd leaves —
Before the autumn's gale;
But their memory— liveth on your hills,
Their baptism — on your shore ;
Your everlasting rivers — speak
Their dialect of yore.
Old Massachusetts — wears it —
Within her lordly crown;
And broad Ohio — bears it —
Amid his young renown :
Connecticut — hath wreath'd it —
Where her quiet foliage waves,
And bold Kentucky — breathes it hoarae —
Through all her ancient caves.
Wachusett — hides its lingering voice —
Within his rocky heart,
And Alleghany — graves its tone-
Throughout his lofty chart.
Monadnock, on his forehead hoar,
Doth seal the sacred trust ;
Your mountains— build iheir monun:ent,
Though ye destroy their dust.
IXPROVEMEXT OF MlND WITHOTTT DIS-
PLAY. Well-informed persons will easily be
discovered, to have read the best books, tho'
they are not always detailing lists of autnors :
for a muster-roll of names — may be learned
from the catalogue, as well as from the library.
The honey — owes its exquisite taste— to tlie
fragrance of the sweetest flowers; yet the
skill of the little artificer, appears in this, Uiat
the delicious stores are so admirably worked
up,, and there is such a due proportion ob-
served in mixing them, that the perfection of
the whole — consists in its not tasting, indi
vidually, of the rose, the jassamine, the carna-
tion, or any of those sweets, of the very es-
sence of all which it is compounded. But
true judgment will discover the infusion,
whicn true modesty will not display; and
even common subjects, passing through a
cultivated understanding, borrow a flavor of
its richness.
What stronger breastplate than a heart untalnt'd'i
Thrice is he armed, who hath his quarrel just ;
And he, but naked, tho' locked in steel,
Whose conscience, with injustice i? corrupted.
READINGS AND RECITATIONS
249
60T. ODE ON THB PASSIONS.
When Music, heavenly maid, was young,
While yet, in early Greece, she sung,
The Passions ofl, to hear her shell,
Thrcag'd — around her magic cell ;
Exu.ting, trembling, raging, fainting,
Possess'd beyond the Muse's painting.
By turns, they felt the glowing mind
Disturbed, delighted, raised, refined :
Till once, 'tis said, when all were fired,
Fill'd with fury, rapt, inspired.
From the supporting myrtles round,
They snatch'd her instruments of sound ;
And, as they oft had heard apart,
Sweet lessons of her forceful art.
Each — for Madness ruled the hour —
Would prove his own expressive power.
First, Fear, his hand, its skill to try.
Amid the chords, bewilder'd laid ;
And back recoil'd, he knew not why.
Even at the sound himself had made.
Next, Anger rush'd, his eyes on fire.
In lightnings, own'd his secret stings :
In one rude clash he struck the lyre.
And swept, with hurried hands, tlie strings.
With woful measures, wan Despair —
Low, sullen sounds ! his grief beguiled;
A solemn, strange, and mingled air ;
'Twas sad, by fits — by starts, 'twas wild.
But'.hou, O Hope; with eyes so fair,
What was thy delighted measure !
Sf.ll it whisper'd— promised pleasure,
A:id bade the lovely scenes at distance hail.
Still would her touch the strain prolong ;
And from the rocks, the woods, the vale,
She call'd on Echo still, through' all her song.
And, where her sweetest theme she chose,
A soft, responsive voice was heard at every close;
And Hope, enchanted, smiled and wav'd her gold-
en hair.
Aud longer had she sung— but, with a frown.
Revenge — impatient rose, [down ;
He threw his blood-stained sword in thunder
And, with a withering look.
The war-denouncing trumpet took,
And blew a blast, so loud and dread.
Were ne'er prophetic sounds so full of woe ;
And, e^er and anon, he beat
The doubling drum with furious heat, [tween,
And though, sometimes, each dreary pause be-
Dejected Pity, at his side.
Her soul-subduing voice applied,
Yet still, he kept his wild unalter'd mien ;
While each strani'd ball of sight seem'd bursting
from his head.
Tliy numbers. Jealousy, to nought were fix'd ;
^ad proof of thy distressful state !
Of differing themes the veering song was mix'd :
And, now, it courted Love ; now, raving, call'd
on Hate.
With eyes upraised, as one mspired,
Pale Melancholy sat, retired ;
And, from her wild sequester'd seat,
In notes, by distance, made more sweet,
Pou-'J thrc" the mellow horn her pensive soul:
And, dashing soft, from rocks around.
Bubbling runnels joined the sound. [stole;
Thro' glades and glooms, the mingled measure
Or o'er some haunted streams, with fond delay,
Round — a holy calm diffusing.
Love of peace, and lonely musing —
la hollow murmurs — d:ed away.
But, oh, how alter'd was its sprightlier tone I
YihenCheerfulness, a nymph of healthiest hue,
Her bow across her shoulders flung,
Her buskins gemm'd with morning dew, [rung;
Blew an inspiring air, that dale and thicket
Tlie hunter's call, to Faun and Dryad known I
32
The oak-c.rown'd sisters, aiA their chw te eyed
Satyrs, and sylvan boys, were seen, [que'eii,
Peepi)ig from fortii their alleys green ;
Brown Exercise rejoiced to hear;
And Sport leap'd up, and seiz'd his beechen epear
Last, came Joy's ecstatic trial.
He, with viny crown advancing,
. First to the lively pipe his hand addreso'd ;
But soon, he saw the brisk awakening viol,
Whose sweet, entrancing voice he lov'd the best
They would have thought, who heard the strain.
They saw, in Tempe's vale, her native majdf»,
Amid the festal-sounding shades.
To some unwearied minstrel dancing;
AVhile, as his flying fingers kiss'd the etrirgc,
Love, fram'd with Mirth, a gay fantastic round-—
Loose were her tresses seen, her zone dnbound i
And he, amid his frolic play,
As if he would the charming air repay,
Shook thousand odors— from his dewy wii.ijs
608. THE CHESTNtJT HORSB.
An Eaton stripling, training for the law,
A dunce at syntax, but a dab at taw,
One happy Christinas, laid upon the shelf
His cap and gown, and stores of learned pelf,
With all the deathless bards of Greece and Rome,
To spend a fortnight at his uncle's home.
Return'd, and past the usual how-d'ye-does,
Inquiries of old friends, and college news :
" Well, Tom, the road ; what saw you worth discerning?
How 's all at college, Tom ?— what is 't you 're learning P
" Learning !— O, logic, logic !— not the shallow rules
Of Locke and Bacon — antiquated fools !
But wits' and wranglers' logic ; for d' yf Bee,
I '11 prove as clear, — as clear as A. B. C,
That an tel pie. '» a pigton ; to deny it,
Is to say black 's not black."—
" Come, let 's try it !»
" Well, sir ; an eel pie is a pie of fish." " Agreed."
" Fish pie may be a jack pie." — " Well, well, proceed.''
" A jack pie is a John pi&— and, 'tis done !
For every John piemust be a pie-John." — {pigeon.)
"Bravo! bravo!" Sir Peter cries; " logic forever!
That beats my grandmother, and she was clever ;
But now I think on 't, 't would be mighty hard
If merit such as thine met no reward ;
To show how much I logic love in course,
I '11 make thee master of a chestnut horse."
" A horse !" quoth Tom, " blood, pedigree^ and pBe«»
O, what a dash I '11 cut at Epsora races !"
Tom dreamt all night of boots and leather b^eec^£s:,
Of hunting-caps, and leaping rails and ditches ;
Rose the next morn an hour before the l»rk,
And di-agg'd his uncle, fasting, to the park ;
Bridle in hand, each vale he scours of couEse^
To find out something like a chestnut horse ;
But no such animal the meadows cropt,
Till under a large tree Sir Peter stopt,
Caught at a branch, and shook it, when down fell
A fine horse chestnut, m its prickly shell.
" There, Tom, take that."—" Well, sir, and what bosute i"*
" Why, since you 're booted, saddle i and ride."
"Ride! what, a chestnut, sir?"—" Of course.
For I can prove that chestnut is a horse ;
Not from the doubtful, fusty, musty rulf^
Of Locke and Bacon, antiquated fools,
Nor old Malebranch, blind pilot into knowlet'j*,
But by the laws of wit and Eton college ;
As you have prov'd, and which I don't deny,
That a jjte John '» the same as a John pie,
The matter follows, ai a thin? of course,
That a horserchestivui is a chestnut horse."
Know, Nature's children all divide her care ;
The/ur, that warms a monarch, warm'd a btar.
While man exclaims, " See all things for wy useT
" See man for mineP' replies the pamper'd goofe,
And just as short of reafon— Ae must fall.
Who thinks all made fot one, not one— for ali.
250
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
609. Natiuxal Uniox. Do not, gentle-
men, suffer the rage of passion to drive rea-
son from her seat. If this law be indeed bad,
let us loui to remedy its defects. Has it been
passed in a manner which wounded your
pride, or roused your resentment ! Have, I
conjure you, the magnanimity to pardon that
otience. I entreat, I implore you, to sacri-»
fice those angry passions to the interests of
our country. Pour out tliis pride of opinion
on the altar of patriotism. Let it be an ex-
piatory libation for the weal of America. Do
not suffer that pride to plunge us all into the
abyss of ruin. Indeed, indeed, it will be but
of little, very little avail, whether one opin-
ion or fhe other be right or wrong ; it will
heal no wownds, it will pay no debts, it will
rebuild no ravaged towns. Do not rely on
that popular will, which has brought us frail
beings mto political existence. That opin-
ion is but a changeable thing. It will soon
change. This very measure will change it.
You will be deceived. Do not, I beseech you,
in reliance on a foundation so frail, commit
the dignity, the harmony, the existence of
our nation to the wild wind. Trust not your
treasure to tlie waves. Throw not your com-
gass and your charts into the ocean. Do not
elieve that its billows will waft you into
port. Indeed, indeed, you will be deceived.
Cast not away this only anchor of our safety.
I have seen its progress. I know the difli-
cultics through which it was obtained. I
stand in the presence of Almighty God and
of the world. I declare to you, that if you
lose this charter, never, no never, will you
get another. We are now perhaps arrived at
the parting point. Here, even here, we stand
on the brmk of fate. Pause, then — pause.
F'or Heaven's sake, pause. — Morris.
ATHEIST AXD ACOBN.
" Methiriks the world— seems oddly made,
And every thing — amiss ;"
A dull, complaining atheist said,
As stretched he lay — beneath the shade,
And instanced it — in this:
" Behold," quoth he, " that mighty thing,
A pumpkin, large, and round,
Is held — but by a little string,
Which upwards cannot make it spring.
Nor bear it from the ground.
While on this oak — an acorn small,
So disproportioned grows,
That whosoe'er surveys this all,
This universal caaual ball,
Its ill contrivance knows.
My better judgment — would have hung
The pumpkin — on the tree,
And left the acorn — slightly strung,
*Mongst things — that on the surface sprung,
And weak and feeble be."
No more — the caviler could say,
No further faults descry ;
For, upwards gazing, as he lay.
An acorn, loosened from its spray,
Fell down upon his eye.
The wounded pan — with tears ran o'er,
AS punished for that sin ;
Fool ! had that bough — a pumpkin bore.
Thy whimseys — would have worked no more,
Nor skull— have kept Ihem in.
MY COUNTRY.
I love my country's pine-clad hil^,
Her thousand bright, and gushing rills,
Her sunshine, and her storms;
Her rough and rugged rocks, that rear
Their hoarj' heads, high in the air
In wild fantastic forms.
I love her rivers, deep and wide,
Those mighty streams, that seaward glide,
To seek the ocean's breast;
Her smiling fields, her pleasant vales,
Her shady dells, her flow'ry dales,
The haunts of peaceful rest.
I love her forests, dark and lone,
For there— the wild birds' merry tone,
I heard from morn— till night;
And there— are lovlier flowers I ween,
Than e'er in eastern lands were seen,
In varied colors bright.
Her forests— and her valleys fair,
Her flowers, that scent the morning air.
Have all their charms for me ;
But more— I love my country's name,
Those words, that echo deathless fame,
*' The land of Liberty."— j4no?i.
610. Sublimity oy Mouxtain Sceke.
nx. Of all the sights, that nature offers to
the eye, and mind of man, mountains — have
always stirred my strongest feelings. 1 have
seen the ocean, when it was turned up from
the bottom by tempest, and noon — was like
night, witli the conflict of tlie billows, and
tlie storm, that tore, and scattered them, in
mist and foam, across the sky. I have segn
the desert rise around me, and calmly, in the
midst of thousands, uttering cries of horror,
and paralysed by fear, have contemplated the
sandy pillars, coming like the advance of
some gigantic city of conflagration — flying
across the wilderness, every column glowing
with intense fire, and every blast — death ; ihe.
sky — vaulted with gloom, tlie earth — a fur-
nace. But with me, tlie mountain, in tempest,
or in calm, the tlirone of the thunder, or with
the evening sun, painting its dells and decliv-
ities in colors dipped in heaven — has been
the source of tlie most absorbing sensations.
There stands magnitude, giving the instant
impression of a power above man — grand-
eur, that defies decay — antiquity, that tells
of ages unnumbered — ^beauty, that the touch
of time makes only more beautiful — use, ex
haustless for the service of man — strength
imperishable as the globe ; the monument of
eternity, — the truest earthly emblem of that
ever-living, unchangeable, irresistible Majes-
ty, by whom and for whom, all things were
made ! — Croly.
The time shall come, the fated hour is nigh.
When guiltless blood — shall penetrate the iky
Amid these horrors, and involving night,
Prophetic visions flash before my sight;
Eternal justice wakes, and, in their turn,
The vanquished — triumph, and the victors mourn .'
A hungry lean-faced viHainr^
A mere anatomy, a mounteban/e,
A IhTeBA-bare juggler, and a/or/une-teller,
A needy, hollou 'eyed, sharp-looking toreteh,
A living-dead man.
False pleasure — from abroad her joys imparts.
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
251
611* The Murbereh: Knapp's Trtal. I
Though I could well have wished to shun I
this occasion, I have not felt at liberty, to
withhold my professional assistance, when it
is supposeci, that I might be, in some degree,
useful — in investigating, and discovering the
truth, respecting this most extraordinary mur-
der. It has seemed to be a duty, incumbent
on me, as on every other citizen, to do my
best, and my utmost, to bring to hght tlie per-
petrators of this crime.
Against the prisoner at the bar, as an indi-
vidual, I cannot have the slightest prejudice.
I would not do him the smallest injury or in-
justice. But I do not affect to be indiflerent
to the discovery, and the punislnnent, of this
deep guilt. I cheerfully share in the oppro-
brium, how much soever it may be, which is
cast on those, who feel, and manifest, an anx-
ious concern, that all who had a part in plan-
nmg, or a hand in executing, this deed or mid-
night assassination, may be brought to answer
for their enormous crime, at the bar of public
justice.
Gentlemen, it is a most extraordinary case.
In some respects, it has hardly a precedent
anywhere; certainly none in our New England
history. This bloody drama exhibited no sud-
denly excited, ungovernable rage. The actors
in it were not surprised by any lion-like temp-
tation, springing upon their virtue, and over-
coming it, before resistance could begiii. Nor
did they do the deed to glut savage vengeance,
or satiate long-settled, and deadly hate.
It was a cool, calculating, money-making
murder. It was all " hire and salary, not re-
venge." It was the weighing of money against
life : the counting out of so many pieces of
silver, against so many ounces of blood. An
aged man, without an enemy in the world, in
his own house, and in his own bed, is made the
victim of a butcherly murder, for mere pay.
Truly, here is a new lesson for painters and
poets.
Whosoever shall hereafter draw the portrait
of Murder, if he will show it as it has been
exhibited in one example, where such exam-
ple was last to have been looked for, in the
very bosom of our New England society, let
him not give the grim visage of Moloch, the
brow, knitted by revenge, the face, black with
settled hate, and the blood-shot eye, emitting
livid fires of malice.
Let him draw, rather, a decorous, smooth-
faced, bloodless demon ; a picture in repose,
rather than in action ; not so much an exam-
ple of human nature, in its depravity, and in
its paroxysms of crime, as an infernal nature,
a fiend, in the ordinary display, and develop-
ment of his character.
The deed was executed with a degree of
?elf-possession and steadiness, equal to the
wickedness with which it was planned. The
ci rcu m Stan ces, now clearly in evi dence, spread
out tlie whole scene before us. Deep sleep had
fallen on the destined victim, and on all be-
neath his roof, — a healthful old man to whom
sleep was sweet; — the first sound slumbers of
the night held him in their soft but strong em-
brs2e.
The assassin enters, through the window
already prepared, into an unoccupied apart-
ment. Witli noiseless foot he paces the lonely
hall, half-lighted by the moon; he winds up
tlie ascent of the stairs, and reaches the door
of the chamber. Of this he moves the lock,
bv soft and continued pressure, till it turns on
its hinges without noise; and he ontera. anrl
beholds his victim before him.
The room was uncommonly open to the
admission of light. Tlie face of the innocent
sleeper was turned from the murderer, and
the beams of the moon, resting on the gray
locks of his aged temple, showed him where
to strike. The fatal blow is given ! and the
victim passes, without a struggle, or a motion,
from tlie repose of sleep to the repose of death !
It is the assassin's purpose to make sure
work ; and he yet plies the dagger, though it
was obvious that life had been destroyed by
the blow of the bludgeon. He even raises the
aged arm, that he may not fail in his aim at
the heart, and replaces it again over tlie
wounds of the poinard ! To finish the pic-
ture, he explores the wrist for the pulse ! He
feels for it, and ascertains that it beats no
longer! It is accomplished. The deed is done!
He retreats, retraces his steps to the window,
passes out through it, as he came in, and es-
capes. He has done the murder, — no eye has
seen him, no ear has heard him. The secret
is his own, and it is safe !
Ah ! gentlemen, that was a dreadful mistake.
Such a secret can be safe nowhere. The whole
creation of God lias neither nook, nor comer,
where the guilty can bestow it, and say it is
safe. Not to speak of that eye, which glances
through all disguises, and beholds everything,
as in the splendor of noon, such secrets of guilt
are never safe from detection even by men.
True it is, generally speaking, that " mur-
der will out." True it is, that Providence hath
so ordained, and doth so govern things, that
those, who break the great law of Heaven,
by shedding man's blood, seldom succeed in
avoiding discovery. Especially, in a case
exciting so much attention as this, discovery-
must come, and will come, sooner or later. A
thousand eyes turn at once to explore every
man, everything, every circumstance, con-
nected with the time and place ; a thousand
ears catch every whisper; a thousand excited
minds intensely dwell on the scene, shedding
all their light, and ready to kindle the slight-
est circumstance ilato ablaze of discovery.
Meantime, the guilty soul cannot keep its
own secret. It is false to itself; or rather, it
feels an irresistible im.pulse of conscience to
be true to itself. It labors under its guilty
possession, and knows not what to do witli it.
The human heart was not made for the resi-
denee of such an inhabitant. It finds itself
preyed on by a torment, which it dares not
acknowledge to God or man.
A vulture is devouring it, and it can ask no
assistance, or sympathy, either from heaven,
or earth. The secret, which the murderer
possesses, soon comes to possess him ; aj|d,
like the evil spirits, of which we read, it over-
comes him, and leads him whithersoever it
will. He feels it beating at his heart, rising
to his throat, and demanding disclosure. He
thinks the whole wwtd sees it in his face, rcad«
it in his eyes, and almost hears its workinss
in the very silence of his thoughts. It has
become his master.
It betrays his discretion, it breaks down his
courage, it conquers his prudence. When sus-
picions from without begin to embarass him,
and the net of circumstance to entangle him,
the fatal secret struggles, with still greater vio-
lence, to burst forth. It must be confessed, it
will be confessed, there is no refrige from con-
fession, ^ut suicide, an 1 suicide is confession.
252
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
612> A>-TON\*S ORATION OVKR CESAR.
Friends, Romans, Coumrymen : Lend me your
I come to hiiry Cesar, not to praise him. [ears,
The evil, that men do, lives after them ;
The good— is oft interred with their bones:
So, let it be with Cesar I Noble Brutus
Hath told you, Cesar was ambAious :
If it toere so, it was a grievous fault ;
And grievously — hath Cesar answervd it.
Flere, under leave of Brutus, and the rest,
(For Brutus — is an honorable man,
So are they all, all honorable men)
Come I to speak — in Cesar's funeral
He was my friend, faithful, and just to me :
But Brutus says — he was ambitious ;
Anil Brutus — is an honorable man.
He hath brought many captives home to Rome,
Whose ransoms — did the general coffers fill :
Did this, ni Cesar, seem ambitious?
When that the poor have cried. Cesar hath wept;
Ambition, should be made of sterner staff;
Yet Brutus says — he was ambitious;
And Brutus — is an honorable man.
You all did see,. that, on the Lupercal,
I thrice presented him— a kingly crown.
Which he did thrice — refuse; 'Wa.sthis ambition?
Yel Brutus says, he was ambitious ;
And sure, he is an honorable man.
I speak not to disprove — what Brutus spoke,
But here I am, to speak what I do know.
You all did love him once ; not without cause :
What cause witliolds you, then, to mourn for him?
O judgment ! thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason ! Bear witl. me :
My heart is in the coffin there — with Cesar ;
And I must pause, till it come back to me.
But yesterday, the word of Cesar — might
Have stood against the world ! now, lies he there,
And none so poor — to do him reverence.
0 masters ! if I were disposed to stir
Your hearts and minds — to mutiny and rage,
1 should do Brutus wrong, and Cassius wrong ;
Who, you all know, are honorable men.
I will not do them wrong — I rather choose
To wrong the dead, to wrong myself, and you,
Than I will wrong such honorable men.
But here's a parchment, with the seal of Cesar ;
I found it in his closet; 'tis his will :
Let but the commons — hear this testament,
(Which, pardon me, I do not mean to read,)
And they would go, and kiss dead Cesar's wounds.
And dip their napkins — in his sacred blood —
Yea, beff a hair of him, for memory,
And, dying, mention it within their wills;
Bcqeathing it, as a rich legacy,
Unto their issue.
If you have tears, prepare to shed them now
You all do know this mantle : I remember
The first time ever Cesar put it on ;
'Twas on a summer's evening, in his tent ;
That day — he overcome the Nervii
Look! in this place — ran Cassius' dagger through
See, what a rent — the envious Casca made :
Through this, the icell beloved Brutus stabbed,
And, as he plucked his cursed steel away,
Mark how the blood of Cesar followed it!
rh'.6, was the mos*. unkindest cut of all!
For when the noble Cesar — saw him stab.
Ingratitude, more strong than traitors' arms,
Quite vanquished him : ilien, burst— his mighty
And, in his mantle, muffling up his face, [hearty
Even at the base of Pompey's statue,
(Which all the while ran blood) great Cesar — fell
0 what fall was tl^ere, my coumrymen!
Then I, and you, and all of us— fell down.
Whilst bloody treason — flourished over us.
O, now you weep : and, I perceive, you feel
The dint of pity : these are gracious drops.
Kind souls ! what, weep you, when you but behold
Our Cesar's vesture wounded ? Look you here 1
Here — is himself, — marred, as you see, by traitors
Good friends! sweet friends! let me not stir you up
To such a sudden flood of mutiny.
They, that have do7ie this deed, are honorable;
What ^m-ate griefs they have, alas! I know-not.
That made them do it ; they are wise, and honora-
And will, no doubt, with reason answer you. [ble-,
1 come not, friends, to steal away your hearts ;
I am no orator, as Brutus is ;
But, as you know me all. a plain — blunt man.
That love my friend— and that they know full well,
That gave me public leave, to speak of him.
For I have neither wit, nor words, nor worth.
Action, nor utterance, nor power of speech.
To stir men's blood— I only speak right on :
I tell you that — which you yourselves do know —
Show you sweet Cesar's wounds, poor, poor dumo
And bid tiiem speak for me. [mouths,
But were I^Brutus,
And Brutus— ^ntoni/, there were an Antony-
Would ruftle up your spirits, and put a tongue
In every wound of Cesar, that should movs
The stones of Rome — to rise and mutiny.
613. The Invalid Abroau. It is a sad
thing, to feel that v/e must die, away from our
own home. Tell not the invahd, who is yearn-
ing after his distant country, that the atmos-
phere around him is soft, that the gales are fil-
led with balm, and that the Uowers are sprin^r-
ing from the green earth ; he knows, that the
softest air to his heart, would be the air, whicn
hangs over his native land ; that, more grate-
fully than all the gales of the soutii, would
bi-eathe low whispers of anxious aflection ,
that the very icicles, clinging to his own eaves,
and snow, beating against his own windows,
would be far more pleasant to his eyes, than
the bloom and verdure, which only more for-
cibly remind him, how far he is from tliat one
spot, which is dearer to him, tlian all the
world beside. He may, indeed, find estimable
friends, who will do all in their power to pro-
mote his comfort, and assuage his pains; b"^
they cannot supply the place of the long
known and long loved; they cannot read, aa
in a book, the mute language of his face ; they
have not learned to wait upon his habits, and
anticipate his wants, and he has not learned
to communicate, without hesitation, all hig
wishes, impressions, and thoughts to tbcm.
He feels that he is a stranger ; and a more
desolate feeling than tliat, could not visit liia
soul. How mucli is expressed, by that form
of oriental benediction, " May yuu die amonti
your kindred." — Greenwoods
All, who joy would inn,
Must share it, — happiness — was U rn a tw:n
He is unhappy, wno is never satisjiai.
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
2SS
614. TheLifeof ADRUTfKAHD. Ifyou
;vouId mark the misery, which drunkenness
infuses into the cup of domestic happiness,
go with me to one of those nurseries of crime,
a common tipphnjj shop, and there behold,
collected till midnight, the fathers, the hus-
bands, the sons, and the brothers of a neigh-
borhood. Bear witness to the stencli, and the
filthiness around them. Hearken to the oaths,
the obscenity, and the ferocity of their conver-
sation. Observe their idiot laugh ; record the
vulgar jest, with which they are delighted,
and tell me, what potent sorcery has so trans-
formed tliese men, that, for this loathsome
den, they should forego all the delights of an
innocent, and lovely fireside.
But let us follow some of them home, from
the scene of their debauch. There is a young
man, wliose accent, and gait, and dress, be-
speak the communion, which he once has
held, with something better than all this. He
is an only son. On nim, the hopes of parents,
and of sisters have centred. Every nerve of
that family has been strained, to give to that
intellect, of which they all were proud, every
means of choicest cultivation. They have
denied themselves, that nothing should be
wanting, to enable him to enter his profession,
under every advantage. They gloried in his
talents, they exulted in the first buddings of
his youthfiil promise, and they were looking
forward to the time when every labor should
be repaid, and every self-denial rewarded, by
the joys of that hour, when he should stand
forth in all the blaze of well-earned, and in-
disputable professional pre-eminence. Alas,
these visions are less bright than once they
were!
Enter ihdX family circle. Behold those aged
Earents, surrounded by children, lovely and
eloved. Within that circle reign peace, vir-
tue, intelligence, and refinement. The even-
ing has been spent, in animated discussion,
in innocent pleasantry, in the sweet inter-
change of affectionate endearment. There is
one, who used to share all this, who was the
centre of this circle. Why is he not here 7 Do
professional engagements, of late, so estrange
nim from home'? The hour of devotion has
arrived. They kneel before their Father and
their God. A voice, tliat used to mingle in
their praises, is absent. An hour rolls away.
Where now has all tliat cheerfulness flecf '{
Why does every effort to rally, sink them
deeper in despondency ] Why do those pa-
rents look so wistfully around, and why do
they start at the sound of every footstep'.'
Another hour hos gone. That lengthened
real is too much for a mother's endurance.
She can conceal the well known cause no
longer. The unanswered question is wrung
from her lips, Wliere, oh where, is my son '.'
Tile step of that son and brother is heard.
The door is opened. He staggers in before
them, and is stretched out at their feet, in all
Die loat/isomeness of beastly intoxication.
615. SERPENT OF THE STILL.
They tell me — of the Egyptian asp,
The bite of which — is death;
The victim, yielding with a gasp,
His hot, and hurried breath.*
The Egyptian queen, says history,
The reptile vile applied;
And in the arms of agony,
Victoriously died.
They tell me, that, in Italy,
There is a reptile dreed.
The sting of which — is agony,
And dooms the victim dead.
But, it is said, that music's sound,
May soothe the poisoneo part,
Yea, heal the galling, ghastly wou.iil,
And save the sinking heart.
They tell me, too, of serpents vast,
That crawl on Afric's shore,
An,d swallow men — historians pBit
Tell us of one of yore : —
But there is yet, one, of a kind,
More fatal — than the whole.
That stings the body, and the mind ,
Yea, it devours the soul.
'Tis found almost o'er all the earth.
Save Turkey's wide domains ;
And there, if e'er it had a birth,
'Tis kept in mercy's chains.
Tis found in our own gardens gay*
In our own flowery fields ;
Devouring, every passing day,
Its thousands — at its meals.
The poisonous venom withers youlli,
Blasts character, and health ;
All sink before it — hope, and truth,
And comfort, joy, and wealth.
It is th« author, too, of shame ;
And never fails to kill.
Reader, dost thou desire the name ?
The Serpent of the Still.
THE WORLD AT A DISTANCK.
'Tis pleasant — tlirough the loopholes of retreat,
To peep at such a world ; to see the stir
Of the great Babel, and not feel the crowd;
To hear the roar she sends, through all her gates
At a safe distance, where the dying sound,
Falls a soft murmur — on the uninjured ear.
Thus sitting, and surveying, thus at ease,
The globe, and its concerns, I seem advanced
To some secure, and more than mortal heigljt,
That liberates, and exempts me, from them ail.
It turns submitted to my view, turns round
With all its generations ; I behold
The tumult, and am still. The sound of v/ar —
Has lost its terrors, ere it reaches me ;
Grieves, but alarms me not. I mourn the pride
And avarice, that make man — a wolf to man ;
Hear the faint echo — of those brazen throats,
By which he speaks the language of his heart,
And sigh, but never tremble, at the sound.
He travels, and expatiates; as the bee,
From flower to flower, so he — from Jaiid to land
The manners, customs, policy of all,
Pay contribution — to the store he gleans ;
He sucks intelligence — in every clime.
And spreads the honey— of his deep research,
At his return — a rich repast for me.
He travels, and I too. I tread his deck,
Ascend his topmast, through his peering cyts
Discover countries, with a kindred heart ^
Suffer his woes, and share in his escapes;
While fancy, like the finger of a clock.
Runs the great circuit, and ie still at home.
Ksd battle cbtmpi hii foot, asd natioru feel the ahocJc.
254
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
616. EuLOGiUM ON THE SouTH. If there be
one state in the union, Mr. President, (and I say
it not in a boastful spirit) that may challenge
comparison with any other, for a uniform, zeal-
ous, ardent, and uncalculating devotion to the
union, that state— is South Carolina. Sir, from
the very commencement of the revolution, up to
this hour, there is no sacrifice, however great,
she has not cheerfully made; no service, she
has ever hesitated to perform. She has adhered
to you in your prosi)erity ; but, in your adversi-
ty, she has clung to you, with more than filial
Effection. No matter what was the condition of
her domestic affairs, though deprived of her re-
sources, divided by parties, or surrounded by
difficulties, the call of the country, has been to
her, as the voice of God. Domestic discord
ceased at the sound, every man became at once
reconciled to his brethren, and the sons of Caro-
lina were all seen, crowding togethe/ ;o the tem-
ple, bringing their gifts to the altar of their com-
mon country.
What, sir, was the conduct of the south during
the revolution ? Sir, I honor New England for
her conduct in that glorious struggle. But, great
as is the praise, which belongs to her, I think at
least, equal honor is due to the south. They es-
poused the quarrel of their brethren, with a
generous zeal which did not suffer them to stop
to calculate their interest in the dispute. Favor-
ites of the mother country, possessed of neither
ships, nor seamen, to create commercial rival-
ship, they might have found, in their situation,
a guarantee, that their trade would be forever
fostered, and protected by Great Britain. But,
trampling on all considerations, either of inter-
est, or safety, they rushed into the conflict, and,
fighting for principle, perilled all in the sacred
cause of freedom.
Never — were there exhibited, in the history
of the world, higher examples of noble daring,
dreadful suffering, and heroic endurance, than
by the whigs of Carolina, during the revolution.
The whole state, from the mountains to the sea,
was overrun by an overwhelming force of the
enemy. The fruits of industry — perished on fhe
spot where they were produced, or were con-
sumed by the foe. •' The plains of Carolina"
drank up the most precious blood of her citizens!
Black, and smoking ruins— marked the places
which had been the habitations of her children !
Driven from their homes, into the gloomy, and
almost impenetrable swamps, even there — the
spirit of liberty survived ; and South Carolina,
sustained by the example of her Sumpters, and
Marions, proved, by her conduct, that though
her soil might be overrun, the spirit of her peo-
ple was Invincib e. — Hayne.
617. EuLooiuM ON THE NoRTH. The eulo-
gium pronounced on the character of the state
of^outh Carolina, by the honorable gentleman,
for her levolutionary, and other merits, meets
my 1 earty concurrence. I shall not acknowl-
edge, that the honorable member is before me,in
regard for whatever of distinguished talent, or
diGtinguished character. South Carolina has pro-
4uced. 1 claim part of the honor: I partake in
the pride of her great names. I claim them fot
countrymen, one and all — the Laurens, the Rut-
ledges, the Pinckneys, the Sumpters, the Mari-
ons— Americans all— whose fame is no more to
be liemmed in by state lines, than their talents
and patriotism, were capable of being circum-
scribed, within the same narrow limits.
In their day, and generation, they served, and
honored the country, and the whole country, and
their renown is of the treasures of the whole
country. Him, whose honored name the gentle-
man himself bears— does he suppose me less ca-
pable of gratitude for his patriotism, or sympa-
thy for his sufferings, than if his eyes had first
opened upon the light in Massachusetts, instead
of South Carolina? Sir, does he suppose it in
his power, to exhibit a Carolina name so bright,
as to produce envy in my bosom ? No, sir, in-
creased gratification, and delight, rather. Sir. I
thank God, that, if I am gifted with little of the
spirit, which is said to be able to raise mortals to
the skies, I have yet none, as I trust, of that
other spirit, which would drag angels down.
But sir, let me recur to pleasing recollectiona
— let me indulge in refreshing remembrances of
the past — let me remind you, that in early times,
no states cherished greater harmony, both of
principle, and of feeling, than Massachusetts and
South Carolina. Would to God, that harmony
might again return. Shoulder to shoulder they
went through the revolution- handin hand, they
stood round the administration of Washington,
and felt his own great arm lean on them for sup-
port. Unkind feeling, if it exist, alienation and
distrust, are the growth, unnatural to such soils,
of false principles since sown. They are weeds,
the seeds of which that same great arm neve
scattered.
Mr. President, I shall enter on no encomium
upon Massachusetts— she needs none. There
she is — behold her, and judge for yourselves.
There is Boston, and Concord, and Lexington,
and Bunker Hill ; and there they will remain, for-
ever. The bones of her sons, fallen in the great
struggle for independence, now lie mingled with
the soil of every state, from New England to
Georgia ; and there they will lie — forever.
And, sir, where American liberty raised its
first voice, and where its youth was nurtured
and sustained, there it still lives, in the strength
of its manhood, and full of its original spirit. If
discord, and disunion shall wound it — if party
strife, and blind ambition shall hawk at,, and
tear it; if folly and madness, if uneasiness under
salutary and necessary restraint, shall succeed
to separate it from that union by which alone,
its existence is made sure, it will stand, in the
end, by the side of that cradle in which its in-
fancy was rocked ; it will stretch forth its arm,
with whatever of vigor it may still retain, over
the friends who gather around it ; and it will
fall at last, if fall it must, amidst the proudest
monuments of its own glory, and on the very
spot of its origin.— Webster.
The sweetest cordial— we receive at last.
Is conscience— of our virtuous actiono pasu
Inform yourself, and instruct others.
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
255
618. LiBEBTT AND Utstiox. 1 piofess, sir,
tn my career hitherto, to have kept steadily in
view, the prosperity, and honor of the whole
country, and the preservation of our federal
union. It is, to that union, we owe our safety
at home, and our consideration and dignity
abroad. It is to that union, that we are chief-
ly mdebted, for whatever makes us most proud
of our country. That union we reacheci, only
by the discipline of our virtues, in tlie severe
Kchool of adversity. It had its origin, in the
necessities of disordered finance, prostrate
commerce, and ruined credit Under its be-
nign influences, these great interests imme-
diately awoke, as from the dead, and sprang
forth with newness of life. Every yeai? of its
duration — has teemed with fresh proofs of its
utility, and its blessings ; and although our
territory has stretched out, wider and wider,
and our population spread farther and farther,
they have not outrun its protection, or its be-
nefits. It has been to us all, a copious fountain
of national, social, and personal happiness.
I have not allowed myself, sir, to look be-
yond the union, to see what might lie hidden
m the dark recess behind. / have not coolly
weighed the chances of preserving liberty,
when the bonds, that unite us together, shall
be broken asunder. I have not accustomed
myself — to hang over the precipice of dis-
union, to see whether, with my short sight, I
can fathom — the dejjth — of the'abyss — below,-
nor could I regard him, as a safe counsellor in
the affairs of this government, whose thoughts
should be mainly bent on considering, not
how the union should be preserved, bu^ how
tolerable might be the condition of the people,
when it shall be broken up, and destroyed.
While the union lasts, we have high, excit-
ing, gratifying prospects spread out before
us, for us, and our children. Beyond that, I
seek not to penetrate the vail. God grant,
that, in my day, at least, that curtain may not
rise. God grant, that on my vision, never
may be opened what lies behind. When my
eyes shall be turned to behold, for the last
time, the sun in heaven, may I not see him
shining on the broken, and dishonored frag-
ments of a once glorious union ; on states
dissevered, discordant, belligerent ; on a land,
rent with civil feuds, or drenched, it may be,
in fraternal blood ! Let their last feeble and
lingering glance, rather, behold the gorgeous
ensign of the republic, now known, and hon-
ored, throughout the earth, still full high ad-
vanced, its arms and trophies — streaming in
their original lustre, not a stripe erased, or
polluted, nor a single star obscured — bearing
for its motto, no such miserable interrogatory
as — What is all this worth ? Nor those other
words of delusion and folly — Liberty— first,
and union — afterwards — but everyvmere,
spread all over in characters of living light,
blazing on all its ample folds, as they float
over the sea, and over the land, and in every
wind under the whole heavens, that other
sentiment, dear to every — true — American
heart — Liberty and union, now, and foret-er,
one — and inseparable ! — Webster.
619. MOONLIGHT, AND A BATTLE-FIELD.
How beautiful this night ! the balmiest sigh,
Which vernal zephyrs breathe, in Evening's ear,
Were discord, lo the speaking quietude, [vault,
Tliat wraps this moveless scene. Heaven's ebon
?tudded with stars unutterably bright,
Tliro' which tlie moon's unclouded grandeur rolls,
Seems like a canopy, which Love hath sprjad.
To curtain lier sleeping world. You gentle hills
Robed iu a garment of untrodden snow ;
Yon darlcsome rocks, whence icicles depend.
So stainless, tliat their white and glittering spires
Tinge not the moon's pure beam ; yon castl'd steep,
Whose banner nangetho'er the time-worn towe^
So idly, that rapt fancy, deeraeth it
A metaphor of peace ; — all form a scene.
Where musing Solitude might love to lift
Her soul, above this sphere of (jaithlinesfj -
Where Silence, undisturbed, might wauh alone,
So cold, so bright, so still !
The orb of day,
In southern climes, o'er ocean's waveless field.
Sinks, sweetly smiling : not the fai'ntest breath
Steals o'er the unruffled deep ; the clouds of eve
Reflect, unmoved, the lingering beam of day :
And Vesper's image, on the western main,
Is beautifully still. To-morrow comes:
Cloud upon cloud, in dark and deepening mass,
Roll o'er the blackened waters ; the deep roar
Of distant thunder mutters awfuUj' ;
Tempest unfolds its pinions, o'er the gloom,
That shrouds the boiling surge; the pitiless fiend,
With all his winds, and lightnings, tracks his prey;
The torn deep yawns — the vessel finds a grave
Beneath its jagged gulf
Ah I whence yon glare
That fires the arch of heaven? that dark red smoke.
Blotting the silver moon? The stars are quenched
In darkness, and the pure spangling snow
Gleams, faintly, thro' the gloom, tliat gathers round!
Hark to that roar, whose swift and deafening peals,
In countless echoes through the mountains ring,
Startling palo Midnight, on her starry throne I
Now swells the intermingling din; the jar,
Frequent, and frightful, of the bursting bgmb ;
The falling beam, the shriek, the groan, the shout,
The ceaseless clangor, and the rush of men
Inebriate with rage I — loud and mors loud,
The discord grows; till pale Death shuts the scene,
And, o'er the conqueror, and the conquered, draws
His cold, and bloody shroud. Of all the men,
Whom day's departing beam saw blooming there,
In proud, and vigorous health—of all the hearts,
That beat with anxious life, at sunset there —
How few survive, how few are beating now 1
All is deep silence, like the fearful calm,
That slumbers in the storm's portentous pause ;
Save when the frantic wail of widowed love
Comes, shuddering, on the blast, or the faint moan,
With which some soul bursts from the frameof clay
Wrapped round its struggling powers.
The gray morn [snxoke.
Dawns on the mournful scene; the sulphuroiw
Before the icy wind, slow rolls away,
And the bright beams of frosty morning dance
Aloi^ the spangling show. There, tracks of blood,
Even to the forest's depth, and scattered arms.
And lifeless warriors, whose hard lineaments
Death's sdf could change not, mark the dreadful
Of the out-sallying victors : far behind, [patli
Black ashes note, wnere their proud city stood.
Within yon forest, is a glooomy glen-
Each tree, which guards its darkness from the day
Waves o'er a warrior's tomb.— §/i«^iy.
266
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
030. GooDXESs OF Gob. The light of
^ nature, the works of creation, the general
consent of nations, in harmony with divine
revelation, attest the being, the perfections,
and the providence of God. Whatever cause
we have, to lament the frequent inconsisten-
cy of human conduct, with this belief, yet an
avowed atheist is a monster, that rarely
makes his appearance. God's government
of the affairs of the universe, an acknowl-
edgment of his active, superintending provi-
dence, over that portion of it, which consti-
tutes the globe we inhabit, is rejected, at least
theoretically, by very few.
That a superior, invisible power, is contin-
ually employed in managing and controlhng
by secret, imperceptible, irresistible means,
all the transactions of the world, is so often
manifested in the disappointment, as well as
in the success of our plans, that blind and
depraved must our minds be, to deny, what
every day's transactions so fully prove. The
excellence of the divine character, especially
in the exercise of that goodness towards his
creatures, which is seen in the dispensation
of their daily benefits, and in overruling oc-
curring events, to the increase of their happi-
ness, is equally obvious.
Do we desire evidence of these things 1
Who is without them, in the experience of
his own life ! Who has not reason, to thank
God for the success, which has attended his
exertions in the world l Who has not reason
to thank him, for defeating plans, the accom-
plishment of which, it has been afterwards
seen, would have resulted in in jury, or ruin 1
Who has not cause, to present him the unaf-
fected homage of a grateful heart, for the con-
sequences 0$" events, apparently the most un-
propitious, and for his unquestionable kind-
ness, in the daily supply of needful mercies '!
PROGRESS OF LIBERTY.
Why muse
Upon the past, with sorrow ? Though the year
Has gone, to blend with the mysterious tide
Of old Eternity, and borne along,
Upon its heaving breast, a thousand wrecks
Of glory, and of beauty, — yet why mourn,
That such is destiny? Another year
Succeedeth to the past, — in their bright round,
The seasons come, and go, — the same blue arch,
That hath hung o'er us, veill hang o'er us yet, —
The same pure stars, that we have loved to watcli,
Will blossom still, at twilight's gentle hour,
Like lilies, on the tomb of Day, — and still,
Man will remain, to dream, as he hath dreamed,
And mark the earth with passion. Love will spring
From the tomb of old Affections, — Hope,
A.nd .Joy, and great Ambition — will rise up.
As they have risen, — and their deeds will be
B-ighler, than those engraven on the scroll —
Of parted centuries. Even now, the sea
Of coming years, beneath whose mighty waves,
liife's great events are heaving into birth,
Is tossing to and fro, as if the wiiids
0( heaven were prisoned in its soundless depths,
A.nd struggling to be free.
As some tall diff', that lifts its awful/orm,
©Avells from the vale, and midway leaves the stonn,
The' round its braast, the rolling douds are spread,
Eternal suyishine — settles on its head.
What is fame? A-fancifd life in others'' breath.
THE OLB OAKEN BUCKET.
How dear to this heart — are the scenes of my chUtUuxyl,
When fond recollection — presents them to view !
The orchard, the meadow, the deep-tangled toi7d-wood.
And every loved spot, which my infancy knew ;
The wide-spreading pond, and the mill which stood by it
The bridge, and the rock, where the cataract fell ;
The cot of my father, the dairy house— nigh it,
And e'en the rude bucket, which hung in the voeil !
The old oaken bucket, the tVon-bound bucket,
The moM-covered bucket, which hung in the uxU,
That moss-covered vessel — I hail as a treasure ;
For often at noon, when returned from the field,
1 found it — the source of an exquisite pleasure,
T.he purest, and sweetest, that nature can yield.
HAr ardent I seized it, with hands that were glowing
And quick— to the white-pebbled bottom it fell ;
Then soon, with the emblem of truth overflowing,
And dripping with coolness, it rose from the well ;
The old oaken bucket, the trwi -bound bucket,
The iTiosi-covered bucket — arose from the welL
How noeef— from the green — mossy brim — to receive it.
As poised on the eitrfc— it inclined to my lips !
Not a full blushing g-oite<— could tempt me to leave it,
Though Ailed with the nectar, that Jupiter sipa.
And jiow, far removed — from the lov'd situation,
The tear of regret will ititrusively swell,
Asfn7icy — reverts to my father^s plantation.
And sigfis for the bucket, which hangs in the well;
The old oaken bucket, the tron-bound bucket,
The mo«-covered bucket, which hangs in the well
621. Right of Free Discussiojf. Im-
portant, as I deem it, to discuss, on all prop*
er occasions, the policy of the measures, at
present pursued, it is still mwe important
to maintain the right of such discussion, in
its full, and just extent Sentiments, lately
sprung up, and now growing fashionable,
malie it necessary to be explicit on this point.
The more I perceive a disposition — to check
the freedom of inquiry, by extravagant, and
unconstitutional pretences, the firmer shall
be the tone, in which I shall assert, and the
freer the manner, in which I shall exercise it.
It is the ancient and undoubted preroga-
tive of tliis people — to canvass public meas-
ures, and the merits of public men. It is a
"home bred right," a fireside privilege. It
hath ever been enjoyed in every house, cot-
tage, and cabin, in the nation. It is not to be
drawn into controversy. It is as undoubted,
as the right of breathing the air, or walking
on the earth. Belonging to private life, as a
ri^ht, it belongs to public life, as a duty ,- and
it IS the last duty which those, whose repre-
sentative I am, shall find me to abandon.
Aiming, at all times, to be courteous, and
temperate in its use, except, when the right
itself shall be questioned, 1 shall then carry
it to its extent. I shall place myself on the
extreme boundary of my right, and bid de-
fiance to any arm, that would move me from
my ground.
This high, constitutional privilege, I shall
defend, and exercise, iviihin this house, and
without this house, and in all places ; in time
of peace, and in all times. Living, I shall
assert it ; and, should I leave no other inheri-
tance to my children, by tlie blessing of God,
I will leave them the inheritance of free prin-
ciples, and the example of a manly, inde-
pendent, and constitutional defence of them.
Grasp the whole world of reason, life, ani 6CM5*,
In one close system of benet-oZence /
Happier, as kindlier, in whatever degree,
A height of Uiss—i% height of charity.
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
257
633. Peace and Wah Contrasteb.
The morality of peaceful times — is directly
opposite to the maxim's of war. The ftinda-
mental rule of the first is — to do good ; of the
latter, to inflict injuries. The former — com-
mands us to succor the oppressed ; tlie latter
to overwhelm the defenceless. The former
teaches men to love tlieir enemies ; the latter,
to make themselves terrible to strangers.
The rules of morahty — will not suffer us to
promote the dearest mterest, by falsehood;
the maxims of war applaud it, when employ-
ed in the destruction of others. That a iamil-
iarity with such maxims, must tend to harden
the heart, as well as to pervert the moral sen-
timents, is too obvious to need illustration.
The natural consequence of their preva-
ence is — an unfeeling, and unprincipled am-
bition, with an idolatry of talents, and a con-
tempt of virtue ; whence the esteem of man-
kind is turned from tlie humble, the beneficent,
and the good, to men who are qualified, by a
genius, fertile in expedients, a courage, that
is never appalled, and a heart, that never pit-
ies, to become the destroyers of the earth.
While the philanthropist is devising means
to mitigate tlie evils, and augment the happi-
ness of the world, a fellow-worker together
with God, in exploring, and giving effect to
tlie benevolent tendencies of nature; the
warrior — is revolving, in the gloomy recesses
of his capacious mind, plans of future devast-
ation and ruin.
Prisons, crowded with captives; cities, emp-
tied of their inhabitants ; fields, desolate and
waste, are among liis proudest trophies. The
fabric of i»is fame is cemented with tears and
blood ; and if his name is wafted to the ends
of tlie earth, it is in the shrill cry of suffering
humanity; in the curses and imprecations
of those wliom his sword has reduced to des-
pair.
633. IMMORTAL MIND.
When coldness — wraps lliis suffering clay,
Ah, wliiiher — strays the immortal mind ?
It cannot die, it cannot stay,
But leaves its darkened dust behind.
Then; unembodied, doth it trace,
By steps, each planet's heavenly way?
Or fill, at ojice, the realms of space,
A thing orf'eyes, that all suryey?
Eternal, boundless, undecayed,
A thought unseen, but seeing all.
All. all in earth, or skies displayed,
Shall it survey, shall it recall;
Each fainter trace, that memory holds,
So darkly — of departed years,
In one broad glance — the soul beholds,
And all, th.at was, at once appears.
Before creation peopled earth,
Its eye shall roll — through chaos back ;
And where the farthest heaven had birlli,
The spirit trace its rising track.
And where the future mars, or makes,
Its glance, dilate o'er all to be.
While sun is quenched, or system breaks ;
Fixed— in its own eternity.
Above all love, hope, hate, or fear,
It lives all passionless, and pure ;
A n age shall fleet, like earthly year ;
Its ysars, as moments, shall endure
BRONSON. 17
Away, away, without a wmg,
O'er all, through all, its thoughts! shall fly;
A nameless, and eternal tiling,
Forgetting — what it was to die. — Byron.
Gexuixe Taste. To the eye of taste, each
season of the year has its peculiar beauties
nor does the venerable oak, when fringeii with
the hoary ornaments of winter, afford a pros-
pect, less various, or delightful, than, when
decked in tlie most luxuriant foliage. Is, tlien
the winter of life — connected with no associa-
tions, but those of horror '{ Tliis can never
be the case, until ideas of contempt — are asso-
ciated with ideas of wisdom, and experience ;
associations, which the cultivation of true
taste — would effectually prevent. Suppoet;
the person, who wishes to improve on na-
tures plan, should apply to the artificial ftorist
to deck the bare boughs of his spreading oak
with ever-blooming roses; would it not be
soon discovered, that, in deserting nature, he
had deserted taste ] It should be remembered,
that the coloring of nature, whether in tlie ani-
mate, or inanimate creation, never fails to har-
monize with the object; tliat her most beauti-
ful hues are often transient, and excite a more
lively emotion from that very circumstance..
634:. gambler's wife.
Dark is the night ! How dark ! No light ! No fire !
Cold, on the hearth, the last faint sparks expire !
Shivering, she watches, by the cradle side,
For him, who pledged her love — latt year a firide!
" Hark ! 'Ti» his footstep ! No !— 'Tis past !— Tis gODC I"
Tick ! — Tick ! — " How wearily the time crawls on !
Why should he leave me thus ? — He once was kind !
And I bdieved 't would last '.—How mad !— How blind !
" Rest thee, my babe ! — Rest on ! — 'Tis hunger's cry !
Sleep ; — For there is no food ! — The font is dry !
Famine, and cold their wearying work have done.
My heart must break ! And thou !" The clock strikes one.
"Hush! 'tis the dice-box I Yes! he's there! he's there!
For this ! — for this he leaves me to despair !
Leaves love ! leaves truth ! his wife ! his Mid! for what?
The wanton's smile — the villain — and the sot !
"Yet I'll not curse him. No ! 'tis all in vain!
Tis long to wait, but sure he'll come again 1
And I could starve, and bless him, but for you,
My child \—hii chUdl Oh, fiend !» The clock strikes tins.
« Hark ! How the sign-board creaks ! The blast howla by.
Moan ! moan ! A dirge swells through the cloudy aJiy !
Ha ! lis his knock ! he comes ! — he comes once more !"
'Tis but the lattice flaps ! Thy hope is o'er !
" Can he desert us thus ! He knows I stay,
Night after night, in loneliness, to pray
For his return — and yet he sees no tear !
No ! no ! It cannot be ! He will be here !
" Neatle more closely, dear one, to my heart !
Thou'rt cold ! Thou'rt freezing ! But we will not part !
Husband !— I die !— Father !— It is not he !
Oh, God I protect my child !" The clock strikes three.
They're gone, they're gone ! the glimmering spark hatli fled \—
The wife, and child, are number'd with the dead.
On the cold earth, outstretched in solemn rest,
The babe lay, frozen on its mother's breast :
The gambler «me at last— but all was o'er—
Dread silence reign'd around :— the clock struck four !— Coa/**
Goodness — is only greatness m itself,
It rests not on externals, nor its worth
Derives— from gorgeous pomp, or glittering pelf
Or chance of arms, or accident of birth ;
It lays its foundations in the soul.
And pile* a tower of virtue to the skies,
•j round whose pinnacle— majestic— roll
The clouds of glory, starrd with angel eyes.
258
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
635. DARKNb^S.
1 had a dream, which was not all a dream,
fhe bright sun was extinguished, and the stars
Did wander, darkling, in the eternal space,
Rayless, and pathless, and the icy earth
Swung blind,and blackening, in the moonless air ;
Morn came, and went — and came, and bro't no
And men forgot their passions, in the dread [day ;
Of this their desolation ; and all hearts
Were chilled— into a selfish prayer for light :
And they did live by watch-fires; and the thrones,
The palaces of crowned kings, the huts,
The habitations of all things, which dwell, —
Were burnt for beacons ; cities were consumed.
And men w're gather'd round their blazing homes,
To look once more into each other's face :
Happy were those who dwell within the eye
Of the volcanoes, and their mountain torch.
A fearful hope — wasaH — the world contained:
Forests were set on fire ; but, hour by hour,
They fell, and faded, and the crackling trunks
Extinguished with a crash, and all was black.
The brows of men, by the despairing light,
"Wore an unearthly aspect, as, by fits.
The flashes fell upon them. Some lay down.
And hid their eyes, and wept ; and some did rest
Their chins upon their clenched hands, and smil'd;
And others hurried to and fro, and fed
Their funeral piles with fuel, and looked up.
With mad disquietude, on the dull sky,
The pall of a past world ; and then again,
"With curses, cast them down upon the dust.
And gnashed their teeth, and howled. The wild
birds shrieked.
And, terrified, did flutter on the ground.
And flap their useless wings : the wildest brutes
Came tame, and tremulous ; and vipers crawled
And twined themselves among the multitude,
Hissing, but stingless— they were slain for food.
And War, which for a moment was no more,
Did glut himself again— a meal was bought
With blood, and each sat sullenly apart,
Gorging himself in gloom : no love was left;
All earth was but one thought — and that was
Immediate and inglorious ; and men [death,
Died, am their bones mere as tombless as their
The meagr* 'ly the meagre were devoured; [flesh:
Even dogs »Mailed their masters— all save one,
And he was faithful to a corse, and kept
The birds, and beasts, and famished men, at bay.
Till hunger clung them, or the dropping dead
Lured their lank jaws ; himself, sought out no
But, with a piteous, and perpetual moan, [food.
And a quick, desolate ( ry, licking the hand
Which answered not with a caress— he died.
The crowd was famished by degress ; but two
Of an enormous city did survive,
And they were enemies ; they met beside
The dying embers — of an altar-place,
Where had been heaped a mass of holy things.
For an unholy usage ; they raked up, [hands,
And, shivering, scraped, with their cold, skeleton
The feeble ashes, and their feeble breath
Blew for a little life, and made a flame.
Which was a mockery ; then they lifted
Their eyes as it grew lighter, and beheld
Each other's aspects; eaw, and shriek'd, and died,
Even of their mutual lAideousness they died,
Unknowing who he was, upon whose brow-
Famine hy\d written^ent/. The world was vo'l
The populous, and the powerful was a lump —
Seasonless, herbless, treeless, manless, lifeless ■
A lump of death— a chaos of hard clay.
The rivers, lakes, and ocean, all stood still,
And nothing stirred, within their silent depths
Ships, saiiorlessjiay rotting on the sea, [droppetj,
And their masts fell down piecemeal ; as they
They slept, on the abyss, without a surge :
The waves were dead ; the tides were in their
grave ;
The moon, their mistress, had expired before ;
The winds were withered in the stagnant air.
And the clouds perished ; Darkness had no need
Of aid from them ; she— was the universe. — By*n.
636. True Pleasure Defixed. We
are affected with delightfal sensations, when
we see the inanimate parts of the creation,
the meadows, flowers, and trees, in a flour-
ishing state. There must be some rooted
melancholy at the heart, when all nature ap-
pears smiling about us, to hinder us from
corresponding with the rest of the creation,
and joining in the universal cherts of joy.
But if meadows and trees, in their cheerful
verdure, if flowers, in their bloom, and all the
vegetable parts of the creation, in their most
advantageous dress, can inspire gladness intc
the heart, and drive away all sadness but de-
spair ; to see the rational creation happy, and
flourishing, ought to give us a pleasure as
much superior, as the latter is to the former,
in the scale of being. But tlie pleasure is
still heightened, if we ourselves have been in-
strumental, in contributing to the happiness
of our fellow-creatures, if we have helped to
raise a heart, drooping beneath the weight of
grief, and revived that barren and dry land,
where no water was, with refreshing showers
of love and kindness.
THE WILDERNESS OF MIND.
There is a wilderness, more dark
Than groves of fir— on Huron's shore ;
And in that cheerless region, hark !
How serpents hiss ! how monsters roar I
'Tis not among the untrodden isles.
Of vast Superior's stormy lake.
Where social comfort never smiles.
Nor sunbeams— pierce the tangled brake
Nor, is it in the deepest shade,
Of India's tiger-haunted wood ;
Nor western forests, unsurvey'd,
Where crouching panthers— lurk for bloo<i.
'Tis in the dark, uncultur'd soul,
By EDUCATION unrefin'd —
Where hissing Malice, Vices foul.
And all the hateful Passions prow —
The frightful Wilderness of Mind.
Were man
But constant, he were perfect ; that one error-
Fills him with faults ; makes him run through ar
sins ;
Inconstancy — falls oflT— ere it begins.
Vice is a monster of such hateful mien.
That, to be hated — needs but to be ceer j
Yet, seen too oft — familiar with her face,
We first endure, then pity, then embrace
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
259
637. GEiritrs. The ftivorite idea of a ge-
nius among us, is of one, who never studies,
or who studies nobody can tell when; at mid-
night, or at odd times, and intervals, and now
and then strikes out, " at a lieat," as the plirase
is, some wonderful production. This is a
character that has figured largely in the his-
tory of our literature, in the person of our
Fieldings, our Savages, and our Steeles;
" loose fellows about town, or loungers in the
country," who slept in ale-liouses, and wrote
in bar-rooms ; who took up the pen as a ma-
gician's wand, to supply their wants, and,
when the pressure of necessity was relieved,
resorted again to their carousals. Your real
genius is an idle, irregular, vagabond sort of
gersonage ; who muses in the fields, or dreams
y the fireside : wnose strong impulses — that
is the cant of it — must needs hurry him into
wild irregularities, or foohsh eccentricity;
who abhors order, and can bear no restraint,
and eschews all iabor ; such a one as Newton
or Milton ! Whai I they must have been ir-
regular, else they were no geniuses. " The
young man," it is often said, " has genius
enough, if he would only study." Now, the
truth is, as I shall take the liberty to state it,
that the genius ivill study ; it is that in the
mind which does study : that is the very na-
ture of it. I care not to say, that it will al-
ways use books. All study is not reading,
any more than all reading is study.
Attention it is, though other qualities belong
to this transcendent power, — attention it is,
that is the very soul of genius ; not the fixed
eye, not the poring over a book, but the fixed
thought. It is, in fact, an action of the mind,
which is steadily concentrated upon one idea,
or one series of ideas, which collects, in one
point, the rays of the soul, till they search,
penetrate and fire the whole train of its
thoughts. And while the fire burns witliin,
the outside may be indeed cold, indifferent,
neghgent, absent in appearance ; he may be
an idler, or a wanderer, apparently without
aim, or intent ; but still the nre burns within.
And what though " it bursts forth," at length,
as has been said, " like volcanic fires, with
spontaneous, original, native force '!" It only
snows the intense action of the elements be-
neath. What though it breaks forth — like
lightning from the cloud 1 The electric fire
had been collecting in the firmament, through
many a silent, clear, and calm day. Wliat
tliough the might of genius appears in one
decisive blow, struck in some moment of high
debate, or at the crisis of a nation's peril!
That mighty energy, though it may have
heaved in the breast of Demosthenes, was
once a feeble infant thought. A mother's eye
watched over its dawnings. A fkthefs care
guarded its early youth. It soon trod, with
youthful steps, the halls of learning, and
found other fathers to wake, and to watch for
it, even as it finds them here. It went on ;
but silence was upon its path, and the deep
etrugglings of the mward soul silently minis-
tered to it. The elements around breathed
upon it, and "touched it to finer issues."
Tne golden ray of heaven fell upon it, and
ripened its expanding faculties. The slow
revolutions of years slowly added to its col-
lected energies and treasures; till, in its hour
of ^lory, it stood forth imbodied in the form
of living, conmianding, irresistible eloquence.
The world wonders at the manifestation, and
eays, " Sti ange, strange that it should come
thus unsought, unpremeditated, unprepar'd ."
But the truth is, there is no more a miracle in
it, than there is in the towering of the pre-
eminent forest-tree, or in the flowing of^the
mighty, and irresistible river, or in the wealth,
and waving of the boundless harvest.— Detuei/.
688. THE THREE BLACK CKOW8.
Two honest tradesmeiv— meeting in the Strand,
One, took the other, briskly by the hand ;
'' Hark ye," said he, " 'tis an odd story this,
About the crows 1"—" I don't know what it is,"
Replied his friend.—" No! I'm surprised at th)*? .
Where I come from it is the common chat •
But you shall hear : an odd affair indeed !
And that it happened, they are all agreed :
Not to detain you from a thing so strange,
A gentleman, that lives not far from 'Change,
This week, in short, as all the alley knows,
Taking a puke, has thrown up three black crows."
"Impossible!" — "Nay, but its really true,
I had It from good hands, and so may you."
" From whose, I pray?" So, having named the man,
Straigiit to inquire — his curious comrade ran.
" Sir, did you tell "—relating the affair —
" Yes, sir, I did ; and if its worth your care.
Ask Mr. Such-a-one, he told it me ;
But, by the by, 'twas two black crows, not three.'
Resolved to trace so wondrous an event.
Whip to the third, the virtuoso went. [faet,
"Sir,"— and so forth— "Why, yes; the thing's a
Though, in regard to number, not exact;
It was not two black crows, 'twas only one;
The truth of that, you may depend upon,
Tlie gentleman himself told me the case, [place "
"Where may I find him?" "Why, — in such a
Away he goes, and, having found him out,—
" Sir, be so good as to resolve a doubt."
Then, to his last informant, he referred,
And begged to know if true, what he had heard,
" Did you, sir, throw up a black crow ?" " Not I !"
" Bless me ! how people propagate a lie ! fone,
Black crows have been thrown up, three, two, and
And here I find, at last, all comes to none !
Did you say nothing of a crow at all ?"
" Crow— crow— perhaps I might, now I recall
The matter over." " And pray, sir, what was 't?"
" Why, I was horrid sick, and, at the last,
I did throw up, and told my neighbor so.
Something that was as black, sir, as a crow."
Thk Highest Occupation of Gknius. To
diffuse useful information, to farther intellec-
tual refinement, sure forerunners of moral im-
provement, to hasten the coming of that bright
day, when the dawn of general knowledge
shall chase away the lazy, lir%ering mists,
even from the base of the great social pyramid ;
this, indeed, is a high calling, in which the most
splendid talents and consummate virtue may
well press onward, eager to bear a part.
Jfow soon — time — flies away! yet, as I watck it,
Melhinks, by the slow progress of this hand,
1 should have liv'd .an age — since yesterday,
And have an age to live. Still, on it creeps,
Each little moment at another^s heels.
Of such small parts as these, and men look back^
Worn and beunlder''d, wondering — how it is.
Thou travel'st—like a ship, in the wide ocean.
Which hath nobounding shore to mark hs progress
O TIME ! ere long. I shall have done with itee.
260
READINGS AND RECITATIONS
6*9. pERKs's ViCTOKT. Were anything
wanting, Vo perpetuate the fame of this vic-
tory, it would be sufficiently memorable, from
the scene where it was fought. This war has
oeen distinguished, by new and pecuhar char-
acteristics. Naval warfare has been carried
into the interior of a continent, and navies,
as -f by magic, launched from among the
depths of the forest ! The bosom of peace-
ful lakes, which, but a short time since, were
scarcely navigated by man, except to be
skimmed by the light canoe of the savage,
have all at once been ploughed by hostile
6hip=. The vast silence, that had reigned,
for ages, on these mighty waters, was broken
by the thunder of artillery, and the atFrighted
savage — stared, with amazement, from his
covert, at the sudden apparition of a sea-
fight, amid the sohtudes ot the wilderness.
The peal of war has once sounded on that
:ake, but probably, will never sound again.
The last roar of cannon, that died along her
shores, was the expiring note of British dom-
ination. Those vast, eternal seas will, per-
haps, never again be the separating space,
between contending nations; but will be em-
bosomed—within a mighty empire ; and this
victory, which decided their fate, will stand
unrivalled, and alone, deriving lustre, and
perpetuity, from its singleness.
In future times, when the shores of -Erie shall
hum with a busy population ; when towns,
and cities, shall brighten, where now, ex-
tend the dark tangled forest ; when ports shall
spread their arms, and lofty barks shall ride,
where now the canoe is fastened to the stake ;
when the present age sliall have grown into
venerable antiquity, and tlie mists of fable
begin to gather round its history, then, will
the inhabitants of Canada look back to this
battle we record, as one of the romantic
achievements of the days of yore. It will
stand first on the page of their local legends,
and in the marvellous tales of the borders.
The fisherman, as he loiters along the beach,
will point to some half-buried cannon, cojrro-
ded with the rust of time, and will speak of
ocean warriors, that came from the shores of
tlie Atlantic ; while the boatman, as he trims
his sail to the breeze, will chant, in rude dit-
ties, the name of Perry, the early hero of
Lake Erie. — Irving.
THE SLANDERER.
Twas Slander, filled her mouth, with lying words.
Slander, the foulest whelp of Sin. The man,
In whom this spirit entered, was undone.
His tongue — was set on fire of hell, his heart —
Was black as death, his legs were faint with haste
Tc propagate the lie, his soul had framed.
HiR pillow— was the peace of families
Destroyed, the sigh of innocence reproached,
Broken friendships, and the strife of brotherhoods ;
Yet did he spare his sleep, and hear the clock
Numi)er the midnight watches, on his bed,
Devising mischief more ; and early rose,
And made most hellish meals of good men's names.
From door to door, you might have seen him speed.
Or, placed ami.ht a group of gaping fools,
And whispering in their ears, with his foul lips;
Peace fled the neighborhood, in which he made
His haunts ; and, like a moral pestilence,
Before his l)reath— the healthy shoots and blooms
Of social joy and happiness, decayed.
Foois otily, in his company were seen,
And those, forsaken of God, and to themse Itc fct?
The prudent shunned him, and his house, [en up
As one, who had a deadly moral plague ;
And fain all would have shunned him, at the ''.ay
Of judgment; but in vain. All, who give ear,
With greediness, or, wittingly, their tongues
Made herald to his lies, around him wailed;
While on his face, thrown back by injured ra«-n
In characters of ever-blushing shame,
Appeared ten thousand slanders, all his own.
630. True Frieivbship. Damon and Py
thias, of tlie Pythagorean sect in philosophy,
lived in the time of Dionysius, the tyrant ot
Sicily. Their mutual friendship was so
strong, that they were ready to die for one
another. One of the two, (for it is not loio wn
which,) being coirdemned to death, by the ty-
rant, obtained leave to go into his own coun-
try, to settle his affairs, on condition, thit the
other should consent to be imprisoned n hi.*?
stead, and put to death fbr him, if he did not
return, before the day of execution. The at-
tention of every one, and especially of the ty-
rant himself, was excited to the highest pitcn.
as every body was curious, to see what woulit
be the event of so strange an affair. When
the time was almost elapsed, and he who wzs^
gone did not appear ; the rashness of the oth
er, whose sangume friendship had put bin'
upon running so seemingly desperate a haz
ard, was universally blamed. But he still de
Glared, that he had not the least shadow ot
doubt in his mind, of .^is friends fidelity. Th»
event showed how well he knew him. He
came in due time, and surrendered liimself tc
that fate, which he had no reason to tliink ht
should escape ; and which he did not desire
to escape, by leaving his friend to suffer ir
his place. Such fidelity softened, even the
savage heart of Dionysius himself. He par-
doned the condemned; he gave the twr
friends to one another, and begged that thev
would take himself in for a third.
THE CORAL GROVE.
Deep — in the wave, is a coral grove,
Where the purple mullet, and gold-fish rove.
Where the sea-flower — spreads its leaves of blue
That never are wet, witli fallen dew,
But in bright and changeful beauty shine.
Far down in the green, and glassy brine.
The floor is of sand, like the mountain drifl.
And the pearl-shells spangle the flinty snow ;
From coral rocks the sea-plants lift
Their bows, where the tides and billows flow;
The water is calm and still bekiw.
For the winds and the waves are absent iJierc,
And t!ie sands— are bright as the stars, that glow
In the motionless fields of upper air :
There, with its waving blade of green,
The sea-flag streams through the silent water,
And the crimson leaf of the pulse is seen
To blush, like a banner, bathed in slaughter:
There, with a light and easy motion,
The frin-coral sweeps through the clear deep sea^
And the yellow and scarlet tufts of ocean,
Are l)ending like ecru, on the upland lea :
And life, in rare and beautiful forms,
Is sporting amid those bowers of stone.
And is safe, when the wrathful Spirit of storms,
Has made the top of the waves his own.
Pride goeth before destruction.
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
261
631. Brutus' Hauangue ox Cesar's
Death. Romans, countrymen, and lovers !
hear me — for my cause ; and be silent, that
you may hear. Believe me — for mine honor ;
and have respect to mine honor, that you may
believe. Censure me in your wisdom; and
awake your senses, that you may the better
judge. If there be auy, in this assembly, any
dear friend of Cesar's, to him I say that Bru-
tus' love to Cesar — ^^vas no less than his. If,
then, that friend demand, why Brutus — rose
against Cesar, this is my answer: Not that I
loved Cesar— less, but, that I loved Rome
more. Had you rath*"' Cesar were living, and
die all slaves; than ihat Cesar were dead, to
live all freemen 1 As Cesar loved me, 1 weep
for him; as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it;
as he was valiant, I honor him ; but, as be
was ambitious, I slew him. There are tears
for his love, joy — for his fortune, honor — for
his valor, and death — for his ambition. Who's
here so base, that would be a bondman '! if
any, speak ; for him — have I offended. Who's
here so rude, that would not be a Roman '! if
any, speak? for him — have I offended. Who's
here so vile, that will not love his country '{ if
any, speak ; for him — have I offended. 1
pause for a reply.
None ! then none — have I offended. I have
done no more to Cesar, than you should do to
Brutus. The question of his death— is en-
rolled in the capitol ; his glory not exterkUated,
wlicrein he was worthy ; nor his offences en-
forced, for which he suffered death.
Here comes his body, mourned by Mark
Antony ; who, though be had no hand in his
death, shall receive the benefit of his dying, a
place in the commonwealth ; as, which of you
shall not! — With this I depart that as I
slew my best lover — for the good of Rome, I
have the same dagger for myself, when it shall
please my country to need my death.
632. accomplished young lady.
She shone, at every concert; wliere are bought
Tickets, I)y all wlio wish them, for a dollar;
She patronised the theatre, and thought,
That Wallack looked extremely well in Roila;
She fell in love, as all the ladies do,
With Mr. Simpson— talked as loudly, too,
As any beauty of the highest grade.
To the gay circle in the box beside lier;
And when the pit— half vexed, and half afraid,
With looks of smothered indignation eyed her;
She calmly met their gaze, and stood before 'em,
Smiling at vulgar taste, and mock decorum.
And though by no means a "Bas bleu," she had
For literature, a most becoming passion;
Had skimmed the latest novels, good, and bad,
And read the Croakers, when they were :a
fashion;
And Dr. Chalmers' sermons, of a Sunday; [gundi.
And Woodworth's Cabinet, and the new Salma-
She was among the first, and wannest patrons
Of G**=****'s conversaziones, where, [matrons,
In rainbow groups, our bright eyed maids, and
On science bent, assemble; to prepare
Themselves for acting well, in life, their part,
As wives and mothers. There sh« learn'd by heart
^Vords, to the witches in Macbeth unknown,
Hyd-aul:cs, hydrostatics, and pneumatics
Dioptrics, optics, katoptrics, carbo.n,
Chlorine, and iodine, and aerostatics ;
Also, — why frogs, for want of air, expire;
And how to set the Tappan sea on fire 1
In all the modern languages, she v"as
Exceedingly well versed; and bad devoted.
To their attainment, far more time than has,
By the best teachers lately, been allotted;
For she had taken lessons, twice a week.
For a full month in each ; and she could speak
French and Italian, equally as well
As Chinese, Portuguese, or German ; and
What is still more surprising, she could spel
Most of our longest English words, offhand;
Was quite familiar in Low Dutch and Spanish,
And tho't of studying modern Greek and Danish.
She sang divinely: and in "Love's young dream,"
And '-Fanny dearest," and "The soldier's bride ;"
And every song whose dear delightful theme.
Is "Love, still love," had oft till midnight tried
Her finest, loftiest pigeon-wings of sound,
Waking the very watchmen far around.— i/aWeci.
633. Charity. Though I speak— with
the tongues of men, and of angels, and have
not charity, I am become as sounding brass,
or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the
gift of prophecy, and understand all myste-
ries, and all knowledge ; and though I have
all faith, so that I could remove mountains,
and have not charity, I am nothing.
And thougl^ I bestow all my goods to feed
the poor, and though I give my body to be
burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me
nothing. Charity — suffereth Jong, and is kind ;
charity — envieth not ; cliarity — vaunteth not
itself; it is not pulled up ; doth not behave it-
self unseemly ; seeketh not her own ; is not
easily provoked ; tliinkcth no evil; rejoiceth
not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the trutli;
beareth all tilings, believeth all things, hopeth
all things, endureth all things.
Cliarity — never faiicth : Init whether there
be prophecies, they sliall fail ; whether there
be tongues, they shall cease ; whether there
be knowledge, it sliall vanish away. For we
know, in part, and we prophecy, in part. But,
when thatwiiich is perfect, is come, then that,
which is in part, shall be done away.
When I was a cliild, I spake as a child, 1
understood as a child, I tliought as a child;
but when I became a man, I put away child-
ish things. For now, we see tlirough a glass,
darkly; but then, face to face: now, I know
i-ii pari; but then, shall I know, even as also
I am known. And now abideth faith, hope,
charity, these three; but the greatest of these
is charity. — St Paul.
early rising and prater.
When first thy eyes unvail, give thy soul leave
To do the like ; our bodies — but forerun
The spirit's duty; true hearts — spread and heave
Unto their God, as flowers do — to the sun ;
Give him thy first tho'ls then, so — shait thou keep
Him company— all day, and in him— sleep.
Yet never sleep the sun up ; prayer— .should
Dawn with the day ; there are set— awful hours —
'Twixt heaven and us ; the manna — was not good
After sun rising ; for day— sullies flowers •
Rise — to prevent the sun ; sleep— doth sms glut,
And heaven's gate opens, when the world's is shut
Converee with nature's charms, and see her stores unroll'd.
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
634. SAILOR boy'3 dream.
In slumbers of midnight, the sailor boy lay ;
Hia hammock swung lx)se, at the sport of the wind ;
But watch-worn, and weary, his cares flew aivay,
And visions of happiness danced o'er his mind.
He dreamt of his home, of his dear native bowers.
And pleasure that waited on life's merry mom ;
While memory— stood sideways, half covered with flowe'3,
Anl restored every rose, but secreted its thorn.
Then fancy, her magical pinions spread wide,
And bade the young dreamer in ecstasy rise-
Now far, far behind him, the green waters glide,
And the cot of his forefathers blesses his eyes.
The jessamine clambers in flower o'er the thatch,
iLud the swallow sings sweet, from her nest in the wall ;
all trembling with b-ansport, he raises the latch,
And the voices of loved ones reply to his call.
4 father bends o'er him, with looks of delight.
His cheek is impearled, with a mother's warm tear,
And the lips of the boy, m a love-kiss unite,
With the lips of the maid, whom his bosom holds dear
The heart of the sleeper beats high in his breast,
Joy quickens his pulse — all his hardships seem o'er
And a murmur of happiness steals through his rest—
" 0 God, thou hast blessed me — I ask for no more."
Ah, what is that flame which now bursts on his eye !
Ah, what is that sound, which now larums his ear !
Tisthe lightning's red glare, painting hell on the sky !
'Tis the crash of the thunder, the groan of the sphere
He springs from his hammock — he flies to the deck,
Amazement confronts him with images dire —
Wild winds, and waves drive the vessel a wreck—
The masts fly in »plinters — the shrouds are on fire !
Like mountains, the billows tremendously swell-
In vain the lost >vretch calls on Mary to save ;
rjnceen hands of spirits are wringing his knell.
And the death-angel flaps his broad wing o'er the wave !
Oh 1 sailor boy, woe to thy dream of delight !
In darkness dissolves the gay frost-work of bliss —
Where now is the picture that fancy touched bright.
Thy parents' fond pressure, and love's honeyed kiss !
Oh ! sailor boy ! sailor boy ! never again
Shall home, love, or kindred, thy wishes repay ;
Cnblesaed, and unhonored, down deep in the main,
Full many a score fathom, thy frame shall decay.
No tomb shall e'er plead to remembrance for thee.
Or redeem form, or frame, from the merciless surge ;
But the white foam of waves shall thy winding-sheet be,
And winds, in the midnight of winter, thy dirge.
On beds ofgreensea-tlower, thy limbs shall be laid ;
Around thy white bones, the red coral shall grow ;
Of thy fair yellow locks, threads of amber be made.
And every part suit to thy mansion below.
Days, months, years, and ages, shall circle away.
And the vast waters over thy body sliall roll-
Earth loses thy pattern forever and aye —
Oh ! sailor boy ! sailor boy 1 peace to thy sonl.—Dimtmd,
Time and its Changes. Reformation is
a work of time. A national taste, however
wrong it may be, cannot be totally changed
at once ; we must yield a little to the prepos-
session, which has taken held on the mind,
and we may then bring people to adopt what
would offend them, if endeavored to be intro-
duced by violence.
What's famel a fancied life in other's breath,
A thing biyond us, e'en before our death.
All fame <fl foreign, but of true desert.
Plays round the head, but comes not to the heart;
One self-approving hour, whole years outweighs
Of stupid starers, and of loud bussas :
And more true joy, Marcellus — exil'd, feels^
Thar C<;sar, with a senate at his heels.
Mind, not money— makes the man
635. CHILD HAROLD.— CAHIO lY.
Oh ! that the desert— were my dwel.;n§ place,
With one fair spirit — for my minister
That I might all forget the humat race.
And hating no one, love but only her !
Ye elements! — in whose ennobling stir,
I feel myself exalted— Can ye not
Accord me such a being ? Do I err
In deeming such — inliabit many a spot
Though with them to converse, can rarely be ct iM.
There is a pleasure — in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture — on the lonely shore,
There is society where none intrudes.
By the deep sea, and music in its roar :
I love not man the less, but nature more,
From these our interviews, in which I steal
From all I may be, or have been before,
To mingle — with the Unii^se, and feel
What I can ne'er express, yet cannot all conceaL
Roll on, thou deep, and daik blue ocean — roll !
Ten thousand fleets sweej) over thee in vain;
Man marks the earth with ruin— his control
Stops with the shore ;— upon the watery plain
The wrecks are all thy deed, nor doth remain
A shadow of man's ravage, save his own ;
When for a moment, like a drop of rain.
He sinks into thy depths, with bubbling groan,
Without a grave, unknelled, uncoflined, and unknswc
The armaments which thunderstrike tlie walls
Of rock-built cities, bidding nations quake.
And monarchs tremble, in tlieir capitals,
The oak leviathans, whose huge ribs make
Their clay creator, the vain title take —
Of lord of thee, and arbiter o[ war !
These are thy toys, and, as the snowy flake.
They melt into thy yeast of waves, which mar
Alike, the Armada's pride, or spoils of TrafalgU
Thy shores are empires, changed in all save the»-
Assyria, Greece, Rome, Carthage, what are they ?
Thy waters wasted them, while they were free.
And many a tyrant since ; their shores obey
The stranger, slave, or savage ; their decay
Has dried up realms to deserts :— not so thou —
Unchangeable, save to thy wild waves' play —
Time, writes no wrinkle on thine azure brow-
Such as creation's dawn beheld, thoa rollest nov
Thou glorious mirror, where the Almightyt iotvn
Glasses itself in tempests ; in all time,
(Qalm, or convulsed, in breeze, or gale, or storm.
Icing the pole, or in the torrid clime.
Dark-heaving,)— boundless, endless, and sublira*
The image of Eternity— the throne
Of the Invisible ; even from out thy slime
The monsters of the deep are made ! each zone
Obeys thee; thou goest forth, dread, fathomless, ilcnc
And I have loved thee. Ocean ! and my joy
Of youthful sports was on thy breast to be
Borne like tlie bubbles, onward ; from a boy,
I wantoned with thy breakers — they to me
Were a delight ; and if the freshening sea
Made them a terror — 'twas a pleasing fear,
For I was, as it were, a child of thee.
And trusted to thy billows far and near.
And laid my hand upon thy mane — as I do here.
In the dreams of delight, which with ardor we
Oft the phantom of sorrow appears ; [seek,
And the roses of pleasure, which bloom on youi
Must be steeped in the dew of your tears, [cheek,
The aged man, that coffers up his gold, [fit?.
Is plagu'd with cramps, and gouts, and painfti-
And scarce hath eyes, his treasure to behold.
But still, like pining Tantalus, he sits,
And useless bans the harvest of liis wits.
Having no other pleasure of his gain.
But torment, that it cannot cure his pain.
To err— is human ; to forgive — divino.
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
263
630. Patriotic Tkiumph. The citizens
of America — celebrate that day, which gave
iirth to their liberties. The recollection of
(his event, replete with consequences so be-
neficial to mankind, swells every heart with
joy, and fills every tongue with praise. We
celebrate, not the sanguinary exploits of a
tyrant, to subjugate, and enslave — millions
of his fellow-creatures ; we celebrate, neither
the birth, nor the coronation, of that phantom,
Btyled a king; but, the resurrection of liberty,
tl'ie emancipation of mankind, the regenera-
tion of the world. These are the sources of
our joy, these the causes of our triumph. We
f>ay no homage at the tomb of kings, to sub-
ime our feelings — we trace no line of illus-
trious ancesters, to support our dignity — we
recur to no usages sanctioned by the autho-
rity of the great, to protect our rejoicing ;
no, we love liberty, we glory in the rights of
men, we glory in independence. On what-
ever part of God's creation a human form
pines under chains, tliere, Americans drop
their tears.
A dark cloud once shaded this beautiful
quarter of the globe. Consternation, for
awhile, agitated the hearts of the inhabitants.
War desolated our fields, and buried our vales
in blood. But the dayspring from on high
soon opened upon us its glittering portals.
The angel of liberty descending, dropped on
Washington's brow, the wreath of victory,
and stamped on American freedom, the seal
of omnipotence. The darkness is past, and
the true light now shines — to enliven, and re-
joice mankind. We tread a new earth, in
which dwelleth righteousness; and view a
new heaven, flaming with inextinguishable
stars. Our feet will no more descend into the
vale of oppressions; our shoulders will no
more bend — under the weight of a foreign
domination, as cruel, as it was unjust. Well
may we rejoice — at the return of this glorious
anniversary ; a day dear to every American ;
a day — to be had in everlasting remembrance;
a day, whose light circulates joy — through
the hearts of all repubhcans, and terror
mrough the hearts of all tyrants. — Maxy.
GST. TIT FOR tat: COQtTKTRY PUNISHED.
Ellen was fair, and knew it too,
As other village beauties do,
Whose mirrors — never lie ;
Secure of any swain she chose,
She smiled on half a dozen beaux,
And, reckless of a lover's woes,
She cheated these, and taunted those ;
*' For how could any one suppose
A clown could take her eye ?"
But whispers through the village ran,
That Edgar was the happy man,
The maid design'd to bless ;
For, wheresover moved the fair,
The youth was, like her shadow, theijs,
And rumor — boldly match'd the pair,
For village folks will guess.
Edgar did love, but still delay.'d
To make confession to the maid,
So bashful was the youth ;
But let the flame in secret bum,
Certain of meeting a return.
When, from his lips, the fair should learn,
OSicifllly, klie truth..
At length, one morn, to taste the air,
The youth and maid, in ( ne horse cliair,
A long excursion took.
Edgar had nerved his bashful heart,
The sweet confession to impart.
For ah 1 suspense had caused a smart,
He could no longer brook
He drove, nor slackened once his reins, .
Till Hempstead's wide extended plains
Seem'd join'd to skies above :
Nor house, nor tree, nor shrub was ncai
The rude and dreary scene to cheer,
Nor soul within ten miles to hear—
And still, poor Edgar's silly fear,
Forbade to- speak of love.
At last, one desperate effort broke
The bashful spell, and Edgar spoku,
With most persuasive tone ;
Recounted past attendance o'er,
And then, by all that's lovely, swore,
That he would love, for evermore,
If she 'd become his own.
The maid, in silence, heard his prayer,
Then, with a most provoking air,
She, tittered in his face;
And said, " 'Tis time for you to kno"*'.
A lively girl must have a beau,
Just like a reticule — for show ;
And at her nod to come, and go —
But he should know his place.
Your penetration must be dull.
To let a hope within your skull
Of matrimony spring.
Your wife! ha, ha! upon my word,
The thouglit is laughably absurd,
As anything I ever heard —
I never dream'd of such a thiag."
The lover sudden dropp'd his rein,
Now on the centre of the plain —
" The linch-pin's out !" he cried ;
Be pleased, one moment, to alight,
Till I can set the matter right,
That we may safely ride."
He said, and handed out the fair —
Then laughing, crack'd his whip in air.
And wheeling round his horse and cha;r,
Exclaim'd, "Adieu, I leave you there
In solitude to roam."
" What mean you, sir!" the maiden cnei',
" Did you invite me out to ride.
To leave me here, without a guide?
Nay, stop, and take me home."
" What! take you home !" exclaim'd the beau,
" Indeed, my dear, I'd like to know
How such a hopeless wish could groMjfc
Or in your bosom spring. [word,
What! take Ellen home? ha! ha. upon my
The thought is laughably absurd,
As anything I ever heard ;
I never dream'd of such a thing!"
Man, always prosperous, would be giddy
and insolent; always afflicted — would be sul-
len, or despondent. Hopes and fears, joy and
sorrow, are, therefore, so blended in his life, as
both to give room for worldly pursuits, and to
recall the admonitions of conscience.
264
READINGS AND RECITATIONS
638. Recitatio^js instead of Thea-
THEs. In its present state, the theatre — de-
serves no encouraKement. It has nourished
intemperance, and all vice. In saying this,
I do not say that the amusement is radically,
essentially evil. I can conceive of a theatre,
which would be the noblest of all amuse-
ments, and would take a high rank, among
the means of refining the taste, and elevating
the character of a people. The deep woes,
tlie mighty, and terrible passions, and the
sublime emotions — of genuine tragedy, are
fitted to thrill us with human sympathies,
with profound interest in our nature, vith a
consciousness of what man can do, and dare,
and suffer, with an awed feeling of the fearful
mysteries of life. The soul of the spectator
is stirred from its depths ; and the lethargy,
in which so many live, is roused, at least for
a time, to some mtenseness of thought, and
sensibility. The drama answers a high pur-
pose, when it places us in the presence of the
most solemn, and striking event of human
history, and lays bare to us the human heart,
in its most powerful, appalling, glorious
workings. But how little does the theatre
accomplish its end '.' How often is it disgra-
ced, by monstrous distortions of human na-
ture, and still more disgraced by profaneness,
coarseness, indelicacy, low wit, such as no
woman, worthy of the name, can hear with-
out a blush, and no man can take pleasure
in — without self-degradation. Is it possible,
that a christian, and a refined people, can re-
sort to theatres, where exhibitions of danc-
ing are given, fit only for brothels, and where
the most licentious class in the community
throng, unconcealed, to tempt, and destroy '.'
That the theatre should be suffered to exist,
in its present degradation, is a reproach to
the community. Were it to fall, a better dra-
ma might spring up in its place. In the
meantime, is there not an amusement, hav-
ing an affinity with the drama, which might
be usefully introduced among us 7 I mean,
Recitations. A work of genius, recited by a
man of fine taste, enthusiasm, and powers of
elocution, is a very pure, and high gratifica-
tion. Were this art cultivated, and encour-
aged, great numbers, now insensible to the
most beautiful compositions, might be waked
up to their excellence, and power. It is not
easy to conceive of a more effectual way, of
spreading a refined taste through a commu-
nity. Tlie drama, undoubtedly, appeals more
strongly to the passions than recitation ; but
the latter brings out the meaning of the author
more. Shakspeare, worthily recited, would be
better understood than on the stage. Then, in
recitation, we escape the weariness of listen-
ing to poor performers; who, after all, fill up
most or the time at the theatre. Recitations,
sufficiently varied, so as to include pieces of
chaste wit, as well of pathos, beauty and
sr.bliMty, is adapted to our present intellect-
ual progress, as much as the drama falls be-
low it. Shoidd this exhibition be introduced
among ns successfully, the result would be,
that the power of recitation would be exten-
sively caUed forth, and this would be added
to our social, and domestic pleasures.
Thou knowesi but little,
If thou dost think true virtue — is confined
To climes, or systems; no, it flows spontaneous,
Like Hfe's warm stream, throughout the whole cre-
AJid beats the ?ulse of every lealthful heart, [ation,
] 639> Waterloo; the baij: and BArruB,
I There was a sound of reve Iry— by night,
I And Belgium's capital — had gathered then
Her beauty, and her chivalry; and bright
The lamps shone o'er fair women, and brave men.
A thousand hearts beat happily ; and when
Music arose, with its voluptuous swell,
Soft eyes looked love, to eyes, which spake ag&iu,
And all weut merry as a marriage-bell ; [kneil !
But hush ! hark ! a deep sound strikes like a nsiiw?
Did ye not hear it ?— No ; 'twas but the wind.
Or the car, rattling o'er the stony street :
On with the dance ! let joy be unconfined ;
No sleep till morn, when youth and pleasure meet.
To chase the glowing hours, with flying feet —
But hark ! That heavy sound breaks in once nacre,
As if the clouds — its echo would repeat ;
And nearer, clearer, deadlier than before 1 [roar!
Arm! arm! it is— it is — the cannon's opening
Ah! then and there was hurrying to and fro,
And gathering tears, and tremblings of distress,
And cheeks all pale, which but an hour ago
Blushed — at the praise of their own loveliness :
And there were sudden partings, such as press
The life from out young hearts, and choking sighs,
Which ne'er might be repeated; for who could
If evermore should meet, those mutual eyes, [guess,
Since upon night, so sweet, such awful morn
could rise ?
And there was mounting in hot haste ; the steeii,
The mustering squadron, and the clattering car.
Went pouring forward with impetuous speed,
And swiftly forming in the ranks of war;
And the deep thunder, peal on peal, afar;
And near, the beat of the alarming drum.
Roused up the soldier, ere the morning star ;
While thronged the citizens, with terror dumb.
Or whispering with white lips — "The foe! Ihey
come ! they come !"
And Ardennes waves above them her green leaves,
Dewy with nati»(-e's tear-drops, a-s they pass,
Grieving, if aught inanimate e'er grieves,
Over the unreturning brave, — alas !
Ere evening, to be trodden like the grass.
Which now beneath them, but cAove shall grow,
In its next verdure, when this fiery mass
Of living valor, rolling on tlie foe, [and low.
And burning with high hope, shall moulder cold,
Last noon — beheld them, full of .lusty life,
Last eve— in beauty's circle, proudly gay,
The midnight — brought the signal-sound of strife,
The morn — the marshaling in arms, — the day,
Battle's magnificently-stern array! [rent,
The thunder-clouds close o'er it, which, when,
The earth is covered thick with other clay,
Which her own clay shall cover, heaped, and pent,
Rider and horse,— friend, foe,— in one red burial
blent !
What's in the air?
Some subtle spirit — runs through all my veins,
Hope— seems to ride, this morning, on the wind,
And outshines the sun.
When things go wrong, each fool presimies t' acK
And if more happy, thinks himelf more wise: fvrse.
All wretchedly deplore the present stale ;
And that advice seems best, which comes too lato
RLADINGS AKD RECITATIONS.
265
64:0« FEVER DREAM.
A fsver — scorched my tody, fired my brain !
Lite Ia\u, in Vesuvius, boiled my blood,
Within the glowing caverns of my heart.
I raged with thirst, and begged a cold, clear draught
Of fountain water. — 'Twas with tears, denied.
I drank a nauseous febrifuge, and slept ;
But restfed not— harassed with horrid dreams,
0/ burning deserts, and of dusty plains.
Mountains, disgorging flames — forests on fire,
Steam, sunshine, smoke, and boiling lakes-
Hills of hot sand, and glowing stones, that seemed
Embers, and ashes, of a burnt up world !
Thirst rs^ed within me. — I sought the deepest vale,
And called on all the rocks, and caves for water; —
I climbed a mountain, and from cliff to cliff.
Pursued a flying cloud, howling for water: —
I crushe.! the withered herbs, and gnawed dry roots.
Still crying Water ! water !— While the cliffs and caves,
In horrid mockery, re-echoed '' Water ! "
Below the mountain, gleamed a city, red
With solar flame, upon the sandy bank
Of a broad river. — "Soon, oh soon !" I cried,
"I'll cool my burning body in that flood,
■ And quaff my fill." — I ran — I reached the shore. —
The river was dried up. Its oozy bed
Was dust ; and on its arid rocks, I saw
The scaly myriads — fry beneath the sun !
Where sunk the channel deepest, I beheld
A stirring multitude of human forms,
And heard a faint, wild, lamentable wail.
Thither I sped, and joined tlie general cry
Of—" water ! " They had delved a spacious pit,
In search of hidden fountains — sad, sad sight!
I saw them rend the rocks up in their rage
With mad impatience, calling on tlie earth
To open, and yield up her cooling fountains.
Meanwhile the skies, on which they dared not gaze,
Stood o'er them like a canopy of brass —
Cndimmed by moisture. The red dog-star raged,
And Phoebus, from the house of Virgo, shot
His scorching ihafts. The thirsty multitude
Grew still more frantic. Those, who dug the earth,
Fell lifeless on the rocks, they strained to upheave,
And filled again, with their own carcasses,
The pits they made — undoing their own work !
Despair, at length, drove out the laborers,
At sight of whom, a general groan— announced
The death of hope. Ah ! now, no more was heard
The cry of " water ! " To the city next,
Howling, we ran — all hurrying without aim : —
Thence to 'he woods. The baked plain gaped for moisture,
And from its a.'id breast heaved smoke, that seemed
The breath of furnace— fierce, volcanic fire,
Or hot monsoon, that raises Syrian sands
To clouds. Amid the forests, we espied
A faint, and bleating herd. Sudden, a shrill.
And horrid shout arose of—" Blood I blood 1 blood ! '
We tell upon them with the tiger's thirst.
And drank up all the blood, that was not humaal
We were dyed in blood ! Despair returned ;
The cry of blood was hushed, and dumb confusion reigned.
Even t)»en, when hope was dead ! — past hope —
I heard a laugh ! and saw a wretched man
Hip hn own veins, and, bleeding, drink
JVTith eager joy. The example seized on all :—
£acb fel. upon himself, tearing his veins.
Fiercely, in search of blood ! And some there we"« .
Who, having emptied their oum veins, did seize
Upon their neighbor's arms, and slew them for their blood —
Oh ! liappy then, were motherc, who gave suck.
They dashed their little infants from their breasts.
And therr shrunk bosoms tortured, to extract
The balmy juice, oh ! exquisitely sweet
To their pjirched tongues ! 'TIS done ! — ^now aJl is gone
Blood, water, and the bosom's nectar, — all !
•'Rend, oh! ve lightnings ! the sealed firmament,
AjaJi flood a I umiug world. — Rain ! rain ! pour ! pour I
Up€i>— yo windoT^i of high heaven ! and pour
Tluj mif^-htr deluge Let us drown, and drink
Luxurious death ! Ve earthquakes, spii the globe.
The solid, rock-ribbed globe I — and .ay all bar»
Its subterranean rivers, and fresh sejj ! "
Thus raged the multitude. And many fell
In fierce convulsions ; — many slew themselves.
And now, I saw the city all in flames —
The forest burning — and the very earth on fire
I saw the mountains open witt a roar,
Louu as the seven apocalyptic thunders,
And seas of lava rolling headlong dowii.
Through crackling forests fierce, and hot aj hell,
Down to the plain — I turned to fly, and wai^ !
64:1. NOSE ANU IHK MAN.
Kind friends, at your call, I'm come here to Bing
Or rather to talk of my woes;
Though small 's the delight to you I can bring
The subject's concerning my nose.
Some noses are large, and others are small,
For nature's vagaries are such,
To some folks, I'm told, she gives no nose at all,
But to me she has given too much.
Oh, dear ! lauks-a-daisy me !
My cause of complaint, and the worst of my woes,
Is, because I have got such a shocking long noM.
Some insult or other, each day I do meet,
And by joking, my friends are all foes;
And the boys every day, as I go thro' the street,
All bellow out — " There goes a noseP^
A woman, with matches one day, I came near,
Who, just as I tried to get by her,
Shoved me rudely aside, and ask'd, with a leer,
If I wanted to set her o]/ire?
Oh, dear ! lauks-a-daisy me !
Each rascal, each day, some inuendo throws,
As, my nose is nH mine, I belongs to my nose.
I once went a courting a wealthy old maid,
To be married we w^ere, the next day;
B'jt an ?.ccident happened, the marriage delay'J,
My nose got too much in the way.
For the night before marriage, entranc'd xnth iry
In love, e'er some torment occurs — ftlLss
I screw'd up my lips, just to give her a kiss.
My nose slipp'd, and rubb'd against her^s ! .
Oh, dear! lauks-a-daisy me !
The ring that I gave, at my head soon she ihrowo,
And another tipp'd me, 'twas a w-ring o\\ the nose.
Like a porter all day, with fatigue fit to crack,
I'm seeking for rest, at each place.
Or, like pilgrim of old, with his load at hia back,
Only m,y load I bear on my face.
I can't get a wife, though each hour hard I try,
The girls they all blush, like a rose ;
"I'm afraid to have you !" when I ask 'em for wliy ?
Because, you have got such a nose.
Oh, dear ! lauks-a-daisy me I
Their cause of refusal I cannot suppo.ie,
They all like the man., but they say- blo^o kis nose!
liike a large joint of meat, before a small fire,
They say that my proboscis hangs —
Or, to a brass knocker, nought there can be nighej
And in length, it a pump-handle bangs.
A wag, you must know, just by way of a v/ipc.
Said, with a grin on his face, t'other night.
As he, from his pocket, was pulling a pipe,
" At your nose will you give me a lightr*
Oh, dear! lauks-a-daisy me!
If I ask any one my way to disclose.
If I lose it— they answer, why,/oWo«» youy nose.
866
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
043. NoBiiTTT OF Labor. Why, in the
crreat scale of things, is labor ordained for us 1
Easily, had it so pleased the great Ordainer,
might it have been dispensed with. The
world itself, might have been a mighty ma-
chinery, for producing all tliat man wants.
Houses might have risen like an exhalation,
"With the sound
Of dulcet symphonies, and voices sweet,
Built like a temple."
Gorgeous furniture might have been placed
in them, and soft couches and luxurious ban-
(}uets spread, by hands unseen; and man,
clotlied with fabrics of nature's weaving,
rather than with imperial purple, might have
been sent to disport himself in those'Elysian
palaces.
" Fair scene!" I imagine you are saying :
*' fortunate for us had it been the scene or-
dained for human life!" But where, then,
had been human energy, perseverance, pa-
tience, virtue, heroism T Cut off labor with
one blow, from the world, and mankind had
sunk to a crowd of Asiatic voluptuaries.
No — it had not been fortunate! Better,
that the earth be given to man as a dark mass,
wiiereupon to labor. Better, that rude, and un-
sightly materials be provided in the ore-bed,
and i]i the forest, for him to fashion in splen-
dor and beauty. Better I say, not because
of that splendor, and beauty, but, because
the act of creating them, is "better than the
things themselves ; because exertion is nobler
than enjoyment ; because the laborer is greater
and more worthy of honor, than the idler.
I call upon those whom I address, to stand
up for the nobility of labor. It is heaven's
great ordinance for human improvement.
Let not the great ordinance be broken down.
What do I say 1 It is broken down; and it
has been broken down for ages. Let it then
be built again ; here, if any where, on the
shores of a new world — of a new civilization.
But how, it may be asked, is it broken
down? Do not men toil? it may be said.
Tliey do indeed toil, but they too generally
do, because they must. Many submit to it,
as in some sort, a degrading necessity ; and
they desire nothing so much on earth, as an
escape from it. They fulfil the great law of
labor in the letter, but break it in the spirit.
To some field of labor, mental or manual,
every idler should hasten, as a chosen, covet-
ed field of improvement.
But so he is not compelled to do, under the
teachings of our imperfect civOization. On
the contrary, he sits down, folds his hands,
and blesses himself in idleness. This way of
thinking, is the heritage of the absurd and
unjust feudal system, under which serfs la-
bored, and gentlemen spent their lives in fight-
ing and feasting. It is time that this oppro-
brium of toil were done away.
Ashamed to toil? Ashamed of thy dingy
work-shop, and dusty labor-field; of thy hard
hand, scarred with service more honorable
than that of war ; of thy soiled and weather-
stained garments, on which mother :nature has
embro-idered mist, sun and rain, fire and steam,
her own heraldic honors ? Ashamed of those
tokens, and titles, and envious of the flaunt-
ing robes of imbecile idleness, and vanity ?
It Is treason to nature, it is impiety to heaven ;
it is breaking heaven's great ordinance. Toil,
I repeat — toil, either of the brain, of the heart,
or of the hand, is the only true manhoOi^, —
the only true nobility ! — Dewey.
64:3, DAVID'S LAMENT OVEB ABSALOM.
The king— stood still,
Till the last echo— died: tlien, throwing oif
The sack-cloth — from his brow, and laying back
The pall— from the still features of his child,
He bowed his head upon him, and broke forth
In the resistless eloquence of woe : —
" Alas ! my noble boy • that thou shouldst die I
Thou, who wert made so beam Yully fair '.
That death — snould settle — in thy glorious eye.
And leave his stillness in this cj steringhairl
How could he mark thee— for the silent tomb.
My proud boy, Absalom I
Cold is thy brow, my son! and I am chill,
As to my bosom — I have tried to press thee.
How was I wont— to feel my pulses thrill,
Like a rich harp-string, yearning to caress thee,
And hear thy sweet — 'my father,' from these
And cold lips, Absalom ! [dumb,
The grave hath won thee. I shall hear the gush
Of music, and the voices of the young ;
And life will pass me— in the mantling blush.
And the dark tresses — to the soft winds flung;
But thou— no more, with thy sweet voice, shall
To meet me, Absalom ! [come
But, oh ! when I am stricken, and my heart,
Like a bruised reed, is waiting to be broken.
How will its love for thee, as I depart, [token !
Yearn for thine ear— to drink its last— deep
It were so sweet, amid death's gathering gloom,
So see thee, Absalom !
And now— farewell ! 'Tis hard— to give thee up.
With death— so like a gentle slumber on thee
And thy dark sin !— oh ! I could drinh the cup,
If, from this wo, its bitterness had won thee.
May God have called thee, like a wanderer,
My erring Absalom ?" [home.
He covered up his face, and bowed himself,
A moment, on his child ; then, giving him
A look of melting tenderness, he clasped
His hands, convulsively, as if in prayer;
And, as a strength were given him of Ood,
He rose up, calmly, and composed the pall,
Firmly, and decently, and left him there,—
As if liis rest— had been a breathing sleep. Wiills-,
The theatre was from the very first.
The favorite haunt of sin ; though honest men,
Some very honest, wise and worthy men.
Maintained it might be turned to good account :
And so perhaps it might, but never was.
From first — to last — it was an evil ptace :
And now — such things were acted there, as made
The devils blush : and, from the neighborhood.
Angels, and holy men, trembling, retired :
And what with dreadful aggravation— crowned
This dreary time, was— sin against the light.
All men knew God, and, knowing, disobeyed ;
And gloried to insult him— to his face.
Look round — the habitable world, how few —
Know their own good, or, knowing it, piirsae I
'Tis all men's office— to speak patience —
To those that toil— under a load of sorrow.
'This the first sanction— nature— gave to m&o.
Each other to assist, in what they can
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
267
644. MARCO BOZZARRIS.
He fell ic an attack upon the Turkish camp at Laspi, the
ijte of the ancient Platea, Ausiist 20, 1823, and expired in tlie mo-
Dsenl of victory. His last words were — " To die for liberty, is a
pieaeure, and not a pain."
At midnight— in his guarded tent,
The Turk— was dreaming of the liour,
When Greece, — her knee in suppliance bent,
Should tremble— at his power.
Tn dreams, through canjp— and court, he bore
The trophies of a conqueror ;
In dreams, his song of triumph heard;
Then, wore his monarch's signet ring:
Then, pressed that monarch's tiirone. — a king ;
As wild his thoughts, and gay of wing,
As Eden's garden bird.
At midnight,— in the forest shades,
Bozzarris — ranged his Suliote band,
Xrue — as the steel — of their tried blades,
Heroes — in heart — and hand.
There, had the Persian's thousands stood,
Therei had tlie glad earth- drunk their blood.
On old Platea's day ;
And now, there breathed that haunted air.
The sons — of sires, who conquered there.
With arm — to strike, and soul — to dare,
As quick, as far as they.
An hour passed on— the Turk— awoke —
That bright dream— was his last;
He woke — to hear his sentries shriek,
" To arms ! they come ! the Greek ! the Greek !"
He woke — to die, 'midst flame, and smoke,
And shout, and groan, and sabre stroke.
And death-shots— falling tliick and fast
As lightnings, from the mountain cloud ;
And heard, with voice, as trumpet loud,
Bozzarris — cheer his band:
•' Strike ! till the last armed foe expires ;
Strike ! for your altars, and your fires ;
Strike ! for the green graves of your sires;
God, — and your native laud!"
They fought, like brave men, long and well ;
They piled that ground— with Moslem slain;
They conquered— but, Bozzarris fell.
Bleeding— at every vein.
His few surviving comrades saw
His smile, when rang the proud — hurrah!
And the red field was won ;
Then saw, in death, his eyelids close
Calmly, as to a night's repose,
Like flowers— at set of sun.
Come to the bridal chamber, — Death !
Come to the mother — when she feels.
For the first time, her first-born's breath;
Come— when the blessed seals,
Tiiat close the pestilence, are broke,
And crowded cities— wail its stroke;
Come — in consumption's ghastly form,
The earthquake shock, the ocean storm ;
Come, when the heart beats high, and warm,
With banquet-song, and dance, and wine —
And thou art terrible! ilie tear.
The groan, the knell, the pall, the bier,
A nd all we know. — or dream, or fear,
Of agony, — are thine.
But. to the hero, when his sword
Has won the battle for the free,
Thy s'oice — sounds like a prophet's word,
And. in its hollow tones, are heard —
The thanks of millions — yet to be.
Bozzarris! with the storied, brave,
Greece nurtured, in her glory's time.
Rest thee — there is no prouder grave,
Even in her own proud clime.
We tdl thy doom — without a sigh ;
For thou art Freedom's now. and Fame's —
Om cf the few, the immortal n.'imes,
T.ifc wer 3 no; borw — to die. — Hatlcck.
645. MAID OF MAT.AHIDB
In the church of Malaliide, in Ireland, are the lon.b and efflg;
of the I^y Maid Flunkett, sister of the first Lord DuD'anny, oi
whom it i» recorded that "she was maid, wife, and widow in otu
day." Her first husl>and, Hussy, Baron of Gallrim, was caltej
from the altar to head "a hosting of the English aij-Ainst thi
Irish," and was brought back to the bridal banquet a corp:*, tprx
the shields of his followers.
The dark-eyed Maid— of Malahtde,
Her silken bodice laced,
And on her brow,— with virgin pride,
The bridal chaplet — placed.
Her heart — is beating high, her cheek
Is flushed — witn rosy shame,
As laughing bridemaids — slily speak,
The gallant liridegroom's name.
The dark-eyed Maid— of Malahide—
Before the altar — stands.
And Galtrim— claims his blushing brido,
From pure — and holy hands : —
But hark ! what fearful sounds are those?
"To arms! to arms!" they cry; —
The bride's sweet cheek— no longer glows,
Fear— sits in that young eye.
The gallants.— all are mustering now —
The bridegroom's helm — is on :
One look,— upon that wretched brow :
One kiss,— and he is gone ; —
The feast is spread, — but many a knighf
Who should have graced that hall-
Will sleep — anon, in cold moonlight.
Beneath— a gory pall.
The garlands— bright with rainbow dyea
In gay festoons — are hung ;
The starry lamps — out-shine the skies,
The golden harps are strung :
But she— the moving spring of all,
Hath sympjilhy- with none
That meet in that old festive hall ,—
And now— the feast's begun.
Hark ! to the clang of arms ! is 't he.
The bridegroom chief,— returned, —
Crowned — with the wreath of victory
By his good weapon — earned?
Victorious bands— indeed — return,—
But, on their shields — they bear —
The laurelled chief, — and melt — those steru-
At that young bride's despair.
" Take— take— the roses from my brow.
The jewels — from my waist;
I have no need — of such things now :"
And then— her cheek— she placed—
Close— to his dead— cold cheek, and wept,- -
As one may wildly weep,
When the last hope,— the heart had kept,
Tiies buried— in the deep.
Long years have passed,~since that young
Bewailed — her widowed doom: [bridle
The holy walls— of 3Ialahide—
Still— shrine her marble tomb :—
And sculpture there— has sought to prove,
With rude essay— ofj^rt.
That form— she wore in life,— whose lovo —
Did grace- her woman's heart. — C^awfcrri,
The influence of example — is a terriblt
responsibility — on the shoulders of every in
dividttal
268
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
646. Aarojt Buuh and Blennkuhas-
BKTT. Who, then, is Aaron Burr, and what
the part which lie has borne in this transac-
tion I He is its author; its projector ; its ac-
tive executor. Bold, ardent, restless, and as-
eiring, his brain conceived it; his hand
rought it into action. Beginning his opera-
tions in Ne«v York, he associates with him,
men, whose wealth is to supply the neces-
sary funds. Possessed of the mainspring,
his personal labor contrives all the machine-
ry. Per\'ading the continent from New-York
to New-Orleans, he draws into his plan, by
everv allurement which he can contrive, men
oi all ranks, and all descriptions. To youth-
ful ardor he presents danger and glory ; to
ambition, ranK, and titles, and honors ; to av-
arice, the mines of Mexico. To each person
whom he addresses, he presents 'the object
adapted to his taste : his recruiting officers are
appointed ; men are engaged throughout the
continent: civil life is indeed quiet upon the
surface ; but in its bosom this man has con-
trived to deposit the materials, which, with
the slighest touch of his match, produces an
explosion, to shake the continent. All this
his restless ambition has contrived ; and, in
the autumn of 1806, he goes fortli, for the last
time, to apply this match. On this excur-
sion he meets with Blennerhassett.
• Who is Blennerhassett 1 A native of Ire-
land, a man of letters, who fled from the
storms of his own country to find quiet in ours.
His history shews, that war is not the natu-
ral element of his mind ; if it had been, he
would never have exchanged Ireland for
America. So fkr is an army from furnishing
the society, natural and proper to Mr. Blen-
nerhassett's character, that on his arrival in
America, lie retired, even from the popula-
tion of the Atlantic states, and sought quiet,
and solitude, in the bosom of our western for-
ests. But he carried with hfch taste, and sci-
ence, and wealth ; and " lo, the desert smiled."
Possessing himself of a beautiful island in
the Ohio, he rears upon it a palace, and dec-
orates it with every romantic embellishment
of fancy. A shrubbery, that Shenstone might
have envied, blooms around him ; music that
might have charmed Calypso and her nymphs,
is his ; an extensive library spreads its treas-
ures before him; a philosophical apparatus
offers to him all the secrets, and mysteries of
nature; peace, tranquillity, and innocence
shed their mingled delights around him ; and,
to crown the enchantment of the scene, a
wife, who is said to be lovely even beyond
her sex, and graced with every accomplish-
ment, that can render it irresistible, had bles-
sed him with her love, and made him the
father of her children. The evidence would
convince you, that tliis is but a faint picture
of the real life.
In the midst of all this peace, this Inno-
cence, and this tranquillity, this feast of the
mind, this pure banquet of' the heert — the
destroyer comes — he comes — to turn this^jar-
adise — into a hell — yet the ilowers do not
wither at his approach, and no monitory
shuddering, through the bosom of their un-
fortunate possessor, warns him of the ruin,
that is coming upon him. A stranger presents
himself. Introduced to their civilities, by the
high rank which he had lately held in his
country, he s.ion finds his way to their hearts,
by tlie dignity, and elegance of his demean-
or, the lig^ht and beauty of his conversation,
and the seductive, and fascinating power oi
his address. The conquast v^^as not a diffi-
cult one. Innocence is ever simple, and
credulous; conscious of no design itself, it
suspects none in otliers; it wears" no giiarda
before its breast : every door, and portal, and
avenue of the heart is thrown open, and all.
who choose it, enter. Such, was tlie state oi
Eden, when the serpent entered its bowers.
The prisoner, in a more engaging form, w ind-
ing himself into the open and unpracticed
heart of the unfortunate Blennerhassett, found
but little difficulty, in changing the native
character of that heart, and the objects of its
atTection. By degrees, he infuses into it the
poison of his own ambition ; he breathes into
It the fire of his own courage ; a daring and des-
perate thirst for glory ; an ardor, panting for
all the storm, and bustle, and hurricane of life.
In a short time, the whole man is changed,
and every object of his former dehght relin-
quished. No more he enjoys the tranquil
scene ; it has become fiat, and insipid to his
taste ; his books are abandoned ; his retort,
and crucible, are thrown aside; his shrubbery
in vain blooms, and breathes its fragrance up-
on the air — he likes it not ; his ear no longer
drinks the rich melody of music; it longs foi
the trumpet's clangor, and the cannons roar ;
even the prattle of his babes, once so sweet,
no longer affects him ; and the angel smile of
his wife, which hitherto touched his bosom
with ecstasy so unspeakable, is now unfcll
and unseen. Greater objects have taken pos-
session of his soul — liis imagination has been
dazzled by visions of diadems, and stars, and
garters, and titles of nobility : he has been
taught to burn with restless emulation at the
names of Cromwell, Cesar, and Bonaparte.
His enchanted island is destined soon to re-
lapse into a desert ; and, in a few months^
we find the tender, and beautiful partner ol
his bosom, whom he lately " permitted not
the winds of" summer " to visit too roughly,"
we find her shivering, at midnight, on the
winter banks of the Ohio, and mingling her
tears with the torrents, that froze as they fell.
Yetj this unfortunate man, thus deluded' from
his interest, and his happiness — thus seduced
from the paths of innocence, and peace — thus
confounded in the toils, which were deliber-
ately spread for him, and overtc helmed by
the mastering spirit, and genius of another —
this man, thus ruined, ana undone, and made
to play a subordinate part in this grand drama
of guilt and treason — this man is to be called
the principal offender ; while he, by whom he
was thus plunged, and steeped in misery, is
comparatively innocent — a mere accessory.
Sir, neither the human heart, nor the human
understanding will bear a perversion so mon-
strous, and absurd ; so shocking to the soul ,
so revolting to reason. O ! no sir. There is
no man who knows anything of this afiiiir,
who does not know that to every body con-
cerned in it, Aaron Burr was as the sun to
the planets, which surround him; he bound
them in their respective orbits, and gave them
their hght, their neat, and their motion. Let
him not then shrink — from the high destina-
tion, which he has courted; and having al-
reacfy ruined Blennerhassett in fortune, char-
acter, and happiness, /orerfr, attempt to fin-
ish the tragedy, by thrusting that ill-fated
man between himself and jninwhment.
The royal bee, queen — of the rosy bower,
Coliecis her precious sweets — 'rom every flower.
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
269
647. Talents always Ascettdant.
Talents, whenever tliey have had a suitable
theatre, have never failed to emerge from ob-
scurity, and assume their proper rank in the
estimation of the world. The jealous pride
of power may attempt to repress, and crush
tliem; the base, and malignant rancor of im-
notent spleen, and envy — may strive to em-
barrass and retard their flight: but these ef-
forts, so far from achieving their ignoble pur-
pose, so far from producing a discernible ob-
liquity, in the ascent of genuine, and vigorous
talents, will serve only to increase their mo-
mentum, and mark their transit, with an ad-
ditional stream of glory.
When the great earl of Chatham — first made
his appearance in the house of commons, and
began to astonish, and transport the British
parliament, and the British nation, by the
boldness, the force, and range of his thoughts,
and the celestial fire, and pathos of his elo-
queiice, it is well known, that the minister,
VValpole, and his brother Horace, from mo-
tives very easily understood, exerted all their
wit, all their oratory, all their acquirements
of every description, sustained and enforced
by the unfeeling " insolence of oflSce," to heave
a mountain on his gigantic genius, &nd hide it
from the world. Poor and powerless attempt !
Tlie tables were turned. He rose upon them,
in the might, and irresistible energy of his
genius, and, in spite of all their convulsions,
trantic agonies, and spasms, he strangled
them, and their whole faction, with as much
ease as Hercules did the serpent Python.
Who can turn over the debates of thtf day,
and read the account of this conflict between
youthful ardor, and hoary-headed cunning,
and power, without kindling in the cause of
the tyro, and shouting at his victory 'I That
they should have attempted to pass off the
grand, yet solid and judicious operations of a
mind like his, as being mere theatrical start
and emotion ; the giddy, hair-brained eccen-
tricities of a romantic boy ! That they should
have had the presumption to suppose them-
.selves capable of chaming down, to the floor
of the parliament, a genius so etlierial, tower-
ing ana sublime, seems unaccountable ! Why
did tliey not, in the next breath, by way of
crowning the climax of vanity , bid the magnifi-
cent fire-ball to descend from its exalted, and
appropriate region, and perform its splendid
tour along the surface of the earth 1
Talents, which are before the public, have
nothing to dread, either from tlie jealous pride
of power, or from the transient misrepresenta-
tions of party, spleen, or envy. In spite of
opposition from any cause, their buoyant spir-
it will lift them to their proper grade. The
man who comes fairly before the world, and
% dio possesses the great, and vigorous st-ami-
j a, wliich entitle him to a niche in the temple
of glory, has no reason to dread the ultimate
result ; however slow Jiis progress may be, he
will, in the end, most indubitably receive tJiat
distinction. While the rest, " the swallows of
Bcience," the butterflies of genius, may flutter
for their spring; but they will soon pass
away, and oe remembered no more. No en-
terprising man, therefore, and least of all, the
truly great man. has reason to droop, or re-
pine, at any efforts, which he may suppose to
oe made, with the view to depress him. Let,
then, the tempesn of envy, or of malice howl
around him. His genius will consecrate him;
aiij any attempt to extinguish that, will be
as unavailing, as would a human effort " to
quench the stars." — Wirt.
648. RICH AND POOR MAN.
So goes the world ;— if wealthy, you may call
J^is, friend, <Aoi,brotlier; friends and brothers all;
The' you are worthless — witless— never mind ;t ".
You may have been a stable-boy — what then!.
'Tis wealth, good sir, makes honorable man.
You seek respect, no doubt, and you -wij.find il.
But, if you are poor, heaven help you ! the' youT
Had royal blood within him, and the' you 's.ire
Possess the intellect of angels, too,
'Tis all in vain ; — the world wiJl ne'er inquire
On such a score :— Why should it take the pains ?
'Tis easier to weigh purses, sure, than brains.
I once saw a poor fellow, keen, and clever,
Witty, and wise : — he paid a man a visit.
And no one noticed him, and no one ever [is it!"
G ave him a welcome. "Strange," cried I, "whence
He walked on this side, then on that,
He tried to introduce a social chat;
Now here, now there, in vain he tried ;
Some formally and freezingly replied, and son^e
Said, by their silence — "Better stay at home."
A rich man burst the door.
As Croesus rich ; I'm sure
He could not pride himself upon his wit,
And as for wisdom, he had none of it;
He had what 's better ; — he had wealth.
What a confusion I — all stand up erect —
These— crowd around to ask him of his health ;
These — bow in honest duty, and respect;
And these — arrange a sofa or a chair.
And these — conduct him there.
"Allow me, sir, the honor ;" — ^Then a bow —
Down to the earth — Is 't possible to show
Meet gratitude— for such kind conde«censica ?—
The poor man — hung his head.
And, to himself, he said,
"This is indeed, beyond my comprehension:"
Then looking round,
One friendly face he found,
And said, "Pray tell me why is wealth preferred,
To wisrfom .'"'—" That 'a a silly question, friend!"
Replied the other — " have you never heard,
A man may lend his store
Of gold, or silver ore.
But wisdom — none can borrow, none can lend?^
THE ABUSE OF AUTHORTTY.
O, it is excellent
Tc have a giant's strength; but it is tyrannous
To use It like a giant.
Could great men thunder
As Jove himself does, Jove would ne'er be quiei :
For every pelting, petty officer, [thunder.
Would use his heaven for thunder; nothing but
Merciful heaven !
Thou rather, with thy sliarp and sulphurous bolt,
Split the uiiwedgeable and gnarled oak.
Than the soft myrtle.— O, but man, proud man,
Drest in a little brief authority ;
Most ignorant of what he 's most assur'd.
His glassy essence,— like an angry ape.
Plays such fantastic tricks before high heaven
As make the angels weep ; who, with our spleenSi
"Would all themselves laugh monal. —Shakspeeure
22
270
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
649> THE maniac; mad-house.
Stay, jailor, stay — and hear my woe !
She is not mad— who kneels to thee ;
For what I'm now— too well I know.
For what I was— and what should be.
I'll rave no more— in proud despair ;
Mv anguage shall be mild— though sad :
But yet I'll firmly— truly swear,
I am not mad— I am not mad.
My tyrant husband — forged the tale,
Which chains me— in this dismal cell ;
My fate unknown — my friends bewail ;
'Oh : jailor, haste— that fate to tell ;
Oh : haste — my father's heart to cheer :
His heart, at once— 'twill grieve, and glad,
To know, though kept a captive here,
I am not mad ;— I am not mad.
He smiles — in scorn, and turns — the key ;
He quits the grate ; I knelt in vain ;
His glimmering lamp, still, still I see —
'Tis gone, and all is gloom again.
Cold — bitter cold ! — No warmth ! no light !
Lite, — all thy comforts once I had ;
Yet here I'm chained, — this freezing night,
Although not mad ; no, no, not mad.
Tis sure some dream,— some vision vain ;
What ! I,— the child of rank— and wealth,
Am /the wretch — who clanks this chain,
Bereft of freedom,— friends and health?
Ml : while I dwell on blessings fled,
Which never more — my heart must glad,
IIow aches my heart,— how burns my head ;
But 'tis not mad ; — no, 'tis not mad.
Hast thou, ray child — forgot ere this,
A mother's face, — a mother's tongue ?
Slie'U ne'er forget your parting kiss.
Nor round her neck — how fast you clung;
Nor how with me — you sued to stay ;
Nor how that suit — your sire forbade ;
Nor how— I'll drive such thoughts away;
They'll make me mad; they'll make me mad.
His rosy lips, — how sweet they smiled !
His mild blue eyes, how bright they shone !
None — ever bore'a lovelier child :
And art thou now forever — gone 1
And must I never see thee more,
My pretty, pretly, pretty lad?
I will be free ! unbar the door !
I am not mad ;— I am not mad.
Oh ! hark ! what mean those yells, and cries ?
His chain — some furious madman breaks;
He comes, — I see his glaring eyes ;
Now. now — my dungeon-grate he shakes.
Help! help: — He's gone ! Oh ! fearful wo,
Such screams to hear, such sights to see •'
My brain, my brain, — I know, I know,
I am not mad, but soon shall be.
Yes. soon ;— for, lo you ! — while I speak—
Mark how yon Demon's eye-balls glare !
He sees me ; now, with drea'dful shriek,
He whirls a serpent — high in air.
Horror'.— the reptile— strikes his tooth-
Deep in my lieart, so crushed and sad ;
Ay. laugh, ye fiends ; I feel the truth ,
Your task is doneJ--/'m iiiad ! I'm mad I
Here didst thou dwell, in the enchanted cover,
Egeria ! thy all heavenly bosom beating.
For the far footsteps of thy mortal lover; [ing,
The purple moonlight vail'd that mystic meet-
W'th her most starry canopy, and, seating
Thyself by thine adorer, what befell ? £ing
This cave was surely shaped out for the greet-
Of an onamor'd goddess, and the cell
Haunted by holy love — the earliest oracle !
Cliildren like tender scions, take the bow,
And, as they first are fashioned— always grow.
650. THE A LP'S.
Proud monuments of God! sub ime ye stand
Among the wonders of his mighty hand :
With summits soaring in the upper sky, [eye •
Where the broad day looks down with burning
Where gorgeous clouds in solemn pomp repose,
Flinging rich shadows on eternal snows:
Piles of triumphant dust, ye stand alone.
And hold in kingly state, a peerless throne !
Like olden conquerors, on high ye rear
The regal ensign, and the glittering spear :
Round icy spires, the mists, in wreaths unrolled.
Float ever near, in purple or in gold :
And voiceful torrents, sternly rolling there,
Fill with wild music, the unpillared air :
What garden, or what hall on earth beneath.
Thrills to .such tones, as o'er the mountains
breathe 1 [shone^
There, through long ages past, those summits
Where morning radiance on their state was
thrown ;
There, when the summer day's career was done,
Played the last glory of the sinking sun ;
There, sprinkling lustre o'er the cataract's shade,
The chastened moon, her glittering rainbow
made ;
And, blent with pictured stars, her lustre lay.
Where to still vales,the free streams leaped awa> ,
AVhere are the thronging hosts of other days,
Whose banners floated o'er the Alpine ways;
Who,.through their high defiles, to battle, wound,
While deadly ordnance stirr'd the h'ights aroundl
Gone ; like the dream, that melts at early morn.
When the lark's anthem through the sky is borne:
Gone; like the wrecks, that sink in ocean's spray.
And chill oblivion murmurs; Where are theyl
Yet, "Alps on Alps" still rise ; the lofty home
Of storms, and eagles, where their pinions roam
Still, round their peaks, the magic colors lie,
Of morn, and eve, imprinted on the sky ;
And still, while kings and thrones, shall fade,
and fall.
And empty crowns iie dim upon the pall ; [roar ;
Still, shall their glaciers flash ; their torrents
Till kingdoms fail, and nations rise no more.
Atihkrknce to Truth. Petrarch, a cele-
brated Italian poet, who flourished about four
hundred years ago, recommended himself to
the confiaence and affection of Cardinal Co-
lonna, in whose family he resided, by his can-
dor, and strict adherence to truth. A violent
quarrel occurred in the household of thifi
nobleman ; which was carried so far, that re-
course was had to arms. The Cardinal wish-
ed to know the foundation of this affair ; and
that he might be able to decide with jtistice,
lie assembled all his people, and obliged them
to bind themselves, by a most solemn oath
on the gospels, lo declare the whole truth.
Every one, without exception, submitted to
this determination ; even the Bishop of Lima,
brother to the Cardinal was not excused.
Petrarch, in his turn, presenting himself to
take the oath ; the Cardinal closed the book^
and said, " As to you, Petrarch, your word is
sufficient.''
'Tis done, and since 'tis done, 'tis past recall j
And sinte 'tis past recall, must be forgotten
Never purchase friendship by gifts.
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
271
6«l]> Modern Republics. Where are
the republics of modern times, which cluster' d
round immortal Italy"? Venice, and Genoa
exist, but m name. The Alps, indeed, look
down upon the brave and peaceful Swiss, in
their native fastnesses ; but the guaranty of
their freedom is in their weakness, and not in
their strength. The mountains are not easily
crossed, and the valleys are not easily retain-
ed. When the invader comes, he moves like
an avalanche, carrying destruction in his
path. The peasantry sink before him. The
country is too poor for plunder ; and too rough
for valuable conquest. Nature presents her
eternal barriers, on every side, to check the
wantonness of ambition ; and Switzerland re-
mains, with her simple institutions, a military
road to fairer climates, scarcely worth a per-
manent possession.
We stand the latest, and, if we fail, probably
the last experiment of self-government by the
people. We have begun it, under circum-
stances of the most auspicious nature. We
are in the vigor of youth. Our growth has
never been checked, by the oppressions of
tyranny. Our constitutions have never been
enfeebled by the vices, or luxuries of the old
world. Such as we are, we have been from
the beginning ; simple, hardy, intelligent, ac-
customed to self-government, and self-respect.
The Atlantic rolls between us, and any for-
midable foe. Within our own territory,
stretching through many degrees of latitude
and longitude, we have the choice of many
products, and many means of independence.
The government is mild. The press is free.
Knowledge reaches, or may reach, every
home. What fairer prospect of success could
be presented 1 What means more adequate
to accomplish the sublime end"? What more
is necessary, than for the people to preserve,
what they themselves have created 1
Already has the age caught the spirit of our
institutions. • It has already ascended the An-
des, and snuffed the breezes of both oceans.
It has infused itself into the life-blood of Eu-
rope, and warmed the sunny plains of France,
and the lowlands of Holland. It has touched
the philosophy of Germany, and the North,
and, moving onward to the South, has opened
to Greece the lessons of her better days.
Can it be, that America, under such cir-
cumstances, can betray herself] that she is
to be added to the catalogue of republics, the
inscription upon whose ruins is — "They
were, but they are not.'" Forbid it, my coun-
trymen ; forbid it. Heaven I— Story.
65S2« RAZOR SELLER.
A fellow, in a market-town,
Most musical, cried razors; up and down,
Ai'.d offered twelve — for eighteen-pence ;
Whicl , certainly, seem'd wondrous cheap,
Aiid, for the money, quite a heap,
That every man would buy, with cash and sense.
A country bumpkin the great offer heard;
Poor Hodge, who suffer'd by abroad black beard,
riiat seemed a shoe-brush, stuck beneath his nose.
With, cheerfulness, the eighteen-pence he paid,
And, proudly, to himself, in whispers said —
This rascal stole the razors, I suppose.
" No matter, if the fellow be a knave,
Provided that the razors shave;
It certainly will be a monstrous -irize."
So home the clown, witU a s good fortune went,
Smiling, — in heart and soul content,
And quickly soaped himself to ears and eyes.
Being well lathered, from a dish or tub,
Hodge now began, with grinning pain, to grub-
Just like a hedger, cutting furze :
'Twas a vile razor !— then the rest he tried ;—
All were impostors. " Ah !" Hodge signed,
" I wish my eighteen-pence was in my purse."
In vain, to chtise his beard, and bring the gracofi
He cut and dug, and whined, and staunp'd, tnd
swore ;
Bro't blood, and danc'd, olasphem'd and madt wr/
And curs'd each razor's body,o'er and o'er.{f!i0.e5,
His muzzle, formed of opposition stuff,
Firm as a Foxite, would not lose its ruff;
So kept it — laughing at the steel, and suds.
Hodge, in a passion, stretched his angry jaws,
Vowing the direst veng'nce, with clench'd slaws,
On the vile cheat that sold the goods.
" Razors ! a vile, confounded dog ! —
Not fit to scrape a hog !-'
Hodge sought the fellow— found him— and begun,
" P'rhaps, Master Razor-rogue ! to you, 'tis fun,
That people flaj' themselves out of their lives.
You rascal I for an hour, have I been grubbing,
Giving my crying whiskers here a scrubbing,
With razors, just like oyster-knives.
Sirrah ! I tell you, you 're a knave.
To cry up razors that can't shaveP
" Friend," (juolh the razor man, " I'm not akirave-
As for the razors you have bought, —
Upon m}' soul, I never thought
That they would shave.''*
" Not think they'd shave?" quoth Hodge, v/h,h
wond'ring eyes,
And voice, not much unlike an Indian yell,
"What were they made for then, you dog?" he cries.
" Made I" quoth the fellow, with a smile, " to ss/«."
653. Universal Em a?<^cipatiox. I
speak — in the spirit — of the British law,
which makes liberty — commensurate with
and inseparable from, the British soil, — whicli
proclaims, even to tlie stranger and the so-
journer, the moment he sets his foot upon
British earth, that the ground on which he
treads — is holy, and consecrated — by the ge-
nius of Univkksal Emancipatiox. N<.
matter in what language — his doom mav
have been pronounced ; no matter what com
plexion — incompatible with freedom, an In
dian, or an African sun may have burnt upon
him; no matter in what disastrous battle — hie
liberty may have been cloven down ; no mat-
ter with what solemnities — he may have been
devoted — upon the altar of slavery ; the first
moment — he touches the sacred soil of Britain,
the altar, and the god, sink together in the
dust; his soul walks abroad in her own ma-
jesty; his body swells beyond the measure
of his chains, that burst from around him,
and he stands redeemed, regenerated, and
disenthralled, by the irresistible genius of
Univkksal EiMANCiPATiox. — Gvuttun.
When breezes are soft, and skies are fair,
I steal an hour from study and care,
And hie me away— to the woodland scene
Where wanders the stream with waters of green
As if the bright fringe— of herl>s on its brink
Hud given their stain, to the wave they drink.
272
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
654. GIIVEVHA ; OR LOST BRIDE.
If ever you should come to Modena,
Stop at a palace, near the Reggio-gate,
Dwelt ill, of old, by one of the Donati.
[ts noble gardens, terrace, above terrace,
And rich in fountains, statues, cypresses,
Will long detain you — but before you go,
Enter the house— forget it not, I pray you—
And look awhile upon a picture there
Tis of a lady, in her eai-liest youth,
I'he last, of that illustrious family ;
Done by Zampieri — but by whom I care not.
He, ■who o])serves it — ere he passes on.
Gazes his fill, and comes, and comes again,
That he may call it up, when far away.
She sits, inclining forward, as to speak.
Her lips half open, and her finger up.
As though she said, "Beware 1" her vest of gold,
Broidered with flowers, and clasp'd from head to
An emerald stone, in every golden clasp ; [foot.
And on her brow, fairer than alabaster,
A coronet of pearls.
But then her face,
So lovely, yet so arch, so full of mirtli.
The overflowing — of an innocent heart —
It haunts me still, though many a year has fled,
Mice some wild melody !
Alone It hangs.
Over a mouldering heir-loom; its companion,
An oaken chest, half-eaten by the worm.
But richly carved, by Antony of Trent,
With Bcripture-stories, from the life of Christ ;
A chest, that came from Venice, and had held
The ducal robes — of some old ancestors —
That, by the w^ay — it may be true, or false —
But don't forget the picture ; and you will notj
When you have heard the tale, they told me there.
She was an only child — her name — Ginevra,
The joy, the pride — of an indulgent father;
And, in her fifteenth year, became a bride,
Marrying an only son, Francesco Doria,
Her playmate, from her birth, and her first love.
Jusi as she looks there, in her bridal dress,
She was; all gentleness, all gayety ;
Her pranks, the favorite theme of ever}' tongue.
But now, the day was come, the day, the hour ;
Now. frowning, smiling, for the hundredth time.
The nurse, that ancient lady, preached decorum ;
And, in the lustre of her youth, she gave
Her hand, with her heart in it, to Francesco,
(ireat was the joy ; but, at the nuptial feast, [ing.
When all sat down, the bride herself— was want-
Nor was she to be found ! Her father cried,
"'Tis but to make a trial of our love I"
And filled his glass to all ; but his hand shook.
And soon from guest to guest — the panic spread.
•Fvvas but that instant — she had left Francesco,
Laughing, and looking back, and flying still,
Her ivory tooth — imprinted on his finger.
Hut now, alas I she was not to be found ;
Nor, from that hour, could anything be guessed,
But, that she was not '.
Weary of his life,
Francesco — flew to Venice, and, embarking.
Flung It away, in battle with the Turk.
Donati lived— and long migh*/ you have seen
Aq old man, wandering— as in quest of something,
Something he could not find— he knew not what.
When he was gone, the house remained awhilo,
Silent, and tenantless— then, went to strangers.
Full fifty years were past, and all forgotten,
When, on an idle day, a day of search,
Mid the old lumber, in the gallery, lB«-d,
That mouldering chest was noticed ; and, 'iwaa
By one as young, as thoughtless as Ginevra,
" Why not remove it from its lurking-place V
'Twas done, as soon as said ; but, on the way,
It burst, it fell ; and lo ! a skeleton !
With here and there a pearl, and emerald stone,
A golden clasp, clasping a shred of gold.
Ail else — had perished— save a wedding ring,
And a small seal, her mother's legacy.
Engraven with a name, the name of both —
" Ginevra.''''
There, then, had she found a grave !
Within that chest, had she concealed herself,
Fluttering with joy, the happiest of the happy;
When a spring-lock, that lay in ambush there.
Fastened her down forever ! — Rogers.
THE NEEDLE.
The gay belles of fashion, may boast of excellings
In waltz, or cotillion, at whist or quadrille;
And seek admiration, by vauntingly telling —
Of dratving, and painting, and musical skill ;
But give me the/atV one, in country or city.
Whose home, and its duties, are dear lo her hearty
Who cheerfully warbles some rustical ditty.
While plying the needle, with exquisite art ;
The brigfu little needle, the swift flying needle,
The needle — directed by beauty, and art.
If LOVE has a potent, a magical token,
A talisman, ever resistless, and true,
A charm, that is never evaded or broken,
A witchery, certain the heart to subdue,
'Tis THIS, and his armory — never has furnisiied,
So keen, and unerring, or polish''d a dart,
(Let beauty direct it,) so pointed, and burnish''d,
And, oh! it is certain— of touching the heart,
The bright little needle, the sw'ifl flying needle,
The needle — directed by beauty, and art.
Be wise, then, ye maidens, nor seek admiratio-t,
By dressing — for conquest, m\(\ flirting — with all
You never, whate'er be yoar fortune, or statioti,
Appear half so lovely, at rout, or at ball.
As — gaily conven'd at the it'or/c-covered table,
JBac/i— cheerfully active, and playing her part.
Beguiling the task, with a sor^g, or a fable.
And plying the needle — with exquisite art;
The bright little needle,— the long darnijig needle.
The swift knitting needle, the needle, directed b*
BEAUTY and ART. — Woodworth.
In parts superior, what advantage lies?
Tell, (for you can) what is it to be wise?
'TIS but to know how little can be known ;
To see all others' faults, and feel our own ;
Conderan'd in business, or in arts to drudge,
Without a second, or without a judge.
Truths would you teach, to save a sinking land
All fear, none aid you, and few — understand.
Even from tlic body's purity, the mind
Receives a secret sympatiietic aid.
Not rural sight alone, but rural sounds*
Exhilorate Uie spirits.
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
273
635* Abama axd Jefferson. They have
gone to the companions of bheir cares, of their
toils. It is well with them. The treasures of
America are now in Heaven. How long the
list of our good, and wise, and brave, assem-
bled there ! how few remain with us ! There
is our Washington ; and those who followed
him in their country's confidence, are now
met together with him, and all that illustrious
company.
The mithful marble may preserve their
image; the engraven brass may proclaim
their worth ; but the humblest sod of inde-
§ en dent America, with nothing but the dew-
rops of the morning to gild it, is a prouder
mausoleum than kings or conquerors can
boast. The country is their monument. Its
independence is their epitaph.
But not to their country is their praise lim-
ited. The whole earth is the monument of
illustrious men. Wherever an agonizing
people shall perish, in a generous convul-
sion, for want of a valiant arm and a fearless
heart, they will cry , in the last accents of de-
spair. Oh, for a Washington, an Adams, a
JetFerson ! Wherever a regenerated nation,
starting up in its might, shall burst the links
of steel that enchain it, the praise of our fa-
thers shall be the prelude of their triumphal
song.
The contemporary and successive genera-
tions of men will disappear. In the long
lapse of ages, the tribes of America, hke those
of Greece and Rome, may pass away. The
fabric of American freedom, like all things
human, however firm and fair, may crumble
into dust. But the cause in which these our
fathers shone is immortal. They did that, to
which no age, no people of reasoning men,
can be indifferent.
Their eulogy will be uttered in other lan-
guages, when those we speak, like us who
speak them, shall all be forgotten. And when
the great account of humanity shall be closed
at the throne of God, in the bright list of his
children, who best adorned and served it,
shall be found the names of our Adams and
our Jefferson. — Everett.
656. ZXtLE op ERIN.
There came to the beach— a poor exHe of Erin,
The dew, on his thin robe, hung heavy and chill;
For his country he sigh'd, when, at twilight repair-
Tc wander alone, by the wind-beaten hill : [ing.
But the day-star — attracted his eyes' sad devotion,
For it rose — on his own native Isle of the Ocean,
Where once, in the glow of his youthful emotion,
Ho eung the bold anlhem— of Erin Go Bkagh !
O, sad is my fate! said the heart-broken stranger,
The wild deer and wolf, to a covert can flee ;
But I — have no refuge — from famine, or danger,
A home, and a country—remain not for me ;
Ah! never, again, in the green sunny bow'rs, [hours,
Where my forefatliers liv'd, shall I spend the sweet
Or cover my harp, with the wild woven flowers,
And strike to the numbers — of Ekin Go Bragh !
O.where is my cottage, that stood by the wild wood?
Sisters and sir«s, did ye weep for its fall? [hood,
O. wliere is the n.other, t^iat watch'd o'er my child-
Arid where is the bosom-friend, dearer than all ?
Ah : my sad soul, long abandoned by pleasure,
O. VI hy did it doai — on a fast fading treasure —
Tears, like the rain-drops, may fall, without mea-
Bui ranture. and beauty, they cannot recall ! [sure,
UitONSON. 18
Erin, my country, though sad and forstkeri,
111 dreams, I revisit thy sea-beaten shore !
But alas I in a far distant land I awaken, [rnoro'
And sigh for the friends, who can meet me tijC
O, hard, cruel fate, wilt thou never replace me,
In a nuinsionofpeace.where no dt:! cv.ichase met
Ah ! never, again, shall my brothei8 embrace me,
They died to defend me, or liv&— » isplore !
, But yet, all its fond recollections suppressing,
One dying wish — my lone bosom shall draw:
Erin, an exile bequeaths thee his blessing,
liand ofmy forefathers, Erin Go Bragh!
Buried and cold, when my heart stills its motion.
Green be thy fields, sweetest isle of the qcean,
And thy harp-striking bards sing aloud with devo-
O, Erin ma vorneen, Erin Go Bragh ! [tion,
657. THE hypocrite.
He was a man-,
Who stole the livery — of the court of heaven,
To serve the devil in ; in virtue's gnise,
Devoured the widow's house, and orphan's bread
In holy phrase, transacted villanies,
That common .sinners — durst not meddle with.
At sacred feast, he sat among the saints,
And with his guilty hands — touched holiest things.
And none of sin lamented more, or sighed
More deeply, or with graver countenance.
Or longer prayer, wept o'er the dying man,
Whose infant children, at the moment, he
Planned how to rob. In sermon-style he bought
And sold, and lied ; and salutation made, .
In scripture terms. He prayed, by quantity,
And with his repetitions, long and loud.
All knees were weary. AVith one hand, he put
A penny — in the urn of poverty.
And with the other — took a shilling out.
On charitable lists, — those trumps, which told
The public ear, who had, in secret, done
The poor a benefit, and half the alms [mg,
They told of, took themselves to keep them sound-
He blazed his name, more pleased to have it there,
Than in the book of life. Seest thou the man!
A serpent with an angeFs voice ! a grave, [ceiv'd.
With flowers bestrewed ! and yet, few were de-
His virtues, being over-done, his face,
Too grave, his prayers loo long, his charities,
Too pompously attended, and his speech,
Larded too frequently, and out of time,
With serious phraseology, — were rents.
That in his garments opened, in spite of him,
Thro' which, the well accustomed eye, could see
The rottenness of his heart. None deeper blush'd.
As in tlie all-piercing light he stood, exposed,
No longer herding— with the holy ones.
Yet still he tried to bring his countenance-
To sanctimonious seeming ; but, meanwhile,
The shame within, now visible to all.
His purpose balk'd. The righteoun smil'd, and even
Despair itself, some signs of laughter gave,
As, ineffectually, he strove to wipe
Hi.« brow, that inward guiltiness defiled.
Detected wretch! of all the reprobate.
None seem'd more mature — for the flames of hefl,
Where still his face, from ancient custom, wears
A holy air, which says to all that pasw
Him by, '^'' Iwas a hypocriu on earih.^ -PoUock.
874
READINGS AND RECITAnuj^S.
658. PARRHASroS ANB CAPTIVE.
" Parrhasius, a painter of Atheni, amongst those Olynthian cap-
ives Philip of Macedon brought home to sell, bought one very old
Dun ; and when he had him at his house, put him to death with
estreme torture and torment, the better, by his example, to express
ue pains and passions of his Prometheus, whom he was then
Ebrut »o painl, Burton'* Anat. of Md.
Therft stood an unsold captive in the mart,
A gray-haired and majestical old man,
Chained to a pillar. It was almost night,
And the last seller fromhis'place had gone,
And not a sound was heard but of a dog
Crunching beneath the stall a refuse bone,
Or the dull echo from the pavement rung,
As the faint captive changed his weary feet.
Twas evening, and the half-descended sun
Tipped with a golden fire the many domes
Of Athens, and a yellow atmosphere
Lay rich and dusky in the shaded street
Thiough which the captive gazed.
The golden light into the painter's room
Streamed richly, and the hidden colors stole
From the dark pictures radiantly forth,
And in the soft and dewy atmosphere,
Like forms and landscapes, magical they lay.
Parrhasius stood, gazing, forgetfully.
Upon his canvas. There Prometheus lay
Chained to the cold rocks of Mount Caucasus —
The vulture at his vitals, and the links
Of the lame Lemnian festering in his flesh ;
And, as the painter's mind felt through the dim.
Rapt mystery, and plucked the shadows forth
With its far-reaching fancy, and with form
And color clad them, his fine, earnest eye,
Flashed with a passionate fire, and the quick curl
Of his thin nostril, and his quivering lip [flight.
Were like the w^inged God's, breathing from his
" Bring me the captive now!
My hands feel skillful, and the shadows lift
From my waked spirit airily and swift,
And I could paint the bow
Upon the bended heavens — around me play
Colors of such divinity to-day.
Ha! bind him on his back !
Look :— as Prometheus In my picture here'
Quick — or he faints ! stand with the cordia. near !
Now — bend him to the rack !
Press down the poison'd links into his flesh !
And tear agape that healing wound afresh .
So — rt-t him writhe ! How long
Will he live thus? Quick, my good pencil, now!
Wliat a fine agony works upon his brow !
Ha ! gray-haired, and so strong !
How fearfully he stifles that short moan !
Gods! if I could but paint a dying groan!
"Pity" thee! Soldo!
J pity the dumb victim at the altar —
But does the rob'd priest for his pity falter?
Pd rack thee though I knew
4 thousand lives were perishing in thine —
What were ten thousand to a fame like mine?
Yet there's a deathless name!
A spirit that the smothering vault shall spurn,
And like a steadfast planet mount and burn—
And though its crown of flame
Consumed my brain to ashes as it shone,
By all the fiery stars! I'd bind it on !
Ay— though it bid me rifle
My heart's last fount for its insatiate thirst — '
Though every life-strung nerve be maddened first ;
lliough \t should bid me stifle
The yearning in my throat for my gweet child.
And taunt its mother till my brain went wild —
All— I would do it ail-
Sooner than die, like a dull worm, to tot-
Thrust foully into earth to be forgot!
O heavens—but I appal
Vo»ir heart, old man ! forgive ^ha! on your lives
Let him not faint? — rack him till he revives !
Vain— vain--give o'er ! Hi» eye
Glazes apace. He does not feel you now —
Stand back ! I'll paint the death-dew on his brow!
Gods I if he do not die
But for one moment — one— till I eclipse
Conception with the scorn of those calm lips '
Shivering ! Hark ! he mutters
Brokenly now— that was a difficult breath
Another 1 Wilt thou never come, oli, DeaU •
Look ! how his temples flutter !
Is his heart still ? Aha! lift up his head !
He shudders, gasps, Jove help him ! so, he'o dead
How like a mounting devil in the heart
Rules the unreigned ambition! Let it once
But play the monarch, and its haughty brov
Glows with a beauty that bewilders thought,
And unthrones peace forever. Putting on
The very pomp of Lucifer, it turns
The heart to ashes, and with not a spring
Left in the bosom for the spirit's lip.
We look upon our splendor and forget
The thirst of which we perish !
O, if earth be all, and Heaven nothing,
What thrice mocked fools we are ! — WUlis.
NATURAL HISTORY OF LOVE,
Addressed to Dr. Moyce by the ladies.
Dear doctor, let it not transpire.
How much your lectures we admire ; .
How, at your eloquence we wonder.
When you explain the cause of thunder ,
Of lightning, and electricity.
With so much plainness, and simplicity ;
The prigin of rocks, and mountains.
Of seas, and rivers, lakes, and founts 'ns;
Of rain, and hail, and frost, and snow.
And all the storms, and winds that b.ow
Besides a hundred wonder? more,
Of which we never heard before.
But now, dear doctor, not to flatter,
There is a most important matter,
A matter which our thoughts run much oa,
A matter, which you never touch on,
A subject, if we right conjecture.
That well deserves a long, long lecture,
Which all the ladies would approve,—
The natural history of love !
Deny us not, dear doctor Moyce !
Oh, list to our entreating voice !
Tell us why our poor, tender hearts.
So easily admit love's ddrts.
Teach us the marks— of love's beginning ,
What makes us think a beau so winning •
What makes us think a coxcomb, witty,
A black coat, wise, a red coat- pretty !
Why we believe such horrid iies.
That we are angels, fiom the skies.
Our teeth like pearl, our cheeks like rosee,
Our eyes like stars — such charming noses I
Explain our dreams, awake, and sleepir^,
Explain our blushing, laughing, weeping.
Teach us, dear doctor, if you can,
To humble that proud creature, man ;
To turn the wise ones into fools,
The proud and insolent to tools ;
To make them all run, helter-ske.ter.
Their necks— into the marriage-halter:
Then leave us to ourselves with these ;
We'll turn and rule them as we please.
Dear doctor, if you grant our wisiies,
We promise you — five-hundred kisses;
And, rather than the affair be blundered.
We'll give you — six-score to llie hundrei
READINGS AND RECITATIONS,
275
69 9« SPEECH OF BELIJIL, DISSUADING WAR.
I should be much for open war, oh peers,
As not behind in hate, if what were urged.
Main reason to persuade immediate war,
Did not dissuade me more, and seem to cast
Ominous conjectuFe on the whole success ;
Wlien he, who most excels in tact of arms,
In what he counsels, and in what excels.
Mistrustful, grounds his courage on despair,
And utter dissolution as the scope
Of all his aim, after some dire revenge. [fiiicd
First, what revenge? — The lowers of heaven are
With armed watch, that render all access
Impregnable: oft, on the bordering deep,
Encamp their legions: or with obscure wing,
Scout far and wide, into the realms of night.
Scorning surprise. Or could we break our way
By force, and at our heels, all hell should rise,
With blackest insurrection, to confound
Heaven's purest light ; yet our great enemy,
All incorruptible, would, on his throne.
Sit, unpolluted ; and the etherial mold,
Incapable of stain, would soon expel
Her mischief, and purge off the baser fire,
Victot-ious. Thus repulsed, our final hope —
Is flat despair ; we must exasperate
The almighty victor — to spend all his rage,
And that must end us; that — ^must be our cure, —
To be no more. — Sad cure ! — for who would lose,
Though full of pain, this intellectual being.
Those thoughts, that wander through eternity, —
To perish rather, swallowed up, and lost,
In the wide tomb of uncreated night,
Devoid of sense, and motion ? — And who knows
(Let this be good) whether our angry foe
Can give it, or wiU ever? How he can,
Is doubtful ; that he never will, is sure.
W:ll he, so wise, let loose at once his ire,
Belike through impotence, or unawares.
To give his enemies their wish, and end
I'hem in his anger, whom his anger saves
To punish endless? — " Wherefore cease ye then?"
Say they, who counsel war ; " we are decreed,
Reserved, and destined — to eternal wo :
Whatever doing, — what can we suffer more,
What can we suffer worse?'''' Is this then worst.
Thus sitting, thus consulting, thus in arms ?
vVhat, when we fled amain, pursued and struck
With heaven's afflicting thunder^ and besought
The deep to shelter us? this hell, then, seemed
A refuge — from those wounds ! or, whAi we lay,
Chained en the burning lake ? that sure was worse.
What if the breath, that kindled those grim fires.
Awaked, should blow them into seven-fold rage,
And plunge us in the flames? or, from above,
Should intermitted vengeance — arm again
His red right hand to plague us ? what if all
Her stores were opened, and this firmament
Of hell — should spout her cataracts of fire.
Impending horrors, threatening hideous fall,
One day upon our heads; while we, perhaps,
Designing, or exhorting glorious war.
Caught in a fiery tempest, shall be hurled,
Each on his rock transfixed, the sport and prey
Of racking whirlwinds ; or, for ever sunk
Under yon boiling ocean, wrapped in chains ;
There to converse — with everlasting groans.
Unrespited, unpitied, unreprieved.
Ages— of hopeless end?— this would be wrrse.
War, therefore, open and concealed, ilike
My voice dissuades. — Milton.
Pompeii. How serenely alept the star-light
on that lovely city ! how "breathlessly its pil-
lared streets reposed in their security ! how
softly rippled the dark, green waves beyond !
how cloudless spread aloft and blue tlie dream-
ing Cumpanian skies ! Yet this was the last
night for the gay Pompeii ! the colony of the
hoar Chaldean ! the fabled city of Heicules !
the delight of the voluptuous Roman I Age
after age had rolled indestructive, unheeded,
over its head ; and now the last ray quivewd
on the dial plate of its doom !
660. THE beggar's FaTITION.
Pity the sorrows | of a poor old man, [door;
Whose trembling limbs | have borne him to your
Whose days are dwindled | to the shortest span;
Oh ! give relief, and Heav'n will bless your store.
These tatter'd clothes [ my poverty bespeak.
These hoary locks procl aim my lengthen'd years;
And many a furrow | in my grief-worn cheek,
Has been the channel | to a flood of tears.
Yon house, erected | on the rising ground,
With tempting aspect | drew me from my road ,
For plenty there | a residence has foimd,
And grandeur ] a magnificent abode.
Hard is the fate | of the infirm, and poor !
Here, as I crav'd | a morsel of their bread,
A pamper'd menial | drove me from the doo«,
To seek a shelter | in an humbler shed.
0> . take me | to your hospitable dome ;
Keen blows the wind, | and piercing is the cold !
Short is my passage | to the friendly tomb j
For I am poor, and miserably old.
Should I reveal tlie sources | of my giief.
If soft humanity | e'er touch'd your breast,
Your hands would not | withhold the kind reLcf,
And tears of pity \ would not be represt.
Heav'n sends misfortunes; why should we repine?
•Tis Heav'n has bro't me | to the state you see ;
And your condition | may be soon like mine,
The child of sorrow | and of misery.
A little farm | was my paternal lot ;
Then, like the lark, I sprightly hail'd the mom;
But all ! oppression | forc'd me from my cot.
My cattle died, and blighted was my com.
My daughter, once the comfort of my age,
Lur'd by a villain | from her native home.
Is cast, abandon'd, on the world's wide stage,
And doom'd | in scanty poverty to roam.
My tender wife, sweet soother of my care !
Struck with sad anguish | at the stern decree,
Fell, ling'ring fell, a victim to despair;
And left the world | to wretchedness and me.
Pity the sorrows | of a poor old man, [door;
Whose trembling limbs | have borne him to youi
Whose days are dwindled | to the shortest span^
Oh ! give relief, and Heav'n will bless your store
Canst thou administer— to x mind diseased ?
Pluck— from the memory— a rooted sorrow,
Raze out the written troubles— of the brain :
And with some sweet— oblivious antidot»—
Cleanse— the ttuSM bosom— of that periloviM^
Whkb weighs— upon the heart?
276
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
661. CATO'S SENATE.
Cato. Fathers, we once again are met in conn-
Cesar's approach has summou'd us together, [oil.
And Rome attends her fate from our resolves.
How shall we treat tliis bold aspiring man ?
Success still follows him, and backs his crimes.
Pharsalia— gave him Rome : Egypt— has since
Received his yoke, and the whole Nile is Cesar's.
Why should I mention Juba's overthrow,
And Scipio's death 1 Numidia's burning sands.
Still smoke with blood. Tis time we should
decree
Wh&t course to take. Our foe advances on us,
\nd envies us, even Libya's sultry deserts.
Fathers, pronounce your thoughts : are they still
To hold it out, and fight it to the last? [fixed
Or, are your hearts subdued at length, and wro't,
By time and ill success, to a submission ?
Sempronius, speak. —
Sempronius. My voice is still for war.
Gods ! can a Roman senate long debate,
Which of the two to choose, slavery, or death?
Ji'o ; let us rise at once, gird on our swords,
And, at the head of our remaining troops.
Attack the foe, break through the thick array
Of his thronged legions, and charge home upon
Perhaps somearm. more lucky than the rest, [him.
May reach his heart, and free the world — from
bondage.
Rise, fathers, rise! 'tis Rome demands your help;
Rise, and revenge her slaughtered citizens,
Or share their fate ! The corpse of half her senate
Manure the fields of Thessaly, while we
Sit here, deliberating in cold debates.
If we should sacrifice our lives to honor.
Or wear them out in servitude, and chains.
Rouse up, for shame ! our brothers of Pharsalia
Point at their wounds, and cry aloud — To battle I
G^eat Pmipey's shade — complains that we are
slow, [us!
And Scipio's ghost — walks unrevenged, amongst
Cato. Let not a torrent of impetuous zeal —
Transport thee thus, beyond the bounds of rea-
True fortitude is seen, in great exploits, [son :
That justice warrants, and that wisdom guides :
AH else is towering frenzy and distraction.
Are not the lives of those, who draw the sword,
In Rome's defence, intrusted to our care 1
Should we thus lead them to a field of slaughter.
Might not the impartial world, with reason, say,
We lavished at our deaths, the blood of thousands,
To grace our fall, and make our ruin glorious ;
Lucius, we next would know what's your opinion,
Lucius. My thoughts, I must confess, are
turned on peace.
Already, have our quarrels filled the world —
With widows and with orphans: Scythia mourns
Our guilty wars, and earth's remotest regions —
Lie half-unpeopled, by the feuds of Rome: [kind.
'Tis time to sheathe the sword, and spare man-
It is not Cesar, but the gods, my fathers,
The gods declare against us, and repel
Our vain attempts. To urge the foe to battle,
(Prompted by blind revenge, and wild desp^air,)
Were to refuse the awards of Providence,
And not to rest in Heaven's determination.
Already have we shown our love to Rome ;
Now, let us ghow submission to the gods.
We took up arms, not to revenge ourselves.
But free the zommonwealth ; when this end fails,
Arms have no further use : our country's cause.
That drew oir swords, now wrests 'em from our
And bids us Uot delight in Roman blood, [hands,
Unprofitably shed : what men could do —
Is aone already : heaven and earth — will witness,
If— -Rome — must — fall, that we are innocent.
Semp. This smooth discourse, and mild behav-
Conceal a traitor — something whispers me[ioroft
All io not right — Cato beware of Lucius.
Cato. Let us appear— nor rash, nor diffident :
Immoderate valor — swells into a faul-t ;
And fear, admitted into puWi-. councils.
Betrays— like treason. Let us shun 'cm boljj
Fathers, I cannot see thai our aflTairs [round U3
Are grown thus desperate : we have bulwarJ^i
Within our walls, are troops— inured to toi»,
In Afric's heats, and seasojied to the sun ;
Numidia's spacious kingdom lies belilnd us,
Ready to rise, at its young prince's call.
While there is hope, do not distrust the goda ;
But wait, at least, till Cesar's near approach
Force us to yield. 'Twill never be too late
To sue for chains, and own a conqueror.
Why should Rome fall a moment, ere her time I
No, let us draw her term of freedom out.
In its full length, and spin it to the last.
So, shall we gain still one day's liberty ;
And let me perish ; but, in Cato's judgment,
A day, an hour, of virtuous liberty,
Is worth a whole eternity-— in bondage. — Addidon^
66a. God ix Nature. — There is religion
in every thing around us — a calm and holy
religion, in the unbreathing things of nature,
which man would do well to imitate. It is a
meek and blessed influence, stealing in as it
were, unawares upon the lieart. It comes
quietly, and without excitement. It has no
terror, no gloom in its approaches. It does
not rouse up the passions ; it is untrammeled
by the creeds, and unshadowed by the super-
stitions of man. It is fresh from the hands of
its author, glowing from the immediate pres-
ence of the Great Spirit, which pervades and
quickens it.
It is written on the arched sky. It looks
out from every star. It is on the saihng
cloud, and in the invisible wind. It is among
the hills and valleys of the earth — where the
shrubless mountain-top— pierces the thin at-
mosphere of eternal winter — or where the
mighty forest fluctuates, before the strong
wind, with its dark waves of green foliage. It
is spread out like a legible language, upon
the broad face of the unsleeping ocean. It is
the poetry of nature. It is this which uplifts
the spirit within us, until it is strong enough
to overlook the shadows of our place of pro
bation; which breaks, link after Hnk, tho
chain that binds us to materiality ; and
which opens to our imagination a world of
spiritual beauty and holiness.
PLAV-PLACE OF EARLY DAYS.
Be it a weakness, it deserves some praise.
We love the play-place of our early days ;
The scene is touching, and the heart is stone,
That feels not at that sight, and feels at none.
The wall on which we tried our graving skill,
The very name we carv'd subsisting still ;
The bench on which we sat while deep employ'd.
Though mangled, hacked, and hewed, not yd
destroyed ;
The little ones, unbutton'd, glowing hot,
Playing our games, and on the very spot ;
As happy as we once, to kneel and dra\>^'
The chalky ring, and knuckle down at taw,
To pitch the ball into the grounded hat.
Or drive it devious with a dextrous pat ;
The pleasing spectacle at once excites
Such recollection of our own delights,
That, viewing it, we seem almost t' obtain
Our innocent, sweet, simple years again. Cawper
Come sleep, O sleep, the certain knot of peace
The baiting-place of wit, the balm of wo;
The poor man's wealth, the prisoner's release,
Th' indifferent j udge between tho high and low
READINGS AND RECITATIONS
27 7
0B3> PATRICK henry's SPEECH, 1775.
No man — thinks more highly, than I do, of the
patriotism, as well as the abilities, of the very
v^orthy gentlemen, who have just addressed the
nouse. But, different men — oAen see the same
■jubjeel in different lights; and therefore, I hope it
will not be thought rfwrespgct/^M^ to those gentlemen,
it", entertainmg, as I do, opinions of a character
very opposite to theirs, I should speak forth my
eenlimcnls— freely, and without reserve. This, sir,
is no time for ceremony. The question before the
house is one of a vvful moment to this country. For
Tiy part, I consider it as nothing less than a ques-
tion of freedom, or slavery: and in proportion to the
magnitude ^f the subject, ought to be the freedom
of debate. It is only in this way we can hope to
arrive at truth, and fulfill the great responsibility
wliich we hold to God, and to our country. Were
I to withhold my seiatimenls. at such a time as
this, through fear of giving offence, I should consi-
der myself as guilty of treason tow^ard my country,
and of an act of disloyalty toward the Majesty of
Heaven; whom I revere above all earthly kings.
It is natural for man — to indulge in the illusions
of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a
painful truth ; and listen — to the song of that syfen,
tili she transforms us — into beasts. Is this — the part
of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous strug-
gle for LIBERTY ? Are tve disposed to be of the
number of those, who, having eyes, see not, and
having ears, hear not, the things, which so nearly
concern their temporal salvation? For wy part,
whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing
to know the whole truth ; to know the worst, and to
provide for it.
I have but one lamp, by which my feet are
fuided; and that — is the lamp — of experience. I
now of no way of judging of the future, but by
the past. And, judging by the past, I wish to
know^ what there has been, in the conduct of the
British ministry, for the last ten years, to justify
those hopes, with v\diich gentlemen have been
pleased to solace themselves, and the house? Is it
that insidious smile, w^ith which our petition has
teen lately received? Tncst\Xnot,s\x; it will prove
a snare — to your feet. Suffer not yourselves to be
betrayed with a kiss. Ask 5'ourselves — how this
gracious reception of our petition — comports with
those warlike preparations, which cover our wa-
ters, and darken our land. Axe fleets, and armies,
necessary to a work of love, and reconciliation ?
Have we shown ourselves so unwilling to be re-
conciled, that force must be called in to win btuk
our love? I^et us not rfecett-e ourselves, sir. These
are the implements of loar, and stibjugation — the
last arguments — to which kings resort. I ask,
gentlemen, sir, what means this martial array, if
lis purpose be not io force us to submission? Can
gentlemen assign any other, possible motive tor it?
Has Great Britain any enemy, m this quarter of
tiie world, to call for all this accumulation of na-
vies, and armies? No sir, she has none. They
are meant for us : they can be meant for no other.
They are sent over — to bind, and rivet upon us,
those chains, which the British ministry have been
60 long forging. And lohat have we to oppose to
them? Shall we try argument? Sir, we have
been trying that for the last ten years. Have we
anything new to offer upon the subject ? Nothing.
We have held the subject up \nevery lightof which
.t is capable; but it has been all in vain. Shall
we resort to entreaty, and humble supplication?
What UrTjis shall we find, which have not been
already exhausted? I/Ct us not, I beseech you,
sir. deceive ourselves longer. Sir, we have done
everything that cotdd be done, to avert the storm,
which is now coming on. We have petitioned;
we have remonstrated ; we have supplicated ; we
have prostrated ■o\iTse\\es before the thr07ie, and
nave implored its interposition — to arrest the ty-
rannical hands of the ministry, and parliament.
Our petitions — have been slighted ; our retnon-
H7ancts —have produced additional violence and
insult; our supplications have beer dtsregarded
and we have been spurned, with contempt, from
the loot of the throne. In vain, after these things,
may we indulge the fond hope of peace, and recoti-
ciliation. There is no longer any room for hope.
If we wish to he fee ; if we mean to preserve, t'fi-
violate, those inestimable privileges, for which we
have been so long contending ; if we mean nci
basely to abandon the noble struggle, in wiiich
we have been so long engaged, and which w«
have pledged ourselves, nei-er to abandon, until the
glorious object of our contest shall be obtained—
w^ must fight! I repeat it ! — sir, wi- must fight!
An appeal to arms, and to the Gou of hosts, is ail
that is left us. They tell us, sir, that we are weak ,
ujiable to cope — with so formidable an adversary
But ivhen — shall we be stronger? Will it be the
nexttwee^, or the next year? Will it be— when
we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard
shall be stationed in every Aomsc.'* Shall we ga-
ther strength — by irresolution, and inaction? Shall
we acquire the' means of effectual resistance, by
lying supinely on our iacis,. and hugging the de-
lusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have
bound us — hand — and foot ? Sir, we are not weak,
if we make a proper use of those means, which
the God of nature hath placed in our power.
2'hree m,illions — of people, armed — in the holy cause
of LIBERTY, and in such a country as that which
we possess, are invincible, by any force, which
our enemy can send against us. Besides, sir, we
shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just
God, — who presides over the destinies of nations,
and who will raise up friends to fight our battles
for us. The battle, sir, is not to the strong — alone;
it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. Besides,
sir, we have wo election. If we were fcose enough to
desire it, it is now loolate — to retire from the contest.
There is no felreat. but in submission and ilavery!
Our chains are forged. Their clanking — may be
heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevit-
able— and let it come I — I repeat it, sir, let it come I
It is vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentle-
men may cry — peace — peace — but there is no
peace. The war is actually begun! The next
gale, that sweeps from the north, will bring to our
ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren
are already in the field I Why stand we here idle!
What is it. that gentlemen wish? what would they
have? Is life — so — dear, or peace— so sweet, as to
be purchased — at the price of chains — and slavery?
Forbid it, — Almighty Gou. — I know not — what
course others may take, — but, as for we, give me
LIBERTY,— or give me— ueatu 1"
004. AMERICA.
Still one great clime, in full and free defiance,
Yet rears her crest, unconcfuer'd and sublime,
Above the fair Atlantic 1 she has taught
Her Esau brethren that the haughty flag,
The floating fence of Albion's feebler crag, [bought
May strike to those whose red right hands have
Rights cheaply earn'd with blood. Still, still, forever
Better, though each man's life-blood were a river,
That it should flow, and overflow, than creep
Througn thousand lazy channels in our veins,
Damm'd like the dull canal, whh locks and chains,
And moving, as a sick man in his sleep,
Three paces, and then faltering :— better be
Where the extinguished Spartans still are free,
In their proud charnel of Thermopylae,
Than stagnate in our marsh, — or o'er the deep
Fly, and one current to the ocean add,
One spirit to the souis our fathers had,
One freeman more, America, to thee l—Byroii.
Of the Dread of Reform. The true and o.-ily
reason, for not attempting a reform of the state of
tilings IS, that the interest of corruption— requiree
them to remain as they are.
2A
878
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
665> JOOTSTZPS OF ANGELS.
*Vhen the hours of Day are numbered,
And the voices of the Night
Wake the better soul that slumbered
To a holy, calm delight —
Ere the evening lamps are lighted,
And, like phantoms grim and tall,
Shadows from the fitful fire-light
Dance upon the parlor-w^all —
Then the forms of the departed
Enter at the open door ;
The beloved-one, the true-hearted,
Come to visit me once more I
He, the young and strong, who cherished
Noble longings for the strife—
By the road-side fell and perished,
Weary with the march of life !
They, the holy ones and weakly.
Who the cross of suifermg bore —
Folded their pale hands so meekly —
Spake with us on earth no more !
And with them the being beauteous
Who unto ray youth was given,
More than all things else to love me,
And is now a saint in heaven.
With a slow and noisless footstep
Comes that messenger divine.
Takes the vacant chair beside me,
Lays her gentle hand in mine ;
And she sits and gazes at me.
With those deep and tender eyes,
Like the stars, so still and saint-like.
Looking downward from the skies.
Uttered not, yet comprehended.
Is the spirit's voiceless prayer —
Soft rebukes, in blessings ended,
Breathing from her lips of air.
Oh ! though oft depressed and lonely,
All my fears are laid aside,
[f I but remember only
Such as these have lived and died !
666. The Wat to be Happy. All man-
kind are brethren. Every human being, who
comes in our way, and stands in need of our
aid, is entitled to our sympathy. Human na-
ture, and distress, form a legitimate claim to
our friendly assistance. We are not to with-
hold our brotherly affection, from any of our
fellow men, because an imaginary line, a riv-
er, a ridge of mountains, or a channel of the
ocean, may have separated their birth-place
from ours ; because their manners, customs,
and political institutions are not the same
witli our own ; because, bj"^ reason of differ-
ence of climate, and manner of life, their
sKm is tinged with a different color; because
they offer their tribute of homage^ — to the
Creator in a diffferent manner; or, because
there is some difference, or shade of differ-
ence, between their reUgious rites, and opin-
ions, and ours.
The sentiment of universal benevolence —
expands the heart, humanizes the mind, and
fosters every generous affection ; but jealousy,
malace, hatred, and other malignant pas-
sions— pervert the soul, and cramp, and viti-
ate— the best feelings of our nature. They
wage war witli evs-y manly, and liberal prin-
ciple. Instead of sweeping the globe, wit'i
the guilty purpose of oppressing the weak,
robbmg the defenceless, exciting tlie sound
of lamentation in the humble hut, and draw-
ing forth the tears of the widow, and the or-
phan, let us do what is in our power — to pro-
mote the happiness of our fellow men. In
the genuine spirit of brotherly affection, let
us smoke the pipe of peace — with the untu
tored wanderer of the western wilderness —
or, partake of bread, and salt, with the haxdy
native of the African desert.
Mankind often complain, that they are un-
happy ; tliat they tread in a thorny path, ami
drink of a bitter stream. But whence do
their sufferings, and sorrows flow 1 Do they
not, in a great measure, proceed from theii
own selfish, and malignant passions'! Re-
move the cause, and the effect will disappear.
Banish maUce, envy, hatred ; let genuine
good-will towards each other prevail, and a
great portion of human misery — will fade
away, like darkness — before the rising sun.
It will dissipate the gloom, which often clouds
the countenance, and remove the grief, wliich
often preys upon the heart. — Fergus
educatiox.
If thou hast plucked a flower
Of richest, rarest ray,
And borne it from its garden bower.
Thou knowest 't will fade away :
If thou hast gathered gold,
Unrusted and refined,
That glittering hoard of worth untold.
Thou knowest the thief may find.
There is a plant that fears
No adverse season's strife.
But with an inborn fragrance cheere
The wintry eye of life ;
There is a wealth that fo lis
The robber's roving eye.
The guerdon of the mind that toUs
For immortality.
O ye, whose brows are bright,
Whose bosoms feel no thorn.
Seek knowledge, by the rosy light
Of youth's unfolding morn ;
With ardor uncontrolled,
Seek wisdom's lore sublime,
And win the garland, and the gold
That oannot change with time. — Sigourney..
THE LAND OF REST.
Oh, when — shall I go to that land
Wliere spirits — beatified dwell ?
Oh, when shall I join their bright band.
And bid to this earth — a farewell?
I am weary of life — and its care,
I am weary of life and its woe,
Oh, when to that country so/air,
To that country unknown, shall I go ?
A soft yellow light fills the air
Of that land, which I long to behold ; [there
And the faces and forms — of the saints who aX''
Are clothed — in its lustre of gold.
Like angels they look— as they rnove,
And like angels *Jiey pass the sweet ftattrs ;
For they are not ^nortals, but spirits, who rove
In the light of tliose beautiful bowers.
F;?ce to face the truth comes out
READINGS AND RECITATIONS
279
667. The Perfect Otiator. Imagine to
yourselves— a Demosthenes, addressing the
most illustrious assembly in the world, upon
a point, whereon the fate of the most illustri-
ous of nations depended. How awful such a
meeting! how vast the subject! By the
power of his eloquence, the augustness of the
assembly is lost — in the dignity of the orator ;
and the importance of the subject, for a while,
superseded by the admiration of his talents.
With what strength of argument, with what
Sowers of the fancy, with what emotions of
le heart, does he assault, and subjugate, th«^
whole man ; and, at once, captivate his rea-
son, his imagination, and his passions ! To
effect this, must be the utmost effort of the
most improved state of human nature. Not
a faculty that he possesses, but is here exerted
to its highest pitcn. All his internal powers
are at work ; all his external, testify their en-
ergies.
Within, the memory, the fancy, the judg-
ment, the passions, are all busy; without,
every muscle, every nerve is exerted ; not a
feature, not a limb, but speaks. The organs
of the body, attuned*to the ejertions of the
mind, thro' the kindred organs of the hearers,
instantaneously vibrate those energies — from
soul to soul. Notwitlistanding the diversity
of minds, in such a multitude, by the light-
ning of eloquence, they are melted into one
mass ; the whole assembly, actuated in one
and tlie same way, becon:ie, as it were, but one
man, and have but one voice. The universal
crj'^ is — Let us march against Philip, let us
fight for our liberties — let us conquer, or die.
66S> WIFE, ClIILDKEN, ANT) FRIENDS.
When the black-Ietter'd list to the gods was presented,
Tbe lilt of what fate for each mortal intends,
At the long string of ills a kind goddeas relented,
And clipp'd in three bleg8ing», wife, cliildren, and friends.
In v-iin surly Pluto declared he was cheated,
And justice divine could not compaiss her ends,
The scheme of man's penance he swore was defeated,
For earth becomes heaven with wife, children, and friendf.
If the stock of our bliss is in stranger hands rested,
The fund, ill-secured, oft in bankruptcy ends,
But ti,e heart issues bills, which are never protested.
When drawn on the firm of— wife, children, and friends.
Tbe soldier, whose deeds live immortal in story,
When duty to far distant latitudes sends.
With transport would barter whole ages of glory,
For one happy hour with wife, children, and friends.
ITiough valor still glows in life's waning embers,
The death-wounded tar, who his colors defends,
Drops a tear of regret, as he dying remembers.
How blest was his home, with wife, children, and friends.
Though the spice-breathing gale, o'er his caravan hovers.
Though around him Arabia's whole fragrance descends,
The merchant still thinks of the woodbine that covers
The bower where he sat with wife, children, and friends.
The day-spring of youth, still unclouded with sorrow,
Alone on itsevf for enjoyment depends,
But drear is the twilight of age, if it borrow-
No warmth from the smiles of wife, children and friends.
Let the breath of renown e<ir freshen and nourish
The laurel that o'er her fair favorites bends,
O'er me wave the willow, and long may it flourish,
Bedew'd with the tears of wife, children, and friends.
Friendbliip is constant in all other things,
Save in the office and afTairs of love:
Therefore, all hearts in love use their own tongfues.
Let every eye negotiate for i.self,
-And trust no agent : for beauty is a witch,
AgAinv whose charms faith melteth into bloog
€(69« I.ME— XEW YKAB.
'Tis midnight's holy liour ; and silence, now
Is brooding, like a gentle spirit, o'er iwadS)
The still — and pulseless world. Hark! on tho
The bell's deep tones are swelling: 'tis the knell
Of the departed — year. No funeral train
Is sweeping past; yet, on the stream, and wood,
With melancholy light, the moonbeam's rest,
Like a pale, spotless shroud : the air is stirred,
A» by a mourner's sigh ; and, on yon cloud,
That floats so still, and placidly, through heaven,
Tlie spirits— of the seasons — seem to stand, [fonn,
Young Spring, bright Summer, Autumn's solemn
And Winter, with his aged locks, and breath,
In mournful cadence, that come abroad, —
Like tlie far wincZ-harp's wild, and touching wail>
A melancholy dirge — o'er the dead year —
Gone — Irom the earth — forever.
Tis a time
For memory, and tears. Within the deep,
Still chambers of the heart, a spectre dim,
Whose tones — are like the wizard's voice of Timo,
Heard from the tomb of ages, ix)ints its cold—
And solemn finger — to the beautiful
And holy visions, that have passed away,
And left no .shadow of their loveliness,
On the dead waste of life. That spectre — lift?
The coffin-lid of Hope, and Joy, and Love,
And, bendmg. mournfully, above the pale, [flowors
Sweet forms, that slumber there, scatters dead
O'er what has passed — to nothingness. The year
Has gone, and. tciih it, many a glorious throng
Of happy dreams. Its mark — is on each brow.
Its shadow — in each heart. In its swift course,
It waved its sceptre o'er the beautiful —
And tliey are not. It laid its palid hand
Upon the strong man— and the haughty form-
Is fallen, and the flashing eye— is dim.
It trod the hall of revelry, where thronged
The bright and joyous — and the tearful wail —
Of strick'en ones — is heard, where erst, the song.
And reckless shout — resounded. It passed o'er
The battle-plain,where sword, and spear.and shield
Flashed — in the light of mid-day — and the strength
Of serried hosts is shivered, and the grass,
Green from the soil of carnage, waves above
The crushed, and mouldering skeleton. It came,
And faded, like a wreath of mist, at eve j
Yet, ere it melted in the viewless air.
It heralded its millions— to their home-
In the dim land — of dreams.
Looking into the fire is very injurious to the
eyes, particularly a coal fire. The stimulus oi
hght and heat united, soon destroys the eyes.
Looking at molten iron will soon destroy the
sight. Reading in the twilight is injurious to
the eyes, as they are obliged to make great ex-
ertion. Reading or sewing with a side light,
injures the eyes, as both eyes should be ex-
posed to an equaljdegree of light. The reason
is, the sympathy between the eyes is so great,
that if the pupil of one is dilated by being kept
partially in the shade, the one that is most ex-
posed cannot contract itself sufficiently fbr
protection, and will ultimately be injured.
Those who wish to preserve their sight, should
preserve their general health bj' correct habits,
and give their eyes just work enough, with a
I due degree of light.
280
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
670. America. I appeal to history ! Tell
me, thou reverend chronicler of the grave,
can all the illusions of ambition realized, can
all the wealth of a universal commerce, can
all the achievements of successful heroism, or
can all tlie establishments of this world's wis-
dom, secure to the empire, the permanency
of its possessions '.' Alas ! Troy thought so
once , yiet the land of Priam lives only in song !
Thebes thought so once ; yet her hundred
gates have crumbled, and her very tombs are
as the dust they were vainly intended to com-
memorate ! So thought Palmyra — yet where
is she 1 So thought the country of Demos-
thenes and the Spartan; yet Leonidas is
trampled by the timid slave, and Athens in-
sulted by the servile, mindless and enervate
Ottoman I
In his hurried march, Time has but looked
at their imagined immortality; and all its
vanities, from the palace to the tomb, have,
with their ruins, erased the very impression
of his footsteps ! The days of their glory are
as if they never had been ; and the island,
that was then a speck, rude and neglected in
the barren ocean, now rivals the ubiquity of
their commerce, the glory of their arms, the
ftime of their philosophy, the eloquence of
their senate, and the mspiration of their
hards !
Who shall Fay, then, contemplating the
past, that England, proud and potent as she
appears, may not, one day, be what Athens
is, and the young America yet soar to be
what Athens was ! Who shall say, that,
when the European column shall have mould-
ered, and the night of barbarism obscured its
very ruins, that mighty continent may not
emerge from the horison to rule, for its time,
63vereign of the ascendant ! — Phillips.
671« THK POWER OF ELOQUENCE.
Heard ye — those loud — contending- waves,
That shook — Cecropia's pillared state?
Saw ye the mighty, from their graves
Look up, and tremble at her fate ?
Who — shall calm the angry storm?
Who, the mighty task perform,
And bid the raging tumult — cease ?
See the son of Hermes rise ;
With syren tongue, and speaking eyes,
Hush the noise, and soothe to peace !
Lo ! from the regions of the north,
The reddening storm of battle pours;
Rolls along the trembling earth.
Fastens — on Olynthian towers.
"Where rests the sword ! where sleep the brave,
Awake ! Cecropia's ally save,
From the fury of the blast ;
Burst the storm on Phocis' walls;
Rise ! or Greece forever falls.
Up ! or freedom — breathes her last !'*
The jarring states, obsequious now,
View the patriot's hand on high ;
Thunder — gathering on his brow ;
Lightning — flashing from his eye !
Borne by the tide of words along,
One voice, one mind, inspire the throng:
" To arms ! to arms ! to arms !" they cry.
** Grasp the shield, and draw the sword,
Lead us to Philippi's lord,
Let us conquer him— or die I"
Ah eloquence ! thou wast undone ;
Wast from thy njuive country driven,
When .yranny — eclipsed the sun,
And blotted out the stars of heaven
When liberty, from Greece withdrew
^nd o'er the Adriatic flew.
To where the Tiber pou.-s •• /5 um.
She struck the rude Tarpeiar rock ;
Sparks were kindled by tlie shock —
Again, thy fires began to burn !
Now, shining forth, thou madest complaint.
The conscript fathers— to thy charms;
Roused the world-bestriding giant.
Sinking fast, in slaver>''s arms ".
I see thee stand— by freedom's fane,
Pouring the persuasive strain,
Giving vast conceptions birth :
Hark ! I hear thy thunder's sound,
Shake the forum — round — and round,
Shake — the pillars — of the earth !
First-born of liberty divine!
Put on religion's bright array ;
Speak ! and the starless grave — sJiall shine,
The portal — of eternal day !
Rise, kindling with the orient beam ;
Let Calvary's hill — inspire the theme !
Unfold the garments — rolled in blood!
O touch the soul, touch all her chords,
With all the omnipotence of words,
And point the way to heaven— to God —Cxrey.
The Influence of Gold. A man who
is furnished -vjith argimients from the mint,
will convince his antagonist much sooner
than one who draws them from reason And
philosophy. Gold is a wonderful clearer of
the understanding ; it dissipates every doubt
and scruple in an instant ; accommodates it-
self to the meanest capacities , silences the
loud and clamorous, and brings over the most
obstinate and inflexible. Philip of Macedon
was a man of most invincible reason this
way. He refuted by it all the wisdom of
Athens, confounded their statesmen, struck
their orators dumb, and at length, argued
them out of all their liberties. — Addison,
THE WORLD TO COME.
If al! our hopes, and all our fears,
Were prisoned — in life's narrow bound ;
If travelers — through this vale of tears,
We saw no better world beyond ;
Oh ! what could check the rising sigh ?
What earthly thing — could pleasure give?
Oh ! who would venture then, to die —
Or who would venture then — to live ?
Were life a dark, and desert moor.
Where mists— and clouds eternal— spread
Their gloomy vail behind, before.
And tempests thunder — overhead ;
Where noi a sun-beam — breaks the gloom,
And not a floweret — smiles beneath,
Who would exist— in such a tomb—
Who dwell in darkness — and in death ?
And such were life, without the ray
Of our divine religion given ;
Tie this, that makes our darkness, day,
Tis this, that makes our earth — a heaven •
Bright is the golden sun above.
And beautiful — lhq|flowers, that bloom,
And all is joy, and all is love.
Reflected — from the world to come !
Life is a weary interlude —
Which doth short joys, long woes include
The world the rnage, the prologue tears ;
The acts vain hopes and varied fe>*rs;
The scene shuts up with loss of breath,
And leaves no epilogue b^ut death \—H. Eing^
The stomach, hath no ears.
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
2b 1
673. MiiiiTARx Despotism: aivd Ixsub-
OKDiNATioN. Mr. Chairman, — I trust, that
I shall be indulged, with some few reflections,
upon the danger-^of permitting the conduct,
on which it has been my painful duty to ani-
madvert, to pass, without a solemn expression
of the disapprobation of this house. Recall to
your recollection, sir, the free nations, which
have gone before us. Where are they now ]
"Gone, glimmering through the dream of things that were;
A aclioolboy's tale, — the wonder of an hour."
And how have they lost their liberties 1 If
we could transport ourselves back, sir, to the
tiges when Greece, and Rome, flourished, in
tiieir greatest prosperity, and, mingling in the
throng, should ask a Grecian, if he did not
tear, that some daring military chieftain, cov-
ered with glory, some Philip, or Alexander,
would one day overthrow the liberties of his
country, — the confident, and indignant Gre-
cian would exclaim. No ! no ! we have nothing
to fear from our heroes ,• our liberties will be
eternal. If a Roman citizen had been asked,
if he did not fear, that the conqueror of Gaul
might establish a throne upOn the ruins of
pubhc hberty, he would have instantly repel-
led the unjust insinuation. Yet, Greece — has
fallen ; Cesar — has passed the rubicon ; and
the patriotic arm even of Brutus — could not
preserve the liberties of his devoted country.
Sir, we are fighting a great moral battle for
the benefit, not only of our country, but of all
mankind. The eyes of the whole world are
in fixed attention upon us. One, and the
largest portion of it, is gazing with jealousy,
and witli envy; the other portion, with hope,
with confidence, and with afi^ection. Every
where — the black cloud of legitimacy is sus-
pended over the world, save only one bright
spot, which breaks out from the political hem-
isphere of the west, to enhghten, and animate,
and gladden the human heart Obscure that,
by the downfall of liberty here, and all man-
kind— are enshrouded — in a pall of universal
-larkness. Beware, then, sir, how you give a
•atal sanction, in this infant period of our re-
pubhc, to military insubordination. Remem-
oei, that Greece — had her Alexander, Rome
her Cesar, England — her Cromwell, France
her Bonaparte, and, that if we would escape
the rock, on which they spht, we must avoid
their errors.
I hope, sir, that gentlemen will deliberately
survey — the awful isthmus, on which we
stand. They may bear down all opposition.
They may even vote general Jackson the pub-
lic thanks. They may carry him triumphant-
ly through this house. But, if they do, sir, in
my humble judgment, it will be a triumph of
the principle of insubordination — a triumph
of the military — over the civil authority — a
triumph over the powers of this house — a tri-
umph over the constitution of the land ; and
I pray, sir, most devoutly, that it may not
prove, in its ultimate effects and consequen-
ces, a triumph over the liberties of the people.
THE EARTH HAS BEEN ALL ALIVE.
What is the world itself? thy world?— a grave !
\Vhere is the dust that has not been alive?
The spade, the plow, disturb our ancestors,
P"oin human mold we reap our daily bread;
Tlie globe around earth's hollow surface shakes,
And is the ceiling of her sleeping sons :
O'er devastation we blind revels keep ;
Whole bunec towns support the dancer's heel.
673. THE FRENCHMAN AND HJ5 HOSr.
A Frenchman once, who was a merry wight,
Passing to town from Dover in tlie night,
Near the roadside an ale-house chanced to spy;
And being rather tired as well as dry.
Resolved to euier; but first he took a peep,
In hopes a supper he might get, and cheap.
He enters: "Hallo! Garcon, if you please,
Bring me a little bit of bread and cheese.
And hallo ! Garcon, a pot of porter too !" he said,
'• Vich I shall take, and den myself to bed." [left,
His supper done, some scraps of cheese wsro
Which our poor Frenchman, thinking it no tLjeft,
Into his pocket put; then slowly crept
To wished-for bed ; but not a wink he slept—
For, on the floor, some sacks of flour were laid,
To which the rats a nightly visit paid.
Our hero now undressed, popped out the light
Put on his cap and bade the world good-night;
But first his breeches, which contained the fare,
Under his pillow he had placed with care.
Sans ceremonie, soon the rats all ran,
And on the flour-sacks greedily began ; [round,
At which they gorged themselves ; then smelling
Under the pillow soon the cheese they found ;
And while at tlus they regaling sat.
Their happy jaws disturbed the Frenchman's nap;
Who, half awake, cries out, " Hallo ! hallo !
Vat 13 dat nibbel at my pillow so?
Ah! 'tis one big huge rat !
Vat de diable is it he nibbel, nibbel at?"
In vain our little hero sought repose ;
Sometimes the vermin galloped o'er his nose;
And such the pranks they kept up aJJ the night,
That he, on end antipodes upright,
BawUng aloud, called stoutly for a '/ght.
" Hallo ! Maison ! Garcon, I say !
Bring me the bill for vat I have to pay !»
The bill was brought, and to his great surprise,
Ten shillings was the charge, be scarce believe*
With eager haste, he runs it o'er, [his eyes
And every time he viewed it thouglit it more.
" Vy zounds, and zounds !" he cries, "I sail no pay ;
Vat charge ten shelangs for vat I have mange ?
A leetal sup of porter, dis vile bed,
Vare all de rats do run about my head?"
" Plague on those rats !" the landlord nmttered out ;
" I wish, upon my word, that I could make 'era
scout :
ril pay him well that can." "^Vat's dat you say ?»
" I'll pay him well that can." " Attend to me, I
Vil you dis charge forego, vat I am at, [pray :
If from your house I drive away de rat?"
" With all my heart," the jolly host replies,
" Ecoutez done, ami ;" the Frenchman cries.
"First, den— Regardez, if you please,
Bring to dis spot a lestle bread and cheese:
Eh bien ! a pot of portar too ;
And den invite de rats to sup vid you :
And after— no matter dey be villing—
For vat f ey eat, you charge dem just ten shelnrg:
And I am sure, ven dey behold de s<'ore.
Dey'U quit your house, arid never come no PKr-i*
How beautiful— is the swiftly passing light-
en the calm cloud oC eve ! 'Tis sweet— to mari'
Those color'd fold^- loa' '•ound the setting sun.
Like c 'mson draper/— o'er a monarch's thcrne.
36
2a2
282
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
674, Loss OF Natioxai Character.
The loss of a firm, national character, or the
desrradation of a nation's honor, is the inevi-
table prelude to her destruction. Behold the
once proud fabric of the Roman empire; an
empire, carrying its arts, and arms, into every
part of the eastern continent; the monarchs
of mighty kingdoms, dragged at the wheels
of her triumphal chariots ; her eagle, waving
over the ruins of desolated countries. Where
is her splendor, her wealth, her power, her
glory? Extinguished — forever. Her mold-
ering- temples, the mournful vestiges of her
former giandeur, afford a shelter to her mut-
tering monks. Where are her statesmen, her
sages, her philosophers, her orators, her gene-
-als 1 Go to their solitary tombs, and inquire.
She lost her national cnaracter, and her de-
struction followed. The ramparts of her na-
tional pride were broken down, and Vandal-
ism desolated her classic fields.
Citizens will lose their respect and confi-
dence, in our government, if it does not ex-
tend over them, the shield of an honorable,
national character. Corruption will creep in,
and sharpen party animosity. Am])itious
leaders will seize upon the favorable moment.
The mad enthusiasm for revolution — will
call into action the irritated spirit of our na-
tion, and civil war must follow. The swords
of our countrymen may yet glitter on our
mountains, their blood may yet crimson our
plains.
Such, the warning voice of all antiquity, the
example of all republics proclaim — may be
our fate. But let us no longer indulge these
gloomy anticipations. The commencement
of our liberty presages the dawn of a brighter
period to the world. That bold, enterprising
spirit, which conducted our heroes to peace,
and safety, and gave us a lofty rank, amid
the empires of the world, still animates the
bosoms of their descendants. Look back to
the moment, when they unbarred the dun-
geons of the slave, and dashed his fetters
to the earth, when the sword of a Washing-
ton leaped from its scabbard, to revenge the
slaughter of our countrymen. Place their
example before you. Let the sparks of
their veteran wisdom flash across your
minds, and the sacred altars of your liber-
ty, crowned with immortal honors, rise be-
fore you. Relying- on the virtue, the cour-
age, the patriotism, and the strength of our
country, we may expect our national charac-
ter will become more energetic, our citizens
more enlightened, and may hail the ag-e as
not far distant, when will be heard, as the
proudest exclamation of man: I am an
American. — Maxcy.
The bell strikes one : We take no note of time,
Bat from its loss. To give it then a tongue,
l3 \vise in man. As if an a^igel spoke,
I feci the solemn sound. If he<ird aright.
It ie the knell of my departed hours : [flood?
Where are theyl with the years beyond the
It iu the signal that demands despatch ;
How much is to be done I my hopes and fears
Start upalarm'd, and o'er life's narrow verge
Look down — on what ? a fathomless abyss ;
A dread eternity ! how surely mine i
And can eternity belong to me,
Poor pensioner on the bounties of an hourl
Reason gains all men, by compelling none
675. GOOZ- NIGHT.
Good-night— to all the world I theren ric-ne,
Beneath the " over-going" fit<n,
To wliom, I feel, or hate, ifc- svite.
And so to all — a fair good -night
Would I could say, good-night to pain.
Good-night to evil and her train,
To cheerltss poverty, and shame,
That I am yet unknown to fame !
Would I could say, good-night to dreams,
That haunt me with delusive gleams,
That through the sable future's vail,
Like meteors, glimmer, but to fail.
Would I could say, a long good-nighi,
To halting, between wrong, and right.
And, like a giant, with new force,
Awake, prepared to "run my course I
But time o'er good and ill sweeps on,
And when few years have come, and gone,
The past— will be to me as naught.
Whether remembered, or forgot.
Yet, let me hope, one ftiithful friend,
O'er my last couch, in tears shall bend ;
And, though no day for me was brigbt,
Shall bid me then, a long good-night.
Respect to Olij Age. It happened at
Athens, during a public representatioo of
some play, exhibited in honor of the common-
wealth, that an old gentleman came too late,
for a place suitable to his age, and quality.
Many of the young gentlemen, who observed
the difliculty and confusion he was in, made
signs to him, that they would accommodate
him, if he came where they sat. The good
man bustled through the crowd accordingly;
but when he came to tlie seat, to which he
was invited, the jest was, to sit close, and ex-
pose him, as he stood out of countenance, to
the whole audience. The frohc went round
all the Athenian benches. But, on those oc-
casions, there were also particular places re-
served for foreigners. When the gQod man
skulked towards the boxes, appointed for the
Lacedemonians, that honest people, more vir-
tuous than polite, rose up all to a man, and
with the greatest respect, received him among
them. The Athenians, being suddenly touch
ed with a sense of the Spartan virtue, and
their own degeneracy, gave a thunder of ap-
plause ; and the old man cried out, " the Atlie-
nians understand what is good, but the Lac&-
demon ians practice it.
FORTUNE-TELLER.
A hungry, lean-fac'd villain,
A mere anatomy, a mountebank,
A thread-bare juggler, and a fortune teller i
A needy, hollow-eye'd, sharp looking wretch.
A liring dead man : this pernicious slave.
Forsooth, took on him as a conjurer;
And gazing in my eyes, feeling my pulse.
And with no face, as 'twere outfacing me,
Cries out, I was possess'd.— /SAaAisycare.
RECREATION.
Sweet recreation barr'd, what doth ensue,
But moody and dull melancholy,
(Kinsman to grim and comfortless despair;)
And at her heels, a huge infectious troop
Of pale distemperatures;and foes to life?
READINGS AND REGIT ATI INS.
283
676* THE GBOVBs: god's first temples.
Tlie groves— were God's first temples. Ere man
To hew the shaft, and lay the architrave, [learned
And spread the roof above them, — ere he framed
The lofty vault, to gather, and roll back,
The sound of anthems,— in the darkling wood.
Amidst the cool and silence, he knelt down,
And offered, to the Mightiest, solemn thanks.
And supplication. For his simple heart
Might not resist the sacred influences,
That, from the stilly twilight of the place,
And from the gray old trunks, that, high in lieav'n.
Mingled their mossy boughs, and from the sound
Of the invisible breath, that swayed, at once,
Ail their green tops, stole over him, and bowed
His spirit — with the thought of boundless Power,
And inaccessible Majesty. Ah ! why
Should we, in the world's riper years, neglect
God's ancient sanctuaries, and adore.
Only, among the crowd, and under roofs.
That our frail hands have raised ? Let me, at least,
Here, in the shadow of this aged wood,
Offer one hymn ; thrice happy, if it find
Acceptance in his ear.
Father, thy hand
Hath reared these venerable columns; thou
Didstweavethisverdantroof. Thou didst look down
Upon the naked earth, and, forthwith, rose
All these fair ranks of trees. They, in thy sun.
Budded, and shook their green leaves in thy breeze,
Andshottowardsheav'n. The century-living crow,
Whose birth was in their tops, grew old, and died,
Among their branches; till, at last, they stood.
As now they stand, massy, and tall, and dark —
Fit shrine — for humble worshiper to hold
Communion with his Maker. Here are seen,
No traces of man's pomp, or pride; no silks
Rustle, no jewels shine, nor envious eyes
Encounter; no fantastic carvings— show
The boast of our vain race — to change the form
Of thy fair works. But thou art here ; thou fill'st
The solitude. Thou art in the soft winds,
That run along the summits of these trees.
In music ; thou art in the cooler breath,
That, from the inmost darkness of the place.
Comes, scarcely felt ; the barky trunks, the ground,
The fresh, moist ground, are all instinct with thee.
Here, is continual worship ; nature, here,
In the tranquillity that thou dost love.
Enjoys thy presence. Noiselessly, around,
From perch to perch, the solitary bird
Passes ; and yon clear spring, that, midst its herbi.
Wells softly forth, and visits the strong roots
Of half the mighty forest, tells no tale
Of all the good it does. Thou hast not left
Thyself without a witness, in these shades.
Of thy perfections. Grandeur, strength, and grace,
Are here to speak of thee. This mighty oak —
By whose immovable stem I stand, and seem
Almost annihilated — not a prince.
In all the proud old world, beyond the deep,
E'er wore his crown — as loftily as he
Wears the green coronal of leaves, with which
IT-.y hand has graced him. Nestled at his root
Is beauty, such as blooms not in the glare
Of the Droad sun. That delicate forest-flower,
Willi ecented breath, and look, so like a smile,
Seems, as it issues from the shapeless ifljull,
An emanation of the indwelling Life,
A visible token — of the upholding Love,
That are, the soul of this wide universa
My heart — is awed within me, when I thir.k
Of the great miracle that Mtill goes en,
In silence, round me— the perpetual work
Of thy creation, finished, yet renewed —
Forever. Written on thy works, I read
The lesson of thy own eternity,
Lo ! all grow old, and die : but see, agan,
How, on the faltering footsteps of decay,
Youth presses— ever gay, and beautiful youl)t—
In all its beautiful forms. These lofty trees
Wave not less proudly, that their ancestors
Moulder, beneath them. Oh ! there is not lost
One of earth's charms : upon her bosom yet,
After the flight of untold centuries.
The freshness of her far beginning lies.
And yet shall lie. liife — mocks the idle hate
Of his arch enemy — Death ; yea, seats himself
Upon the sepulchre, and blooms, and smiles.
And of the triumphs of his ghastly foe,
Makes his own nourishment. For he came forJJ
From thine own bosom, and shall have no end.
There have been holy men, who hid themselves
Deep in the woody wlderness, and gave
Their lives to thought, and prayer, till they outlived
The generation, born with them, nor seemed
Less aged, than the hoary trees, and rocks.
Around them ; and there have been holy men,
Who deemed it were not well — to pass life thus
But let me, often, to these solitudes
Retire, and, in thy presence, reassure
My feeble virtue. Here, its enemies,
The passions, at thy plainer footsteps, shrink,
And tremble, and are still.
O God ! when thou
Dost scare the world with tempests, set on fire
The heavens, with falling thunderbolts, or fill.
With all the waters of the firmament.
The swift, dark whirlwind, that uproots the woods,
And drowns the villages; when, at thy call,
Uprises the great deep, and throws himself
Upon the continent, ant. overwhelms
Its cities ;— who forgets not, at the sight
Of these tremendous tokens of thy power.
His pride, and lays his strifes, and follies by!
Oh ! from the sterner aspects of thy face
Spare me, and mine ; nor let us need the wrath
Of the mad, unchained elements, to teach
Who rules them. Be it ours to meditate,
In these calm shades, thy milder majesty,
And to the beautiful order of thy works,
Learn to conform the order of our lives.— Bryant.
Naturally, men are prone to spin them-
selves a web of opinions out of their o^'i
brain, and to have a religion that may bo ca!-
led their own. Men are far readier to make
themselves a faith, than to receive that which
God hath formed to their hands, and they are
far readier to receive a doctrine that tends to
their carnal commodity, or honor, or deh'ghts,
than one that tends to self-denial.
Like dogs in a wheel, birds in a cage, or squir-
rels in a chain, ambitious men slill climb and
climb, with great labor, and incessant anxiety
but never reach the top.
284
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
677. PHfsiCAL EnucATiox. That is, un-
doubtedly, the wisest, and best regimen,
which takes the infant from the cradle, and
conducts him along, through childhood, and
youth, up to high maturity, in such a manner,
as to give strength to his arm, swiftness to his
feet, solidity and amphtude to his muscles,
symmetry to his frame, and expansion to his
vital energies. It is obvious, that this Ijranch
of education comprehends, not only food and
clothing, bat air, exercise, lodging, early ri-
dng, and whatever else is requisite, to the full
development of the physical constitution.
The diet must be simple, the apparel must
not be too warm, nor the bed too soft.
Let parents beware of too much restriction
m the management of their darhng boy. Let
him, in choosing his play, follow the sugges-
tions of nature. Let them not be discompos-
ed at the sight of his sand-hills in the road,
his snow-forts in February, and his mud-dams
in April ; nor when they chance to look out
in the midst of an August shower, and see
him wading and sailing, and sporting along
with the water-fowl. If they would make
him hardy and fearless, they must let him go
abroad as often as he pleases, in his early
boyhood, and amuse himself by the hour to-
gether, in smoothing and twirling the hoary
locks of winter. Instead of keeping him
shut up all day with a stove, and graduating
his sleeping-room by Fahrenheit, they must
let him face the keen edge of a north-wind,
when tlie mercury is below cipher ; and, in-
stead of minding a little shivermg, and com-
plaining, when he returns, cheer up his spir-
its, and send him out again. In this way,
they will teach him, that he was not born to
live in the nursery, nor to brood over the fire ;
but to range abroad, as free as the snow, and
the air, and to gain warmth from exercise.
I love, and admire the youth, who turns
not back from the howling wintry blast, nor
withers under the blaze of summer; who
never magnifies " mole-hills into mountains ;"
but whose daring eye, exulting, scales the ea-
gle's airy crag, and who is ready to under-
take anything, that is prudent, and lawful,
within the range of possibility. Who would
think of planting the mountain-oak — in a
green-house I or of rearing the cedar of Leb-
anon— in a lady's flower-pot 1 Who does
not know that, in order to attain their mighty
strength, and majestic forms, they must free-
ly enioy the rain, and the sunshine, and must
reel tne rocking of the tempest 1
THE CHASE.
The stag, at eve, had drunk his fill,
Where danced the moon, on Monan's rill,
And deep — his midnight lair had made,
In lone Glenartney's hazel shade ;
But, when the sun — liis beacon red
Had kindled, on Benvoirlich's head,
The deep-mouthed bloodhound's heavy bay
Resounded up the rocky way,
And faint from farther distance borne,
Were heard the clanging hoof, and horn.
As chief, who hears his w^arder call,
"To arms I the foeman storm the wall,"
The antlered monarch of the waste —
Sprung from his heathery couch, in haste.
But, ere his fleet career he took,
The iew-drops, from his flanks, he shook:
Like crested leader, proud, and high,
Tossed Ills beamed frontlet— to the sky ;
A moment — gazed — adown the dale,
A moment — snuffed the tainted gale,
A moment, listened to the cry.
That thickened— as the chase drew nigh ,
Then, as the headmost foes appeared,
With one brave bound— the copse he clearad.
And, stretching forward, free, and far,
Sought the wild heaths— of Uam-Var.~S«!U.
678. MODULATION.
'Tis not enough — the voice be sound, and cleaj,
'Tis modulation, that must charm the ear.
When desperate heroes grieve, with tedious moan,
And whine their sorrows, in a see-saw tone,
The same soft sounds — of unimpassioned woes,
Can only make the yawning hearers — doze.
The voice — all modes of passion can express,
That marks the proper word, with proper strees :
But none emphatic— can that speaker call.
Who lays an equal emphasis — on all.
Some, o'er the tongue — the labored measures roll,
Slow, and deliberate — as the parting toll;
Point every stop, mark every pause so strong,
Their words, like stage processions, stalk along.
All affectation — but creates disgust;
And e'en in speaking, we may seem too just.
In vain, for them, the pleasing measure flows,
Whose recitation — runs it all to prose;
Repeating — what the poet sets not down,
The verse disjointing— from its favorite noun,
While pause, and break, and repetition joir.
To make a discord — in each tuneful line.
Some placid natures — fill flie allotted scene
With lifeless drawls, insipid and serene ;
While o«Aers— thunder every couplet o'er.
And almost crack your ears — with rant, and rci%
More nature, oft, and finer strokes are shown,
In the low whisper, than tempestuous tone ;
And Hamlet's hollow voice, and fixed amaze,
More powerful terror — to the mind conveys,
Than he, who, swollen with impetuous rage,
Bullies the bulky phantom of the stage.
He, who, in earnest, studies o'er his part,
Will find true nature — cling about his heart.
The modes of grief— are not included all —
In the white handkerchief, and mournful drawl;
A single look — more marks the internal wee,
Than all the windings of the lengthened -Oh.',
Up to the face — the quick sensation flie.",
And darts its meaning — from the speaking eyes:
Love, transport, madness, anger, scorn, despair.
And all the passions, all the soul is there.
katuke's wants are few.
Man's rich with little, were his judgment troa,
Nature is frugal, a:id her wants are few ;
Those few wants answered, bring sincere delights,
But fools create themselves new appetites.
Fancy and pride seek things at vast expense,
Which relish nor to reason nor to sense.
When surfeit or unihank fulness destroys,
In nature's narrow sphere, our solid joys,
In fancy's airy land of noise and show,
Where nought but dreams, no real pleasures gnw
Like cats in air-pumps, to subsist we strive,
On joys too thin to keep the soul alive.— Young.
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
285
679. A CuRK FOB Hard Times. We
fare too fond of showing out in our families ;
and, in this way, our expenses far exceed our
incomes. Our daughters — must be dressed
oflf in tlieir silks and crapes, instead of their
imsey-woolsey. Our young folks — are too
proud to be seen in a coarse dress, and their
extravagance is bringing ruin on our families.
When you can induce your sons to prefer
young women, for their real worth, rather
than for their show ; when you can get them
to choose a wife, who can make a good loaf
of bread, and a good pound of butter, in pref-
erence to a girl, who does ni>thing but dance
about in her silks, and her laces ; then, gen-
tlemen, you may expect to see a change for
the better. We must get back to the good old
simplicity of former times, if we expect to see
more prosperous days. The time was, even
since memory, when a simple note was good
for any amount of money, but novr bonds and
mortgages are thought almost no security;
and this owing to the want of confidence.
And what has caused this want of confi-
dence 7 Why, it is occasioned by the extrav-
agant manner of living ; by your families go-
ing in debt beyond your ability to pay. Ex-
amine this matter, gentlemen, and you will
find this to be the real cause. Teach your
sons to be too proud to ride a hackney, which
their father cannot pay for. Let them be
above being seen sporting in a gig, or a car-
riage, which their father is in debt for. Let
them have this sort «f independent pride, and
I venture to say, that you will soon perceive
a reformation. But, until the change com-
mences in this way in our families ; until we
begin the work ourselves, it is in vain to ex-
pect better times.
Now, gentlemen, if you think as I do on
this subject, there is a way of showing that
you do think so, and but one way ; when you
return to your homes, have independence
enough to put these principles in practice ;
and 1 am sure you will not be disappointed.
680. THE FIRE-SIDE.
Dear Chloe, while the busy crowd,
The vain, the wealthy, and the proud,
In folly's maze advance ;
Tho' singularity, and pride,
Be call'd our choice, we'll step aside,
Nor join the giddy dance.
From the gay world, w'ell oft retire,
To our own family and fire,
Where love— our hours employs;
No noisy neighbor — enters here,
No intermeddling stranger — near
To spoil our heart-felt joys.
If solid happiness — we prize,
Within our breast— this jewel lie.9,
And they are fools, who roam :
The world — has nothing to bestow ;
From our own selves — our joys must flow,
And that dear hut, our home.
Of rest, was Noah's dove bereft.
When, with impatient wing she left
That safe retreat, the ark ;
Giving her vain excursion o'er.
The disappointed bird, once more
Explor'd the sacred bark.
Tho' focls — spurn Hymen's gentle pow'ra,
We, who improie his golden hours,
By sweet experience know,
That marriage, rightly understood,
Gives to the tender, and the good,
A paradise below.
Our babes, shall richest comfort bring;
If tutor'd right, they'll prove a spring
Whence pleasures ever rise :
We'll form their minds, with studiouc caro.-
To all that's manly, good, and fair,
And train them for the skies.
While they our wisest hours engage.
They'll joy our youth, support our age,
And crown our hoary hairs :
They'll grow in virtue ev'ry day.
And thus, our fondest loves repay,
And recompense our cares.
No borrowed joys ! they're all our own,
While, toT.he world, we live unknown,
Or, by the world forgot ;
Monarchs 1 we envy not your state ;
We look with pity— on the great.
And bless our humbler lot.
Our portion is ijot large, indeed !
But then, how little do we need !
For nature's calls are few :
In this, the art of living lies.
To want no more, that may suffice,
And make that little do.
We'll therefore relish, with content,
Whate'er kind Providence has sent,
Nor aim beyond our pow'r ;
For if our stock be very small,
'Tis prudence to enjoy it all,
Nor lose the present hour.
To be resign'd, when.iljs betide, •
Patient, when favors are denied.
And pleas'd, with favors giv'n :
Dear Chloe, tliis is wisdom's part;
This is that incense of the heart,
Whose fragrance — smells to heav'a.
We'll ask no long protracted treat,
Since winter-life is seldom sweet ;
But, when our feast is o'er.
Grateful from table we'll arise.
Nor grudge our sons, with envious eyes-
The relics of our store. «
Thus, hand in hand, thro' life we'll go;
Its checker'd paths of joy and wo,
With cautious steps, we'll tread ;
Quit its vain scenes, without a tea ,
Without a trouble, or a fear.
And mingle with the dead.
While conscience, like a faithful frJeni,
Shall, thro' the gloomy vale attend,
And cheer our dying breath ;
Shall, when all other comforts cease,
Like a kind angel, whisper— ;?eace,
And smooth the bed of death.— P«>«on.
Ye glitteTing towns, with wealth and sf .end3?
crown'd ;
Ye fields, where summer spreads profusion roar.d
Ye lakes, whose vessels catch the busy gale ;
Ye bending awains, that dress the flowery vfi.le;
For me your vributary stores co.mbine :
Creation's heir, the world, the world is nune.
286
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
681. The Nature or ELoauENCz.
When public bodies are to be addressed, on
momentous occasions, when great interests
are at stake, and strong" passions excited,
nothing is valuable in speech, farther than it
is connected with high nitellectual and mor-
al endowments. Clearness, force, and earn-
estness, are the qualities which produce con-
viction. True eloquence, indeed, does not
consist in speech. It cannot be brought from
ftir- Labor and learning may toil for it, but
they will toil in vain.
Words and phrases may be marshaled in
every way, but they cannot compass it. It
must exist in the man, in the subject, and in
the occasion. Affected passion, intense ex-
pression, the pomp of declamation, all may
aspire after it, but cannot reach it. It comes,
if it come at all, like the outbreaking of a
fountain from the earth, or the bursting forth
of volcanic fires, with spontancfous, original,
native force.
The graces taught in the schools, the costly
ornaments and studied contrivances of speech,
shock and disgust men, when their own lives,
and the fate of their v/ives, their children, and
their country, hang on t^e decision of the
hour. Then, words have lost their power,
rhetoric is vain, and all elaborate oratory,
ecntemptible. Even genius itself then feels
reouked, and subdued, as in the presence of
higher quahties.
Then, patriotism is eloquent ; then, self-
devotion IS eloquent. The clear conception,
out-running the deductions of logic, the high
purpose, of firm resolve, the dauntless spirit,
speaking on the tongue, beaming from the
eye, informing every feature, and urging the
whole man onward, right onward to his ob-
ject,— this — is eloquence. — Webster.
6S3* THE €0UL'S defiance.
I said — to Sorrow's awful storm,
That beat against my breast,
" Rage on ! thou may'st destroy this form,
And lay it low — at rest;
But still — the spirit that now brooks
Thy tempest, raging high,
Undaunted, on its fury looks —
With steadfast eye."
I said — to Penury's meagre train,
" Come on ! your threats I brave ;
My last, poor Tife-drop — you may drain,
And crush me — to the grave ;
Yet still, the spirit, that endures,
Shall mark your force — the wliile,
And meet each cold, cold grasp of yours,
With bitter smile."
I said— to cold Neglect, and Scorn,
" Pass on ! I heed you not ;
Ye may pursue me, till my form,
And being — are forgot ;
Yei, still— the spirit, which you see
Undaunted by your wiles,
Draws from its own nobility
Its high-born smiles."
I said— to Friendship's menaced blow,
" Strike deep ! my heart shall bear ;
Tboi canst but add — one bitter wo
T> those — already there ;
Yet allll— the spirit, that sustains
This last — severe distress.
Shall smile — upon its keenest pains,
And scorn redress,"
I said to Death's uplifted dart,
" Aim sure ! oh, why delay ?
Thou wilt not find a fearful heart,
A weak, reluctant prey ;
For still— the spirit, firm, and free,
Triumphant— in the last dismay,
Wrapt — in its own eternity.
Shall, smiling, pass away."
683> PASSAGE OF THE KEI SEA.
'Mid the light spray, their snorting camels stoo'i,
Nor bath'd a fetlock, in the nauseous flood :
He comes— their leader comes ! the man of God,
O'er the wide waters, lifts his mighty rod,
And onward treads. The circling waves retreal,
In hoarse, deep murmurs, from his holy feet ;
And the chas'd surges, inly roaring, show
The hard wet sand, and coral hills below.
With limbs, that falter, and with hearts, that swell,
Down, down they pass — a steep, and slippery del.
Around them rise, in pristine chaos liurl'd.
The ancient rocks, the secrets of the world ;
And flowers, that blush beneath the ocean green,
And caves, the sea-calves' low-roofd haunts, are
Down,sa;^eZ3/down the narrow pass they tread;[seen.
The beetling waters— storm above their head ;_
While far behind, retires the sinking day.
And fades on Edom's hills, its latest ray.
Yet not from Israel — fled the friendly light.
Or dark to them, or cheerless came the night ;
Still, in their van, along that dreadful road, [God.
Blaz'd broad and fierce, the brandish'd torch of
Its meteor glare — a tenfold lustre gave.
On the long mirror — of the rosy wave :
While its blest beams — a sunlike heat supply,
Wdrm every cheek, and dance in every eye.
To them alone — for Misraim's wizard train
Invoke, for light, their monster-gods in vain :
Clouds heap'd on clouds, their struggling sight con
And tenfold darkness broods above their line, [fine,
Yet on they press, by reckless vengeance led,
And range, unconscious, through the ocean's bed.
Till midway now — that strange, and fiery form,
Show'd his dread visage, lightning ilirough the
storm ;
With withering splendor, blasted all their might,
And brake their chariot-wheels, and marred their
coursers' flight.
"Fly, Misraim,fly !" The ravenous floods they see,
And,.^cer than the floods, the Deity.
" Fly, Misraim, fly !" From Edom's coral strand,
Again the prophet stretch'd his dreadful wand :
With one wild crash, the thundering waters sweep,
And all — is waves — a dark, and lonely deep : —
Yet, o'er these lonely waves, such murmurs past,
As mortal wailing swell'd the nightly blast :
And strange, and sad, the whispering breezes bore
The gproans of Egypt — to Arabia's shore. — JItber.
CONCEALED LOVE.
She never told her love,
But let concealment, like a worm i' the bud,
Feed on her damask cheek : she pin'd in tbcttghu
And, with a green and yellow melanclioly,
She sat like patience on a monument,
Smiling at grief.
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
287
684< Greek Ltteiiature. It is knpos-
aible — to contemplate the annals of Greek lit-
erature, and art, without being struck with
them, as by far the most extraordinary, and
brilliant phenomenon, in the history of the hu-
man mind. The very language, even in its
primitive simplicity, as it came down from the
rhapsodists, who celebrated the exploits of
Hercules, and Theseus, was as great a won-
der, as any it records.
AH the other tongues, that civilized men
have spoken, are poor, and feeble, and bar-
barous, in comparison of it. Its compass,
and flexibihty, its riches, and its povt^ers, are
altogether unlimited. It not only expresses,
with precision, all that is thought, or known,
at any given period, but it enlarges itself na-
turally, with the progress of science, and af-
fords, as if without an effort, a new phrase, or
a systematic nomenclature, whenever one is
called for.
It is equally adapted to every variety of
style, and subject, to the most shadowy sub-
tlety of distinction, and the utmost exactness
of definition, as well as to the energy, and the
pathos of popular eloquence, to the majesty,
the elevation, the variety of the Epic, and the
boldest license of the Dithyrambic, no less
than to the sweetness of the Elegy, the sim-
plicity of the Pastoral, or the heedless gayety,
and delicate characterization of Comedy.
Above all, what is an unspeakable charm, a
sort of naivete is peculiar to it, and appears
in all those various styles, and is quite as be-
coming, and agreeable, in an historian, or a
oliilosbpher, Xenophon for instance, as in the
light and jocund numbers of Anacreon.
Indeed, were there no other object, in learn-
ing Greek, but to see — to what perfection lan-
guage is capable of being carried, not only as
a medium of communication, but as an instru-
ment of thought, we see not why the time of
a young man would not be just as well be-
stowed, in acquiring a knowledge of it, for all
the purposes; at least of a liberal, or element-
ary education, as in learning algebra, another
specimen of a language, or arrangement of
signs perfect in its kind. — Legare.
685. oua exit: thanatopsis.
To him, who, in the love of nature, holds
Communion with her visible forms, she speaks
A various language ; for his gayer hours,
She has a voice of gladness, and a smile,
And eloquence of beauty, and she glides
Into his dark musings, with a mild,
And gentle sympathy, that steals away
Their sharpness, ere he is aware.
When thoughts—
Of the last bitter hour, come like a blight
Over thy spirit, and sad images
Of the stern agony, and shroud, and pall.
And breathless darkness, and the narrow house,
Make thee to shudder, and grow sick at heart;
Go foi .h into the open sky, and list
To na;u:e'8 teaching, while, from all around,
Cornea a still voice —
" Yet a few days, and thee,
The al.-beholding sun shall see no more,
In all his course ; nor yet, in the cold ground.
Where thy pale form was laid, with many tears,
Nor n the embrace of ocean, shall exist
Thy image. Earth, that nourished thee, shall claim
Thy growth, to bo resolved to earth again;
And, lost each human trace, surrendering up
Thine individual being, shalt lliou go,
To mix forever with the elements,
To be a brother— to Ih' insensible rock,
And to the sluggish clod, which the rude swain
Turns with his share, and treads upon.
The oak-
Shall send his roots abroad, and pierce thy rcc'i
Yet not, to thy eternal resting place,
Shalt thou retire, alone — nor could'st thou winh
Couch more magnificent. Thou shalt lie down
With patriarchs of the infant world, with kings,
The powerful of ihe earth, the wise, the good,
Fair forms, and hoary seers of ages past,
All— in one— mighty sepulchre.
The hills.
Rock-ribbed, and ancient as the sun ; the vales,
Stretching in pensive quietness between;
The venerable woods ; rivers, that move
In majesty, and the complaining brooks [all,
That make the meadows green ; and, poured round
Old ocean's gray and melancholy waste.
Are but the solemn decorations all —
Of the great tomb of man. The golden sun,
The planets, all the infinite host of heaven,
Are shining on tlie sad abodes of death,
Through the still lapse of ages.
All that tread
The globe, are but a handfull, to the tribes.
That slumber in its bosom. Take the wiiig9
Of morning, and the Barcan desert pierce.
Or, lose thyself in the continuous woods,
Where rolls the Oregon, and hears no sound,
Save its own dasliings — yet — the dead are there ;
And millions in those solitudes, smce first
The flight of years began, have laid them down
In their last sleep : the dead— reign tiiere— aloHC.
So shalt thou rest; and what, if thou shalt fall,
Unnoticed by the living ; and no friend-
Take note of thy departure ? All that breathe
Will share thy destiny. The gay will laugh,
When thou art gone; the solemn brood of care
Plod on; and each one, as before, will chase
His favorite phantom; yet, all these shall leave
Their mirth, and their enjoyments, and sliall come,
And make their bed with thee. As the long train
Of ages glide away, the sons of men.
The youth, in life's green spring, and he, who goes
In the full strength of years, matron, and maid,
The bowed with age, the infant, in the smiles
And beauty of its innocent age, cut off, —
Shall, one by one, be gathered to thy side,
By those, who, in their turn, sliall follow tliem.
So live, that when thy summons comes, to jom
The innumerable caravan, that moves
To the pale realms of shade, where each shall take
His chamber, in the silent halls of death.
Thou go not, like the quarry-slave at night, [ed.
Scourged to his dungeon, but, sustained, and sooth-
By an unfaltering trust, approach thy grave,
Like one, who wraps the drapery of his couch
About him, and lies dovvn— to plcasan oitama"
It Ujealouiy's— peculiar nature,
To twell small things— to great; nay, out of nought.
To conjure much, and then, lose its reaeon—
Amic the hideous phantoms,— it has formed.
288
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
686. Benefits of Agriculture. Agri-
culture— is the greatest among the arts ; for
it is first in supplying our necessities. It is
the mother, and nurse— of all other arts. It
favors and strengthens population ; it creates
and maintains manufactures ; gives emploj'^-
ment to navigation, and materials to com-
merce. It animates every species of indus-
try, and opens — to nations the surest channels
of opulence. It is also the strongest bond of
well regulated society, the surest basis of in-
ternal peace, the natural association of good
morals.
We ought to count, among the benefits of
egriculture, the charm, which the practice
of it communicates to a country life. That
charm, which has made the country, in our
view, the retreat of the hero, the asylum of
the sage, and the temple of the historic
muse. The strong desire, the longing after
the country, with which we find the bulk
of mankind to be penetrated, points to
it as the chosen abode of sublunary bhss.
The sweet occupations of culture, with her
varied products and attendant enjoyments,
are, at least, a relief from the stifling atmos-
phere of the city, the monotony of subdivided
emjiioyments, the anxious uncertainty of com-
merce, the vexations of ambition so often dis-
appointed, of self-love so often mortified, of
factitious pleasures, and unsubstantial vani-
ties.
Health, the first and best of all tlie blessings
of life, is preserved and fortified by the prac-
tice of agriculture. That state of well-being,
which we feel and cannot define ; that self-
satisfied disposition, which depends, perhaps,
on the perfect equilibrium, and easy play of
vital forces, turns the slightest acts to pleas-
ure, and makes every exertion of our facul-
ties a source of enjoyment ; this inestimable
state of our bodily functions is most vigorou*
in the country, and if lost elsewhere, it is in
the country we expect to recover it.
The very theater of agricultural avocations,
gives them a value that is peculiar; for who
can contemplate, without emotion, the magnif-
icent spectacle of nature, when, arrayed in ver-
nal hues, she renews the scenery of the world!
All things revive her powerful voi(;e — the
meadow resumes its freshness and verdure; a
living sap circulates through ew.vy budding
tree; flowers spring up to meet the warm ca-
resses of Zephyr, and tVoni their openinir pet-
als pour forth rich perfume. The songsters
of the forest once more awake, find in tones
of melody, again salute the coming dawn; and
again they deliver to the evening echo— their
strains of tenderness and love. Can man —
rational, sensitive man — can he remain un-
moved by the surrounding presence ! and
where else, than in the country, can he be-
hold, where else can he feel — this jubilee of
nature, this universal joy ! — MacNeven.
Let me lead you from this place of sorrow,
To one where young delights attend ; and joys.
Yet new, unborn, and blooming in the bnd,
Which want to be full-blown at your approach,
And spread like roses, to the morning sun :
Where ev'ry hour shall roll in circling joys,
And love shall wing the tedious — wasting day.
Life without love, is load ; and time stands still ;
What we refuse to him, to death we gK'e ;
An ' then, then only, when we love we live.
687. THE AMERICAN FLAG.
When Freedom — from her mountain neight.
Unfurl'd her standard— to the air,
She tore the azure robe of night,
And set the stars of glory — there.
She mingled, with its gorgeous dye3
The milky baldric— of the skies,
And striped its pure— celestial white,
With streakings of the morning light j
Then, from his mansion — in the sun
She called her eagle-bearer— down,
And gave— into his mighty hand,
The symbol— of her chosen land.
Majestic monarch — of the cloud.
Who rear'st aloft— thy regal form,
To hear the tempest-trumpings loud.
And see the lightning lances driven,
When strive— the warriors of the storm.
And rolls — the thunder-drum of heaven,—
Child of the sun ! to thee 'tis given,
To guard the banner of the free,
To hover — in the sulphur smoke.
To ward away the battle-stroke.
And bid its blendings— shine, afar.
Like rainbows— on the cloud of war,
The harbingers — of victory !
Flag of the brave ! thy iblds shall fly.
The sign of hope— and triumph high,
When speaks the signal trumpet tone.
And the long line — comes gleaming on.
Ere yet the life-blood, warm and wot,
Has dimm'd the glistening bayonet.
Each soldier eye— shall brightly turn
To where thy meteor glories burn ;
And, as his springing steps advance.
Catch war, and vengeance — from the glance
And when the cannon-mouthings loud,
Heave, in wild wreaths, the battle-shroud,
And gory sabres rise, and fall,
Like shoots of flame— on midnight's pall ;
There shall thy victor glances glow.
And cowering foes — shall fall bejieath
Each gallant arm, that strikes below —
That lovely messenger of death.
Flag of the seas ! on ocean's wave,
Thy stars shall glitter o'er the brave :
When death, careering on the gale,
Sweeps darkly — round the bellied sail,
And frighted waves — rush wildly back —
Before the broadside's reeling rack.
Each dying wanderer of the sea.
Shall look, at once, to heaven — and thse.
And smile — to see thy splendors fly,
In triumph — o'er his closing eye.
Flag of the/ree heart's only home I
By angel hands— to valor given ;
Thy stars have lit the welkin dome,
And all thy liues— were born in heaven.
Forever float— that standard sheet !
Where breathes the foe—but falls before ao.
With' Freedom's soil— beneath our feet,
And Freedom's banner— streaming o'er lis !
His being was in her alone,
And he not being, she was none.
They joy'd one joy, one griet they griev d,
(^ne love they lov'd, one life they liv'd.
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
289
CS8. Tribute •. o WASHiwGToif. Hard,
hard indeed, was the contest for freedom, and
the struggle for independence. The golden
sun of liberty — had nearly set, in the gloom
of an eternal night, ere its radiant beams il-
lumined our westernr horizon. Had not the
tutelar saint of Columbia — hovered around
the American camp, and presided over her
destijiies, freedom must have met with an
untimely grave. Never, can we sufficiently ad-
mi re the wisdom of those statesmen, and the
skill, and bravery, of those unconquerable ve-
terans, who, by their unwearied exertions in
the cabinet, and in tl^-a tield, achieved for us
the glorious revolution. Never, can we duly
appreciate the merits of a Washington ; who,
with butahandfull of undisciphned yeomanry,
triumphed over a royal army, and prostrated
the lion of England at the feet of the Ameri-
can eagle. His name, — so terrible to his foes,
60 welcome to his friends, — sliall live forever
upon the brightest page of the historian, and
be remembered, with the warmest emotions
nf gratitude, and pleasure, by those, whom
lie nad contributed to make happy, and by
all mankind, when kings, and prmccs, and
nobles, for ages, shall have sunk into their
merited oblivion. Unlike them, he needs not
the assistance of the sculptor, or the architect,
to perpetuate his me*nory: he needs no
nrincely dome, no monumental pile, no state-
ly pyramid, whose towering height shall
pierce the stormy clouds, and rear its lofty
head to heaven, to tell posterity his fame.
His deeds, his worthy deeds, alone have ren-
dered him immortal I When oblivion shall
have swept away thrones, kingdoms, and
principalities — when human greatness, and
grandeur, and glory, shall have mouldered in-
to dust, — eternity itself shall catch the glow-
ing theme, and dwell with increasing rapture
on his name ! — Gen: Harnsov.
689« THE baron's last banquet.
(f tf a low couch — the getting sun — had thrown its latest ray,
Wliere, in his last— strong agony— a dying ^varrior lay,
The stem — old Baron Ruuiger, whose frame — had ne'er been bent
By wasting pain, till time, and toil — its iron strength had spent.
" They come around me here, and say my days of life are o'er,
1 t.it I shall mount my noble steed, and lead my band no more ;
I : ey come, and to my beard — they dare to tell me now, that I,
Their own liege lord, and master born, — that 1, ha! ha! must die.
And what f» death ? 1 've dared him oft — before the Paynim spear,
Think ye he 's entered at my gate, has come to seek me here ?
I'.-e met him, faced him, scorn'd him, when the fight was raging
hot,—
I TI try his might— I'll brave his power; defy, and fear him not
H : sound the tocsin from my tower, — and fire the culverin, —
B^it nch retainer — arm with speed, — call every vassal in,
("p with my banner on tlie wall, — the banquet board prepare, —
Throw wide the portal of my hall, and bring my armor there !"
Ail hundred handi were busy tlien, — the banquet forth was spread,
An i rung— the heavy oaken floor, with many a martial tread ;
While from the rich, lark tracery— along the vaulted wall,
Lights — gleamed on I amass, plume and spear, o'er the proud old
Gothic hall.
Fast hurrying through the outer gate — the mailed retainers pour'd,
Ou thro' the portal's frowning arch, and throng'd around the txnrd.
While, at its head, within his dark, carved oaken chair of state,
ArmeJ cap-a-pie, stern Rudiger, with girded falchion, sate.
" Fill every breaker up, my men, pour forth the cheering wine,
Tiiere's life, and strength — in every drop, — thanksgiving to the vine!
Are yo all there, my vassals true ? — mine eyes are waxing dim ;—
Fill rcnnd, my tried and learles? ones, each goblet to the brim,
f o 're there, but yet I see ye not. Draw forth each trusty iword,
And let me hear your faithful steel clash, once around my board :
I hea.r it faintly :— Louder yet !— What clogs my heavy breath ?
I. D a'l , — and shout for Rudiger, ' Dtfiance unto Death ." "
BaONSON ]9 2B
Bowl— rang to bowl,— ste<l— clanged to steel, -and rose a deafsn
ing cry,
That made the torches flare around, and shook the flags on higt.t
" Ho ! cravens, do ye fear him ?— Slaves, traitors ! have ye flowii }
Ho ! cowai-ds, have ye left me to meet him here aloue !
But / defy him :— let him come !" Down rang the masjy cup,
While, from its sheath, the ready blade came flashing iLilf-way apj
And, with the black, and heavy plumes— scarce trembling en bis
head,
There— in his dark, carved, oaken chair. Old Rudiger 3at, dtcd.
690. QUEEN MAB.
O then, I see Queen Mab hath been with you
She is the fairy's midwife, and she comes
111 sliape, no bigger than an agate-stone,
On the forefinger of an alderman ;
Drawn with a team of little atomies,
Alhwart men's noses, as they lie asleep :
Her wagon spokes— made of long spinner's legs
The cover— of the wings of grasshoppers;
The traces — of the smallest spiders web ;
The collars — of the moonshine's watery beams;
Her whip— of cricket's bone; her lash— of film;.
Her wagoner— a small gray-coated gnat,
Not half so big— as a round— little worni)
Prick'd from the lazy finger of a maid;.
Her chariot — is an empty hazel-nut.
Made by the joiner-squirrel, or old grub,
Time out of mind, the fairies' coach-makerK.
And in this state she gallops, night by night.
Thro' lovers' brains, and then they dream of love
On courtiers' knees, that dream on curtsies Gtrait ;
O'er lawyers' fingers, who straight dream on fe««;:
O'er ladies' lips, who straight on kisses dream
Sometimes, she gallops o'er a courtier's nose,
And then, dreams he of smelling out a suit:
And sometimes comes she, with a tithe-pig's VX\%
Tickling the parson, as he lies asleep;
Then dreams he — of another benefice.
Sometimes, she driveth o'er a soldier's neck,
And then he dreams of cutting foreign throats,
Of breaches, ambuscadoes, Spanish blades,
Of healths five fathoms deep ; and then anon
Drums in his ears, at which he starts, and wakes;
And being thus frighted, swears a prayer or two,
And sleeps again. — Shakspeare.
Youth axd Age. When the summer day
of youth — is slowly wasting away into the
nightfall of age, and the shadows of past years
grow deeper and deeper, as life wears to its
close, it is pleasant tt> look back, through the
vista of time, upon the sorrows and felicities
of our earlier years. If we have a home to
shelter, and hearts to rejoice with us, and
friends have been gathered together around
our firesides, then, the rough places of our
wayfaring will have been worn and smoothed
away, in the twilight of life, vphile the sunny
spots we have passed through, will grow
brighter and more beautiful. Happy, indeed,
are they, whose interference with the world
has not changed the tone of their holier feel-
ings, or broken those rausicaJ chords of the
heart, whose vibrations are so melodious, so
tender and touching, in the evening of age.
When Learning's triumph o'er her barbarous toes
First rear'd the stage, immortal Shakspeare rose.
Each change of many-cok»r'd life he drew;
Exhausted worlds, and then imagin'd new :
Existence — saw him spurn her bounded re'gn;
And panting Time — toil'd after liim in vain.
290
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
691. The Passing of the Rubicon. A
gentleman.Mr.President, speaking of Cesar's
benevolent disposition, and of the reluctance
with which he entered into the civil war.ob-
6erves,"How long did he pause upon the brink
of the Rubicont" flow came he to the brink
of thatjriver ! How dared he cross it ! Shall
private men respect the boundaries of private
property, and shall a man pay no respect to the
boundaries of his country's rights? Howdared
he cross that river. Oh! but he paused up.
on the brink! He should have perished upon
the brink, ere he had crossed it! W hy did he
pause ? Why does a man's heart palpitate
when he is on the point of committing an un-
lawful deed! Whydoes the verymurderer,hig
victim sleeping before him.and his glaring eye
taking the measure of the blow, strike wide
of the mortal part ? Because of conscience !
'Twas that made Cesar pause upon the brink
of the Rubicon ! Compassion ! What com-
passion! The compassion of an assassin, that
feels a momentary shudder, as his weapon be-
gins to cut ! Cesar paused upon the brink of
the Rubicon! What was the Rubicon ? The
boundary of Cesar's province. From what did
it separate bis province ? From his country.
Was that country a desert? No: it was culti-
vated and fertile; rich and populous! Its sons
were men of genius, spirit, and generosity! Its
daughterswere lovely,susceptible,and chaste!
Friendship was its inhabitant ! Love was its
inhabitant! Domestic affection was its inhab-
itant! Liberty was itsinhabitant! All bound-
ed by the stream of the Rubicon. What was
Cesar, that stood upon the bank of that stream?
A traitor,bringing war and pestilence into the
heart of that country ! No wonder that he
paased-no wonder if,his imagination wrought
upon by his conscience, he had belield blood ~
instead oi water; and heard groana instead of
murmurs ! No wonder if some gorgon hor-
ror had then turned him into stone! But, no!
— he cried, "'The die is cast!" He plunged!—
he crossed! — and Rome was free no more!
693« LORD ullin's daughter.
A chieftain — to the Highlands bound,
Cries, " Boatman, do not tarry !
And I'll give thee a silver pound,
To row us — o'er the ferry."
" Now, who be ye — would cross Loch-Gyle,
This dark — and stormy water ?"
" O ! I 'm the chief of Ulva's isle.
And this — lord Ullin's daughter.
" And fast before her father's men.
Three days— we've fled together,
For should he find us in ihe glen.
My blood — would stain the heather.
•' His horsemen — hard behind us ride ;
Should they our steps discover,
Then whx> will cheer my bonny bride,
"When they have slain her lover?"
Out spoke the hardy, Highland wight,
" I '11 go, my chief— I 'm ready :
It is not for your silver bright.
But for your wijisome lady :
"And, by my word I the bonny bird
In dangerr, shall not tarry ;
So, though the waves are raging white,
I '11 row you o'er the ferry."
By this, the storm grew loud — apace.
The water-wraith— was shrieking ;
And, in the scowl of heaven, each face
Grew dark— as they were speaking.
But still, as wilder grew the wind,
And as the night — grew drearer,
Adown the glen — rode armed men,
Their trampling — sounded nearer.
"O haste thee, haste P'' the lady cries
"Though tempests round us rather
I '11 meet the raging of the skies,
But not an angry/a«/i«r."
n.t boat — has left the stormy land,
A stormy sea — before her —
When, oh I too strong for human hanl,
The tempest — gathered o'er her.
And still they rowed, amidst the roar
X)f waters, fast prevailing :
Lord Ullin — reached that fatal shore,
His wrath — was changed to wailing.
For, sore dismayed, through storm, and fih»<';,
His child — he did discover ;
One lovely hand — she stretched for aid,
And one — was round her lover.
" Come back ! come back !" he cried ingri'j^
"Across this stormy water :
And I '11 forgive your Highland chief:
My daughter I oh, my daughter!''''
'Twas vain: the loud waves — lashed the shore,
Return, or aid — preventing :
The waters wild went o'er his child,
And he was left — lamenting. — Campbell.
693. Progkess of GovEnjfMENT. In
government, as in science, it is useful, ofteii
to review its progress, and to revert, even to
its simplest elements. It will be salutary, fre-
quently to ascertain, how far society, and
laws, in their present condition, accord with
those, which we have been accustomed to
consider, as their first and purest principles;
how far, in the lapse of time, they may nave
deviated from their original form and struc-
ture. Even when we recur to inquiries,
merely speculative, to imaghiary" social cor-
tracts," to abstract rights, we may often gath-
er instruction, ana detect some concealed, or
neglected truth, applicable to our own tiraes
and to our own immediate condition.
But when a government is derived, not
from fictitious assumptions, not from ancient
or obscure sources, or traditions, but, from
actual, and specific agreement; when many,
and various interests have been combined
and compromised, and a written covenant
has assured to many parties, rights, and pow-
ers, and privileges, it becomes a duty to re-
vise this compact frequently and strictly, that
no one entitled to its protection may be de-
prived, through inadvertence on the one part,
or encroachment on the other, of his vested
rights; and that no changes may be introdu-
ced into the compact, but by the actual con
sent of those, who are parties to tlie covenant
Every spirit, as it is most pure,
And hath in it the more of heaveidy light;
So it the fairer body doth procure
To habit in, and it more fairly diglit
With cheerful grace, and amiable sight;
For of the soul, the body form doth take.
For soul is form, and doih the body make.
For who, to dumb forgeifulness a prey,
This pleasing anxious being e'ei resigned,
Left the warm precincts of the cheerful day,
Nor cast one longing, ling'ring look behind !
On some fond breast the parting soul relies,
Some pious drops the closing eye require* :
Ev'n from the tomb, the voice of nature crie*,
Ev'n in our ashes live their wonted firea.
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
291
«94. Advantages of Kxowledgk.
Knowledge, in general, expa-ids the mind,
exalts the faculties, refines the taste of pleas-
ure, and opens innumerable sources of intel-
lectual enjoyment. By means of it, we be-
come less dependent for satisfaction upon
the sensitive appetites ; the gross pleasures
of sense are more easily despised, and we
tire made to feci the superiority of the spiri-
tual to the material part of our nature. In-
stead of being continually solicited by the in-
fluence, and irritation of sensible objects, the
niind can retire within herself, and expatiate
in the cool and quiet walks of contemplation.
The poor man, who can read, and who
possesses a taste for reading, can find enter-
tainment at home, without being tempted to
repair to the public house for that purpose.
His mind can find him employment, when his
body is at rest ; he does not lie prostrate, and
afloat, on the current of incidents, liable to
be carried, whithersoever the impulse of ap-
petite may direct. There is, in the mind of
such a man, an intellectual spring, urging
him to the pursuit of mental good ; and if
the minds of his fiimily, also, are a little cul-
tivated, conversation becomes the more inter-
esting, and the sphere of domestic enjoyment
enlarged.
The calm satislaction, which books afford,
puts him into a dispos' ion to relish, more
exquisitely, the tranquil delight, inseparable
from the indulgence of cjnjugal, and paren-
tal affection : and as he will be more respect-
able, in the eyes of his family, than he, who
can teach them nothing, he will be naturally
induced to cultivate, wliatever may preserve,
and shun whatever would impair that re-
spect. He, who is inured to reflection, will
carry his views beyond the present hour; he
will extend his prospect a little into futurity,
and be disposed to make some provision for
his approaching wants ; whence will result,
an increased motive to industry, together
with a care to husband his earnings, and to
avoid unnecessary expense.
The poor man who has gained a taste for
good books, will, in all likelihood, become
thoughtful, and when you have given the
poor a habit of thinking, you have conferred
on them a much greater favor, than ^ the
gift of a large sum of money ; since you have
put them in possession of the principle of all
legitimate prosperity. — R. Hall.
time's SOFTENtXG POWER.
As the stern grandeur of a Gothic tower
Awes not so deeply in its morning hour,
As when the shades of time serenely fall
On every broken arch and ivied wall ;
The tender images we love to trace,
Steal from each year a melancholy grace !
And as the sparks of social love expand j
As the heart opens in a foreign land,
Ard with a brothers warmth, a brother's smtie,
The stranger greets each native of his isle ;
So scenes of life, wnen present and confest,
Stamp but their bolder features on the breast ;
Yet not an image, when remotely viewed,
However ti'ivial and however rude,
But wins the heart and wakes the social sigh,
With every claim of close affinity.
Hope and fear, alternate, swayed hb breast,
LiJce light— and shade— upon a waving field,
Coursing ewh other, when the flying clouds
Now hid»— !«»d now reveal— the sua.
695. VICTIM BRIDE AND MISER.
I saw her — in her summer bower, and oh '. upon my sight,
Methought there never l>eam"d a form more beautiful, and brtjht
So young, so fair, she seemed like one of tho>e aerial things,
Tl)at dwell — but in the poet's high, and wild imaginings;
Or, like one of those forms, we meet io dreams, from whiih w i
wake and weep,
That eartA— has no creations, like the figments of our steep.
Her father — lov'd he not his child— above all earthly things'
As traders love the merchandize, from which their profit ipt d^ii
Old age came by, with tottering step, and, for sordid gold.
With which the dotard urged his suit, the maiden's peace wa« wld ;
"An^ thus, (for oh ! her sire's stem heart— was steel'd agajntt liet
prayer,)
The hand he ne'er had gain'd from love, he won from her dorpctt,
I saw them through the church-yard pass, and such a nuptial tnuB,
I vv-oulii not for the wealth of worlds, should greet my sight ig^Mi
The bridemaiJs, each as beautiful as Ev»— iu Eden's Ijowers,
Shed bitter tears— upon the path they should have strowa •^ tl
Who had not thought, that white-rob'd band— the /trieroZ array
Of one— an early doom had call'd— from life's gay scene away ?
The priest — beheld the bridal parr before the altar stand,
And sigh'd, as he drew forth his book, with slow, reluctant hand ;
He saw the bride's flow'r-vrreath'd hair, he mark'd her streanuiig
eyes,
And deem'd it less a christian rite, than a pagan sacrifice ;
And when he called on Abraham's God to bless the wcdd«d pair,
It seem'd a very mocltenf — to breath so vain a prayer.
I saw the palsy'd bridegroom too, in youth's gay ensign drega'd,
A shrouds— -were fitter garment far — for him, than bridal vest ;
I marked him, when the ring was claira'd, 'twas hard to loose tJg
hold,
He held it — with a miser's clutch ; it was hh darling gold ;
His shrivell'd hand — was wet witli tears, she shed, alas ! in vain.
And trembled like an autumn leaf— beneath the beating rain.
I've seen her since that fatal morn : hor golden fetters rest —
As e'en Uie weight of inculnvi — upon her aching breast ;
And when the victor (deaih,) shall come, to oeai the weleamc
blow, [Drov7 ;
He will not find one rose — to swell the wreath, that decks his
For oh ! her cheek is blanched with grief, that time — may not
assuage ; 'age.
Thus early — beauty— sheds her bloom — on the wintry bn>r«t Oa
696. THE DEW-DROP IN SPRING.
How pure ! how bright is the liny thing!
It beams where the birds of the morning singj
It looks like the tear from an angel's eye,
Or a pearl that has dropped from the vernal skv
To deck the silvery robe of the dawn,
As it weds the flowers on the grassy lavtm.
In the silver cup of the daisy it lies ;
It smiles on the lark as he upward flies ;
In a chariot of cloud it shall glide to the sun ;
On a pathway of incense its course shall be runj
It returns again on a sunset ray,
And forgets in its slumber the sports of the day.
The emblem of virtue unsullied, it seems—
The emblem of beauty we see in our dreams ;
'Tis a pledge of faith, by the breeze to be given.
With amorous sighs to the cloud.'' of heaven.
Oh, who can tell, but the fairies keep
Their nightly watch where the dew-drops sleep
When the rose unfolds its voluptuous charm,
When the sun is high, and the earth grows warm,
'Tis then that the dew-drop shines most bright,
'Tis then that it rivals the diamond's light,
As it bids farewell to the fairy scene,
And melts into air where its bower has been.
All men — thir.k all men mortal, but themselvcc ,
Themselves, when some alarming shock of fate,
Strikes thro' their wounded hearts the sudden dread.
READINGS AND RPXITATIONS.
697. Specimen of Indiak Lattguage.
We are happy, in having buried, under
ground, the red axe, that has so often been
ayed — with the- blood of our brethren. Now,
in this fort, we inter the axe, and plant the
tree of Peace. We plant a tree, whose top
will reach the suft, and its branches spread
abroad, so that it sliall be seen afar oif. May
its growth never be stifled and choked ; but
may it shade both your country and ours
with its leaves. Let us make fast its roots,
and extend them to the uttermost of your
colonies. If the French should come to shake
this tree, we should know it by the motion
of its roots reaching into our country. May
the Great Spirit — allow us to rest, in tran-
auillity, upon our mats, and never again
dig up the axe, to cut down the tree of Peace !
Let the earth bojtrod hard over it, where it
lies buried. Let a strong stream run under
the pit, to wash the evil away, out of our
sight and remembrance. The fire, that had
long burned in Albany, is extinguished. The
bloody bed is washed clean, and the tears are
wiped from our eyes. We now renew the
tovenant-chain of friendship. Let it be kept
b- ight and clean as silver, and not suffered to
contract any rust. Let. not any one pull
away his arm from it.
MARSEILLES HYMN OF LIBERTY.
Ye sons of Freedom, wake to glory !
Hark! hark, what myriads bid you rise!
Your children, vi'ives, and grandsires, hoary,
Behold their tears — and hear their cries.
Shall hateful tyrants, mischiefs breeding,
With hireling hosts, a ruffian band,
Affright and desolate the land,
While peace and liberty — lie bleeding?
To arms I to arms ! ye brave !
Th' avenging sword unsheath :
March on, march on, all hearts resolv'd,
On VICTORY— or death.
Now, now, the dangerous storm is rolling,
Which treacherous kings, confederate, raise ;
The dogs of war, let loose, are howling,
And lo ! our fields and cities— blaze,
And shall we basely — view the ruin,
While lawless force with guilty stride,
Spreads desolation— far and wide.
With crimes and blood, his hands imbruing ?
To arms I to arms ! ye brave, &:c.
With luxury and pride surrounded,
The vile — insatiate despots dare,
Their thirst of power and gold unbounded,
To mete, and vend— the light — and air.
I jke beasts of burden — would they load us,
Like gods — would bid their slaves adore,
But man — is wmn, and who is more ?
Then shall they longer lash and goad us %
To arms I to arms ! ye brave, &c.
Oh, Liberty, can man resign thee,
Once— having felt thy generous flame 1
Can dungeons, bolts, and bars confine thee ;
Or whiptj thy noble spirit tame ?
Too long — the world has wept, bewailing,
That falsehood's dagger — tyrants wield.
But Freedom— is our sword, and shield,
And all their arts are unavailing.
To arms I to abms! ye brave, 4tc.
698. OTHELLO S APOLOGY.
Most potent, grave, and reverend seign'ora :
My very noble, and approv'd good masters :
That I have ta'en away this old man's daughter.
It is most true ; true, I have married her :
T)ie very head and front of my offending
Hath this extent ; no more.
Rude am I in speech,
And little blessed with the set phrase of peace:
For since these arms of mine had seven yeaic'
pith, [us'd
Till now some nine moons wasted, they have
Their dearest action in the tented field;
And little of this great world can I speak,
More than pertains to feats of broils and battle j
And therefore, little shall I grace my cause,
In speaking of myself. Yet, by your patience,
I will, a round, unvarnish'd tale deliver,
Of my whole course of love ; what drugs, whal
charms,
What conjuration, and what mighty magic,
(For such proceedings I am charg'd withal)
I won his daughter with.
Her father lov'd me ; oft invited me ;
Still questioned me the story of my life.
From year to year : the battles, sieges, fortunod
That I had past.
I ran it through, e'en from my boyish days,
To the very moment, that he bade me tell it.
Wherein I spake of most disastrous chancet; :
Of moving accidents by flood, and field :
Of hairbreath 'scapes, in the imminent deadl
Of being taken by the insolent foe, [breacb-
And sold to slavery ; of my redemption thence.
And with it all my travel's history.
All these to hear,
Would Desdemona seriously incline ;
But still the house aftairs would draw her thence.
Which ever as she couJd with haste despatch.
She'd come again, and with a greedy ear,
Devour up my discourse. Which, I observing,
Took once a pliant hour, and found good means
To draw from her a prayer of earnest heart.
That J would all my pilgrimage dilate ;
Whereof by parcels, she had something heard.
But not distinctly.
I did consent;
And often did beguile her of her tears.
When I did speak of some distressful stroke.
That my youth suffer'd. My story being d< ne,
She gave me for my pains, a world of sighs.
She swore in faith, 'twas strange, 'twas passing
'Twas pitiful ; 'twas wondrous pitiful ; [strange;
She wish'd she had not heard it ; yet she wich'd
That heaven— had made her such a man.
She thank'd me.
And bade me, if I had a friend that lov'd her,
I should but teach him how to tell my story,
And that would woo her. On this hint I spake i
She lov'd me, for the dangers I had pass'd ;
And I lov'd her, that she did pity them.
This is the onlv witchcraft, which I've used.
Some, light of heart, may scorn, ir later years.
Those dear memorials — of a calmer time;
While others— ■wdt.tex them with life's last tears,
And bear their faded charms from clime to clime
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
293
699. Majesty of the Law. How im-
posing— is the majesty of the law ! how calm
ner dignity ; how vast — her powfr ; how firm,
and tranquil, in her reign ! it is not by fleets,
and arms, by devastation, and wrong, by op-
pression, and blood — she maintains her sway,
and executes her decrees. Sustained hy Jus-
tice, reason, and the great interests of man,
she but speaks, and is obeyed. Even those,
who do not approve, hesitate not — to support
her; and the individual, upon whom her
judgment falls, knows, that submission — is
not only a duty, he must perform, but, that
the security, and enjoyment, of all that is
dear to him, depend upon it.
A mind — accustomed to acknowledge no
power, but physical force, no obedience, but
personal fear, must view, with astonishment,
a feeble individual, sitting, with no parade
of strength, surrounded by no visible agents
of power, issuing his decrees with oracular
autnority ; while the rich, and the great, the
first and the meanest — await, alike, to per-
form his will. Still more wonderful is it — to
behold the co-ordinate officers of the same
government, yielding their pretensions to his
nigher influence: the executive, the usual
depository arid instrument of power; the
legislature — even the representative of the
people, yield a respectful acquiescence — to
the judgments of the tribunals of the law,
pronounced by the minister, and expounder
of the law. Is it enough for him to say — " It
is the opinion of the court — "and the farthest
corner of our republic — feels, and obeys the
mandate. What a sublime spectacle ! This
is indeed, the empire of the law ; and safe,
and happy — are all they, who dwell within
it. — Hopkmson.
700. SPEECH OF CATILINE, BEFORE THE BOMAN
SENATE, ON HEARING HIS SENTENCE OF BANISHMENT.
" Banish'd — from Rome !" — what's banish'd, but set
From daily contact — of the things I loathe! [fne
'Tried — and convicted traitor!" — Who says this?
Who '11 prove it, at his peril, on my head ? [chain !
•"■ Banished !" — I thank you for 't. It breaks my
i held some slack allegiance till this hour —
But noiv — my sword 's my ovrn. Smile on, my lords;
I scorn — to count what feelings, withered hopes,
Strong provocations, bitter, burning wrongs,
I have within my heart's hot cells shut up,
To leave you — in your lazy dignities.
But here I stand and scoff you: — here I fling
Hatred, and full defiance in your face.
Your consul's merciful. For this — all thanks.
He dares not touch a hair of Catiline.
*' Traitor !'' I go— but I return. This— trial !
Here I devote your senate ! I've had wrongs,
To stii a fever in the blood of age,
Or make the infant's sinew strong as steel
This day's the birth of s.orrows I — This hour's work
Will breed proscriptions.— Look to your hearths,
my lords,
For there, henceforth, shall sit, for household gode.
Shapes hot from Tartarus ! all shames, and crimes;
Wan Treachery, with his thirsty dagger drawn;
Suspicion, poisonirg his brother's cup;
Naked Rebellion, with the torch, and aie.
Making his Wild sport— of your blazing thrones;
Till Anarchy — comes down on you, like Night,
A."..] Massacre seals Rome's eternal grave.— Croly.
2h2
lOl. DOCTOR AND PUPIL.
A pupil of the Esculapian schoo.,
Was just prepared to quit his master's rule •.
Not that he knew his trade, as it appears,
But that he then had learnt it seven years
One morn, he thus addressed his master :
" Dear sir, my honored father bids me say,
If I could now and then a visit pay,
He thinks, with you,— to notice how you do,
My business I might learn a little faster."
" The thought is happy," the preceptor cries;
" A better method he could scarce devite ;
So Bob," (his pupil's name) " it shall be 3o;
And when I next pay visits, you shall go."
To bring that hour, alas! time briskly fled:
With dire intent away they went.
And now, behold them at a patient's bed
The master-doctor solemnly perused
His victim's face, and o'er his symptoms mused;
Looked wise, said nothing — an unerring way,
When people nothing have to say :
Then felt his pulse, and smelt his carie,
And paused, and blinked, and smelt again,
And briefly of his corps performed each motion
Manoeuvres that for Death's platoon are meant :
A kind of a Make-ready-and-Present,
Before the fell discharge of pill and potion.
At length, the patient's wife he thus addressed:
"Madam, your husband's danger's great.
And (what will never his complaint abate,)
The man 's been eating oysters, I perceive '^—
'• Dear! you 're a witch, I verily believe,'^
Madam replied, and to the truth confessed.
Skill so prodigious, Bobby, too, admired;
And home returning, of the sage inquired
How these same oysters came into his head?
" Psha! my dear Bob, the thing was plain —
Sure that can ne'er distress thy brain;
I saw the shells lis underneath the bed."
So wise, by such a lesson grown,
Next day, Bob ventured out alone,
And to the self-same sufferer paid his court —
But soon, with haste and wonder out of breath,
Returned the stripling minister of death,
And to his master made this dread report :
" Why, sir, v/e ne'er can keep that patient under*
Zounds ! such a man I never came across I
The fellow must be dying, and no wonder.
For ne'er believe me if he l>as n't eat a horse'''
" A horse !" the elder man of physic cried,
As if he meant his pupil to deride —
*' How got so wild a notion in your head ?"
" How ! think not in my duty I was idle ;
Like you, I took a peep beneath the bed,
And there I saw a saddle and a bridle !"
Mr. Locke — was asked, how he had con-
trived to accumulate a mine of knowledge
so rich, yet so extensive and so deep. He
replied, that he attributed what little he
knew — to the not having been ashamed
to ask for information, and to the rule he
had laid down, of conversing with all de-
scriptions of men, on those topics chiefly,
that formed their ovm. peculiar professions
or pursuits.
294
READLVGS AND REJITATIONS.
703. The RestinRECTiox of the Loun.
Tivice — had the sun — gone down upon tlae
earth, and all as yet, was silent — at the sep-
ulchre. Death — held liis sceptre — over the
Son of God. Still — and sileiit — the hours
passed on ; the guards — stood at their post ,•
Uie rays of the midnight moon — gleamed on
their helmets, and on their spears. The ene-
mies of Christ — exulted in their success ; the
hearts of his fnends — were sunk in despon-
dency ; the spirits of glory — waited, in anx-
ious suspense — to behold the event, and W07i-
dered — at the depth — of the ivays of God.
At length, the morning star, arising in the
east, announced the approach of light. The
third day — began to daw7i upon the world;
when, on a sudden, the earth — t7-ernbled — to
its centre ; and the powers of heaven were
shaken ; an angel of God — descended ; tlie
guarde — shrunk back — from the terror of
his presence, and fell prostrate — on the
ground. "His countenance — was like light-
ning, and his raiment — white as swow?.'' He
rolled away the stone from the door of the
sepulchre, and sat upon it. But who is this,
that cometh forth from the tomb, with dyed
garments — from the bed of death ? He, that
IS glorious in his appearance, walking in the
greatness — of his strength ? It is thy prince,
O Zion ! Cfiristian, it is your Lord J He
liath trodden the it^ine-press alone ; he hath
stained his raiment witn blood ; but now, as
thej^rs^ bom — from the womb of nature, he
meets — the morning of his resurrection. He
arises a conqueror — from the grave ; he re-
tiarns with blessings — from the wjrld of spi7'-
its ; he brings salvation — to the sons of men.
Never — did the returning sun — usher in a
day so glorious. It was the jubilee — of the
universe. The morning sta7's sung together,
and all the sons of God shouted aloud — for
joy. The Father of mercies — looked down
from his throne in the heavens ,- with com-
piacency he beheld his world — restored; he
saw his work, that it was good. Then, did
t!ie desert rejoice, the face of nature was
gladdened before him, when the blessings of
the Eternal descended, as the dews of heav-
en, for the refreshing of the nations.
703. SLANDER.
What is slander?
*ris an assassin — at the midnight hour
Urged on by Envy, that, wiih footstep soft.
Steals on the slumber — of sweet m«oc«nce.
And with the dark drawn dagger of the mind,
Drinks deep — the crimson current of the heart.
It is a worm, that crawls on beauty^s cheek,
Like the vile viper — in a vale o( flowers y
And riots in ambrosial blossoms there
It is a coward — in a coat of mail.
That wages war — against the brave, and ipjse, ^
And, like the long lean lizard, that will mar
The lion''s sleep, it wounds the noblest breast.
Oft have I seen — this demon of the soul.
This murderer of sleep, with visage smooth,
Aiul countenance — serene as heaven's owyi sky ;
But storms — were raving — in the world of thought :
Oft, have I seen a smile — upon its brow ;
Bui, like the lightning — from a stormy cloud,
It shocked the soul — and disappeareu in darkness.
Oft, have I seen if weep — at tales of t^o, [anguish;
And sigl —as 'twere the heart — would break with
But, like {he drop, that drips from Java^s tree,
And the fell fjlast, that sweeps Arabian sands,
It withered — every floweret of the vale.
•f saw it tread upon a lily farfj
A maid — of whom the ivorld — could say no harm
And, when she sutik — beneath the mortal tvcund
It broke — into tlie sacred sepulchre,
And dragged its victim — from the hallowed fervrof
For public eyes to gaze on. It hath wept,
That from the earth — its victim passed aiony
Ere it had taken vengeance — on his virtues.
Yea, I have seen this cursed child of Envy-
Breatlie mildew — on the sacred/awe — ofhim^
Who once had been his country''s be)i^cu:tar,
And, on the sepulchre — of his repose,
Bedewed with many a tributary tear,
Dance, in the moonlight of a sunimer's iky.
With savage satisfaction. — Miiford Bard.
THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM.
When marshaled — on the nightly plaiiv,
The glittering host — bestud the sky ;
One star alone, of all the train,
Can fix the sinner's wandering eye.
Hark! hark! to God — llie chorus breaks,
From every host, from every gem ;
But one alone, the Savior speaks.
It is the star o'f Bethlehem.
Once, on the raging seas I rode ;
The storm was loud, the night was dark,
The ocean yawned, and rudely blow'd
The wind, that tossed my foundering bark.
Deep horror, then, my vitals froze.
Death-struck, I ceased '.he tide lo stetr ,
When suddenly, a star arose,
It was the star of Bethlehem.
It was my guide, my bght, my bU,
It bade my dark forebodings cease.
And through the storm, and danger's thralu
It led me — to the port of peace.
Now, safely moor'd — my perils o'er,
I '11 sing, first in night's diadem,
Forever, and forever more,
The star, the star of BeHilekim.— White '
eve's love for ADAM.
To whom thus Eve, with perfect beauty adorn''d.
" My author and disposer, what thou bid'st
Unargued I obey : so God ordains ;
God is thy law, thou mine : to know no more
Is woman's happiest knowledge and her praise.
With thee conversing I forget all lime ;
All seasons and their cliange, all please alike.
Sweet is the breath of morn, her rising sweet,
With charm of earliest birds; pleasant the sun,
When first on this delightful land he spreads
His orient beams, on herb, tree, fruit, and i5o%\ne7;
Glistering with dew; fragrant the fertile earth
After soft showers ; and sweet the coming on
Of grateful evening mild ; then silent night.
With this her solemn bird, and this fair moon,
And these gems of heaven, her starry train :
But neither breath of morn, when she ascendj
With charm of earliest birds; nor rising sun
On this delightful land; nor herb, fruit, flower.
Glistering with dev/; nor fragrance after showera,
Nor grateful evening mild ; nor silenfnighl.
With this her solemn bird ; nor walk by moon,
Or glitlenug starlight, without thee is eweeu
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
295
T04. The Fkmale Charactkr. If we
glance at those domestic relations, which wo-
man sustains, she appears in an attitude
higljy interesting. Is she a daughter :^ She
has a stron^f hold on the parental bosom. By
her kind, discreet, obedient, dutiful conduct,
slie contributes greatly to the happiness of
those, who tenderly love her, and who are
her natural guardians, and guides. Or, by
the opposite conduct, sl>e disappoints their
hopes, and pierces their liearts with sorrow.
Just in proportion to the superior strength,
and tenclerness of parental affection, is the
happiness or misery resulting from the kind,
or unkind deportment of a daughter.
Is she a sister? If intelligent and virtu-
ous, she sheds the most kindly influence on
the little circle of kindred spirits in which
she daily moves. Is she a wife? The rela-
tion is most endearing, and its duties most
important. Taken, originally, from man's
heart, she is ever to be his most kind, affec-
tionate and faithful partner. To contribute
to his happiness, is always to be lier first
earthly care. It is hers, not merely to amuse
his leisure hours, but to be his intelligent com-
panion, friend, and counsellor ; his second
self; his constant and substantial helper, both
as to the concerns of this Jife, and as to his
eternal interests. She is to do him good, all
the days of her life. And by so doing, to
dwell in his heart. Is she a mother? It is
hers, in no small degree, to form the charac-
ter of the next generation. Constantly with
her children, having the cliief care of them in
their infancy, and early childhood, — the most
susceptible, tlie forming period of life, — to
her, m an important sense, are committed
the character, and the destiny — of individu-
als, and nations. Many of the most distin-
guished, and of the most excellent men, this,
or any country has produced, were indebted,
under God, chiefly to the exertions of their
mothers, during their early cliildliood.
Thus viewed in her domestic relations, wo-
man appears in a highly interesting light.
So she does, when seen in other stations.
See her taking an active part in various be-
nevolent associations. There, she exerts an
influence in the cause of humanity, and of
religion, the most powerful, and beneficial.
Like an angel of mercy on the wing, she
performs her part witli promptitude and
compassion.
705, THK CONSTANCY OP WOMAN.
Woman! Blest partnei of our joys and woes!
Even in the darkest hour of earthly ill,
Untarnished yet, thy fond affection glows,
Throbs with each pulse, and beats with every
thrill ! [still,
Bright o'er the wasted scene thou hoverest
Angel of comfort to the failing soul;
Undaunted by the tempest, wild and chill,
That pours its restless and disastrous roll. [howl.
O'er all that blooms below, with sad and hollov/
When sorro' rends the heart,when fev'rish pain
Wrings the hot drops of anguish from the brow,
To soothe the soul, to cool the burning brain,
O ! who so welcome and so prompt as thou!
The battle's hurried scene, and angry glow, —
The death-er.circled pillow of distress,—
The lonely moments of secluded wo —
Ahke thy car3 and constancy confess, [bless. I
706. ALEXANDEX SELKIRK.
I am monarch— of all I survey.
My right there is none to dispute}
From the centre— all round to the sea,
I am lord of tlie fowl and the brute.
Oh solitude ! where are the charms,
That sages— have seen in thy face %
Better dwell— in tlie midst of alarms,
Than reign— in this horrible place.
I am out — of humanity's reach,
I must finish my journey — alone;
Never hear the sweet music of speech;
I start— at the sound of my own.
The beasts, that roam over the plain.
My form, with indifference see :
They are so unacquainted with man.
Their lauieucss— is shocking to rao.
Society, friendship, and love.
Divinely bestowM upon man.
Oh, had I the wings of a dove,
Ho*v soon would I taste you again 1
My sorrows — I then might assuage,
In the ways of religion and truth ;
Might learn from the wisdom of age,
And he cheer'd — by the sallies of you;lu
Religion! what treasure untold,
Resides in that heavenly word !
More precious — than silver or gold,
Or all, that this earth can afford.
But the sound of the church-going bell,
These valleys, and rosks, never heard ;
Ne'er sigh'd— at the sound of a kncll.
Or smil'd, when a sabbath appear'd.
Ye winds, that have made me your sport.
Convey to this desolate shore,
Some cordial, endearing report.
Of a land, I shall visit no more.
iMV inends, do they now and then send,
A wish, or a thought after me?
O tell me, I yet have a friend.
Though a friend I am never to see.
How fleet is a glance of the mind :
Compar'd with the speed of its fligiit.
The tempest itselflags behind.
And the swift-wing'd arrows of light
When I think of my own native land,
In a moment, I seem to be there',
But, alas! recollection at hand,
Soon hurries me back to despair.
But the sea-fowl — is gone to her nest.
The beast is laid down in his lair ;
Even here — is a season of rest,
And I— to my cabin repair.
There's mercy— in every place ;
And mercy— encouraging thought !
Gives even afiliction a grace,
And reconciles man to his lot. — Cotoper.
BATTLE. •
Now shield— with shield, with helmet,— helmet
Toarmor— armor, lance to lance oppos'd;[clos'd,
Host— against host,the shadowy squadrons drew;
The sounding darts— in iron tempest flew.
Victors, and vanquish'd, join promiscuous cries.
And thrilling shouts— and dying groans arise :
With streaming blood, the slipp'ry fields are dy'd,
;.ke thy pitying hand and fearless friendship I And slaughter 'd lieroes, swell the dreadful tide.
296
READINGS AND RECITATIONS
T07. The Strkam of Life. Life — bears
us on like the stream of a mijrhty river. Our
boat, at first glides down tlie narrow channel,
through the playful murmurings of the little
brook, and tlie windings of its grassy border.
The trees shed their blossoms over our young
heads, the flowers, on the brink, seem to offer
themselves to our young hands ; we are hap-
Ey in hope, and we grasp eagerly, at the
sauties around us; but the stream hurries
on, and still our hands are empty.
Our course in youth, and manhood, ie along
a wider, and deeper flood, and amid objects
more striking, and magnificent. We are ani-
mated by the moving picture of enjoyment,
and industry, which passes before us; we
ure excited by some short-lived success, or
depressed, and made miserable, by some
equally shoxt-lived disappointment. But our
energy, and our dependence are both in vain.
The stream bears us on, and our joys, and
our griefs, are alike, left behind us ; we may
De shipwrecked, but we cannot anchor ; our
voyage may be hastened, but it cannot be de-
layed; whether rough or smooth, the river
hastens towards its home, till the roaring of
the ocean is in our ears, and the tossing of
the waves is beneath our keel ; and tlie lands
lessen from our eyes, and the floods are lifted
up around us, and the earth loses sight of us,
and we take our last leave of earth, and of its
inhabitants ; and of our further voyage, there
is no witness, but the Infinite and the Eternal.
And do we still take so much anxious
thought for future days, when the days which
have gone by, have so strangely, and uniform-
ly deceived usi Can we still so set our
hearts on the creatures of God, when we find
by sad experience, the Creator only is perma-
nent 1 Or, shall we not rather lay aside every
weight, and every sin which doth most easily
beset us, and think of ourselves, henceforth,
as wayfaring persons only, who have no
abiding inheritance, but in the hope of a bet-
ter world, and to whom even that world
would be worse than hopeless, if it were not
for our Lord Jesus Christ, and the interest we
have obtained in his mercies. .
708. THE OLD HAT.
I had a hat— it was not all a hat-
Part of the brim was gone,— yet still, I wore
It on, and people wondered, as I passed.
Some, turned to gaze— others, just cast an eye,
And soon withdrew it, as 'twere in contempt.
But still, my hat, although so fashionless,
In complement extern, had that within,
Surpassing show — my head continued warm ;
Being sheltered from the weather, spite of all
The want (as has been said,) of brim.
A change came o'er the color of my hat.
That, which was black, grew brown, and then
men stared
With both their eyes (they stared with one before);
The wonder now, was twofold— and it seemed
Strange, that things so torn, and old, should still
B« worn, by one who might but let that pass !
I had my reasons, which might be revealed.
But, for some counter reasons far more strong,
Which tied my tongue to silence. Time passed on.
Green spring, and flowery summer — autumn
brown,
And frosty winter came, — and went, and came —
h^i vtill. through all the s masons of two }earst
In park, in city, yea, in routs ana balls, [wiid
The hat was worn, and borne. Then folk; grew
With curiosity,— and whispers rose.
And questions passed about— how one so trim
In coats, boots, pumps, gloves, trousers, could
His caput — in a covering so vile. [ensconce
A change came o'er the nature of my hat—
Grease-spots appeared— but still in silence, on
I wore it— and then family, and friends
Glared madly at each other. There was one,
Who said— but hold— no matter what was said,
A time may come, when I away — away —
Not till the season's ripe, can I reveal
Thoughts that do lie too deep for common minds,
Till then, the world shall not pluck out the heaU
Of this, my mystery. When I will— I will ! —
The hat was now— greasy, and old, and torn—
But torn— old— greasy— still I wore it on.
A change came o'er the business of this hat.
Women, and men, and children, scowled on mej
My company was shunned — I was alone!
None would associate with such a hat —
Friendship itself proved faithless, for a hat.
She, that I loved, within whose gentle breast
I treasured up my heart, looked cold as death —
Love's fires went out — extinguished — by a hat.
Of those, that knew me best, some turned aside
And scudded down dark lanes — one man did place
His finger on his nose's side, and jeered —
Others, in horrid mockery, laughed outright;
Yea, dogs, deceived by instinct's dubious ray,
Fixing their swart glare on my ragged hat,
Mistook mje for a beggar — and they barked.
Thus, women, men, friends, strangers, lover
One thought pervaded all— it was my hat. [dog?,
A change — it was the last — came o'er this hat.
For lo ! at length, the circling nior ths went round,
The period was accomplished— aiiv* one day
This tattered, brown, old, greacY coverture,
(Time had endeared its vileness,) was tranefcrr'd
To the possetsion of a wandering son —
Of Israel's fated race — and friends once more
Greeted my digits, with the wonted squeeze :
Once more I went my way— along — along —
And plucked no wondering gaze— the hand of
With its annoying finger — men, and dogs, [scorn
Once more grew pointless, jokeless, laughlese,
growlless:
And last, not least of rescued blessings, lore —
Love smiled on me again, when I assrmed
A bran new beaver of tlie Andre mould ;
And then the laugh was mine, for then came ouf
The secret of this strangeness,— 'twas a bbt.
What are riches, empire, pow'r.
But larger means to gratify the will 1
The steps on which we tread, to rise and reach
Our wish ; and that obtain'd, down with the scaf-
folding [served their end,
Of sceptres, crowns, and thrones ; They have
And are, like lumber, to be left and scorn'd.
Honor and virtue— are the boons we claim ;
Nought gives a rest to life, wlien they are flrd
Nought else, can fan aright the holy flame '.
And, should they perish, every hope ie dead
The man, who builJs, and lacks wnerewith (o pay.
Provides a bouse— from which to run awav.
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
21^7
T08. Character of Pitt. The secre-
tary— stood alone ; modern degeneracy — had
not reached him. Original, and unaccom-
modating, the features of his character — had
the hardihood of antiquity. His august mind
overawed majesty; and one of his sovereigns
thought royalty — so impaired in his presence,
that he conspired to remove him, in order to
be reheved from his superiority. No state
chicanery, no narrow system of vicious poli-
tics, sank him to the vulgar level of the great;
b; overbearing, persuasive, and impractic-
djie, his object — was England, his ambition
was fame. Without dividing, he destroyed
pnrty ; without corrupting, he made a venal
age unanimous.
France — sank beneath him. With one
'land, he smote the house of Bourbon, and
wielded, with the other, the democracy of
England, The sight of his mind — was infi-
nite; and his schemes were to affect, not
England, and the present age only, but Eu-
rope, and posterity. Wonderful were the
means, by which these schemes were accom-
plished , always seasonable, always adequate,
the suggestions of an understanding, ani-
mated by ardor, and enlightened by prophety
The ordinary feelings, which rende.* lite
amiable, and indolent, were unknown to him.
No domestic difficulty, no domestic weakness-
reached him ; but, aloof from the sordid oc-
currences of life, and unsullied by its inter-
course, he came, occasionally, into our system,
to counsel, and to decide. A character so
exalted, so strenuous, so various, and so au-
thoritative, astonished a corrupt age ; and the
Treasury trembled at the name of Pitt, thro'
all her classes of venality. Corruption ima-
gined, indeed, that she had found defects in
this statesman; and talked much of the ruin
of his victories ; but the history of his country,
and the calamities of the enemy, refuted her.
Nor were his political abilities — his only
talents : his eloquence — was an era — in the
senate ; peculiar, and spontaneous, familiarly
expressing gigantic sentiments, and instinc-
tive wisdom ; not like the torrent of Demos-
thenes, or the splendid conflagration of TuUy,
it resembled sometimes the thunder, and
sometimes the music of the spheres. He did
not, like Murray, conduct the understanding
Uirough the painful subtlety of argumenta-
tion, nor was he, like Townsliend, forever on
the rack of exertion; but, rather, lightened
upon the subject, and reached the point by
flashings of the mind, which, like those of his
eye, were felt, but could not be followed.
Upon the whole, there was something in
this man, that could create, subvert, or re-
form ; an understanding, a spirit, and an elo-
quence, to summon mankind to society, or to
break the bonds of slavery asunder, and to
rule the wilderness of free minds with un-
bounded authority — something that could
establish, or overwhelm empires, and strike
a blow in the world, which should resound
throughout the universe. — Grattan.
Keward him for the noble deed, just Heaven !
For this one action, guard him,and distinguish him,
With signal mercies and with great deliverances;
Save him from wrong, adversity and shame :
Let never-fading honor flourish round him,
And consecrate his name ev'n to time's end:
Let him know nothing but good on earth,
And t verlasting blessedness hereafter.
38
709. lochinvajI.
O young Tiochinvar is come out o( the west,
Thro' all the wide border, his steed was the best—
And save his good broadsword, he weapon had
He rode all unarmed, and he rode all alone, [none,
So faithful in love, and so dauntless in war,
There never was knight, like the young Lochmvar.
He staid not for brake, and he stopp'd not for stone,
}Ie swam the Eske river, where ford tliere was
But ere he alighted, at Netherby gate, [noijo.
The bride had consented, the gallant came late.
For a laggard in love, and a dastard in •vrar,
Was to wed the fair Ellen, of brave Lochinvar.
So boldly he enter'd the Netherby Hall, [al!,
'Mong bridesmen, and kinsmen, and brothers and
Then spoke the bride's father,his hand on his sword,
For the poor craven bridegroom said never a word,
"O come ye in peace, here, or come ye in war,
Or to dance at our bridal, young Lord Lochinvar V
" I long woo'd your daughter, my suit you denied ;
Tiove swells like the Solway, but ebbs like its tide;
And now am I come, with this lost love of mine,
To tread but one measure, drink one cup of wine.
There are maidens in Scotland, more lovely by far,
That would gladly be bride to the young Lochin-
var."
The bride kiss'd the goblet, the knight took it up,
He quaff'd off the wine, and he threw down the cup.
She look-d down to blush, and she look'd up to aigh,
With a smile on her lip, and a tear in her eye-
He took her soft hand, ere her mother could bai ;
" Now tread we a measure,"said young Lochinvar.
So stately his form, and so lovely her face,
That never a hall such a galliard did grace ;
While her mother did fret, and her father Qjdfuire,
And the bridegroom— stood dengling his bonnet
and plume, [ter by far,
And the liride maidens whispered, " 'T were tet-
To have match'd our fair cousin, with young
Lochinvar."
One touch to her hand, and one word in her ear,
When they reach'd the hall door, and the charger
S'tood near.
So light to the croupe, -le fair lady he swung.
So light to the saddle, before her he sprung,
" She's won, we are gone, over bank, bush, and
scaur, [young Lochinvar.
They'll have swift steeds that follow," quoth
There was mounting 'mong Graemes of the Nether-
by clan, [they ran,
Fosters, Fenwicks, and Musgraves, they rode ar.d
There was raciiig, and chasing on CannobieLea,
But the lost bride of Netherby ne'er did tliey see.
So daring in love, and so gallant in war, [invar?
Have you e'er heard of gallant like young liOch-
The good merchant wrongs not the buyer
in number, weight, or measure. These are
the landmarks of all trading, whicli must not
be removed : for such cosenage were worse
than open felony. First, because they rob a
man of his purse, and never bid him stand.
Secondly, because highway thieves defy, but
these pretend, justice. Thirdly, as much as
lies in their power, they endeavor to make
God accessory to their cosenage, deceiving;
by pretendinif liis weights.
298
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
TIO. EUl.OGIUM ON KOSCIUSKO.
Speech of Gen. W. H. Harrison, tlie ninth President, in the Con-
gress of the United States, in the year IS 18, on a motion to adopt
some public testimony of respect for the memory of General
Tb-vldeus Kosciusko.
Tde public papers— have announced an event,
which is well calculated— to excite the sympathy
— of every American bosom. Kosciusico, tlie
martyr of Liberty, is no more ! We are inform-
ed, that he died at Soleure, m France, some time
ill October last.
Jn tracin*: the events — of this great man's life,
'A-e find in him, that consistency of conduct, which
:s the nwre Xo be admired, as it is so rarely to be
net with, tie was not, at one time, X\w friend of
mankind, and at another, the instrument of their
oppression; Init he preserved, throughout his
whole career, those noble i)rinciples, which jjis-
tir.guished him in its commencement; which in-
fluenced him, at an early period of his life, to
leave his country — ajid his friends, and, in another
hemisphere, to fight — lor the rights — of humanity.
Kosciusko was born, and educated, in Poland ;
(of a noble, and distinguished family.) a country,
where the distinctions in society are, perhaps,
carried to greater lengths, than in any other. His
Creator hnd, however, endowed him with a soul
capable of rising above the narrow prejudices
of a caste, and breaking the shackles, which a
vicious education had imposed on his mind.
When he was very young, he was informed, by
the voice of Fame, that the standard of liberty
had been erected in America — that an insulted
and oppressed people — had determined to he free,
or perisli — in the attempt. His ardent and gen-
erous mind — caught, with enthusiasm, the holy
flame, and froin that moment he became the dovo-
led soldier of liberty. His rank in the American
army — afforded him no opportunity — greatly to
distinguish himself. But he was remarkable —
through his service, for all the quaUties which
adorn the human character. His heroic valor in
the field, could only be equaled — by his modera-
tion and affability, in the walks of private lite.
J le was idolized by the soldiers — tor his bravery,
and beloved and respected by the officers, for the
goodness of his heart, and the great qualities of
his mind.
Contributing greatly, by his exertions, to the es-
tablishment or the independence of America, he
might have remained, and shared the blessings it
dispensed, under the protection of a chief, who
loved and honored him, and in the bosom of a
grateful and affectionate people. Kosciusko had,
however, other views. It is not knovrn, that un-
til the period I am speakingof, he had formed any
distinct idea — of what could, or indeed what ought
to be done — for his own country. But in the Rev-
olutionary war, he drank, deeply, of the princi-
ples, which produced hi In his conversations
with the intelligent men of our country, he acqui-
red new views of the science of government, and
of the rights of man. He had .leen, too, that, to
he free, it was only necessary that a nation should
ivill it ; and to be happy, it was only necessary
that a nation should be free. And was it not pos-
cible — to procure these blessings for Poland ! for
Po.and, the country of his birth, which had a
rlaim to all his efforts, to all his services ?
That unhappy nation — groaned under a com-
Ti"ication of evils, which has scarcely a parallel
liZ liistory. The mass of people — were the abject
slaves of the noblec ; the nobles, torn into factions,
were alternately the instruments, and the victims,
of their powerful and ambitious neighbors. By
intrigue, corruption, and force, some of its fairest
provinces had been separated from the republic,
snd the peonle, like beasts, transferred to foreign
despots, who were again watching for a favora-
'jle ruomcnt— for a second dismemberment. To
reeeneifite a people — thus debased, to obtain for a
cot, "try -thus circumsiancedj the blessings of lib-
ertv, and independence, was a work of as much
difficuhy, as danger. But, to a mind like Kosci-
usko's, the difficulty, and danger of an enterprise
— served as stimulants to the undertaking.
The annals of those times — give us no detail-
ed account of the progress of Kosciusko, in ac-
complishing his great work, from the period of
his return to America, to the adoption of the new
constitution of Poland, in 1791. This interval,
however, of apparent inaction, was most usefiiUv
employed to illumine the mental darkness, whicb
enveloped his countrymen. To stimulate the ig
noraiit and bigotted peasantry with the hope of
future emancipation — to teach a proUd, but gal-
Vii.nl nobility, that true glory is only to be found,
in the pailis and duties of patriotism;— interests the
most opposed, prejudices — the most stubborn, and
habits — the most inveterate, were reconciled, dis-
sipated, and broken, by the ascendancy of his
virtues and example. The storm, which he had
foreseen, and for which he had been preparing,
at length burst upon Poland. A feeble and un-
popular government — bent before its fury, and
submitted itself to the Russian yoke of the inva-
der. But the nation disdained to follow its exam-
ple ; in their extremity, every eye was turned on
the hero, who had alreatly fought their battles, the
sage, who had enlightened them, and the patriot,
who had set the example of personal sacrifices —
to accomplish the emancipation of the people.
Kosciusko — was unanimously appointed gener-
alissimo of Poland, with unlimited powers, vntil
tlie enemy should be driven from the country. On
his virtue, the nation reposed with the utmost con-
fidence; and it is some consolation to reliect,
amidst the general depravity of mankind, that
two instances, in the same age, have occurred,
where powers of this kind were employed — sole-
ly for tlie purposes for which they were given. It
is not my intention, sir, to follow the Polish chief
— throughout the career of victory, which, tor a
considerable time, crowned his efforts. Guided
by his talents, and led by his valor, his undiscip-
lined, ill-armed militia — charged, with effect, the
veteran Russian and Prussian ; the mailed cui-
rassiers of the great Frederic, for the first time-,
broke — and fled, before the lighter, and more ap-
propriate cavlary of Poland. Hope filled the
breasts of the patriots. After a Jong night, the
dawn of an apparently glorious day — broke upon
Poland. But to the discerning eye of Kosciusko,
the light which it shed — was of that sickly, and
j)ortentous appearance, indicating a storm more
dreadful than that, which he had resisted.
He prepared to meet it with firmness, but with
means entirely inadequate. To the advantages
of immbers. of tactics, of discipline, and inex-
haustible resources, the combined despots had se-
cured a faction — in the heart of Poland. And. if
that country — can boast of having produced its
Washington, it is disgraced also, by giving birth
—to a second Arnold. The day at length came
which was to decide the fate of a nation and a
hero. Heaven, for wise purposes, permitted that
it should be the last— of Polish liberty. It was
decided, indeed, before the battle commenced.
The traitor, Poniaki. who covered, with a detach-
ment, the advance of the Polish army, abandoned
his position to the enemy, and retreated.
Kosciusko — was astonished, but itot dismayed
The disposition of his army would have done
honor to Hannibal. The succeeding conflict was
terrible. AVhen the talents of the general — could
no longer direct the mingled mass of combatants,
the arm of tlie warrior was brought to the aid of
his soldiers. He performed prodigies of valor.
The fabled prowess of Ajax, in defending the
Grecian ships — was realized by the Polish hero.
Nor was he badly seconded by his troops. Ag
lon^ as his voice could guide, or his examp'e fire
their valor, they were irresistible. In this une»
qual contest — Kosciusko — was org seen, and fi*
nally — lost — to their view.
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
299
'* Hope— for a season, bade the world— farewell,
And Freedom shrieked as Kosciusko fell."
He fell, covered with wounds, but still survived.
A Cossack would have pierced his breast, when
an officer interposed. '• Suffer him to execute his
purpose," said the bleeding hero ; " I am the de-
voted soldier of my country, and will not survive
itf liberties." The name of Kosciusko— struck
to the heart of the Tartar, like that of Marius—
upon the Cimbrian warrior. The uplifted weap-
on— dropped— from his hand.
Kosciusko — was conveyed to the dungeons of
P«?tersburgh ; and, to the eternal disgrace of the
Empress Catharine, she made him tlie oljject of
her vengeance, when he could no longer be the ob-
ject of her /«ars. Her more generous sor. — re-
Mored him to liberty. The remainder of his life-
lias been spent in virtuous retirement. Whilst in
this situation,, in France, an anecdote is related of
him, wliich strongly illustrates the command,
which his virtues and his services had obtained —
over the minds of his countrymen.
In the late invasion of France, some Polish re-
giments, in the service of Russia, passed through
the village in which he lived. Some pillaging of
the inhabitants brought Kosciusko from his cot-
tage. "When /was a Polish soldier," said he,
addressing the plunderers, " the property of the
peaceful citizen was respected." "And who art
tliou," said an officer, " who addressest us with
this tone of authority?" "I am Kosciusko,''''
There was a magic in the word. It ran from
corps to corps, from heart to heart. The march
was suspended. They gathered round him, and
gazed — with astonishment, and awe — upon the
mighty ruin— he presented. "Could it, ijideed,
be their hero," whose fame was identified with
that of their country? A thousand interesting re-
flections burst upon their minds ; they remember-
ed his patriotism, his devotion to liberty, his tri-
umphs, and his glorious fall. Their iron hearts
were softened, and the tear of sensibility trickled
down their weather-beaten faces.'
We can easily conceive, sir, what would be
the feeling of the hero hirajelf in such a scene.
His great heart must have heavpd with emotion
lo find himself once more surrounded by the com-
psjiions of his glory; and that he would have
been upon the point of saying to them,
" Behold your general, come once more
To lead you on to laurel'd victory,
To fame, to freedom."
The delusion could have lasted but for a mo-
ment. He was himself, alas! a miserable crip-
ple ; and, for them! they were no longer the sol-
diers of liberty, but the instruments of ambition
and tyranny. Overwhelmed with grief at the re-
flection, he would retire to his cottage, to mourn
afresh over the miseries of his country.
Such — was the man, sir, for whose memory I
ask from an American congress, a slight tribute
of respect. Not, sir, to perpetuate his fame, but
our gratitude. His fame — will last as long as lib-
erty— remains upon the earth; as long as a vota-
ry-— offers incense upon her altar, the name of
Kosciusko — will be invoked. And if, by the com-
mon consent of the world, a temple shall be erect-
ed to those, who have rendered most service to
mankind — if the statue of our great countryman,
Washington. — shall occupy the phice of the '^^ Most
Worthy,'''' that of Kosciusco will be found by his
side, and the wreath of laurel — will be entwined
with the palm of virtue — lo adflrn his brow.
Oil grief, beyond all other griefs, when fate
First leaves the young heart — lone and desolate
In the wide world, without that only tie
For which it lov'd — to live, or feared — to die ;
Lorn as the hung-up lute, that ne'er hath spoken
fcince the sad day — its master — chord was broken.
713. THE VILLAGE MACKSM-H.
Under a spreading chestnut tree,
The village smithy stands;
The smith, a mighty man is he.
With large and sinewy hands ;
And the muscles of his brawny arms,
Are strong, as iron bands.
His hair is crisp, and black, and long;
His face — is like the tan ;
His brow — is*vet with honest sweat ;
He earns — whate'er he can,
And looks ilie whole world in the face,
For he owes not any man.
Weiek out, week in, from morn till night,
You can hear his bellows blow;
You hear him swing his heavy sledge.
With measured beat and slow.
Like a sexton, ringing the old kirk chimes,
When the evening sun is low.
And children, coming home from school,
Look in at the open door ;
They love to see a flaming forge,
And hear the bellows roar.
And catch the burning sparks, that fly
Liite chaff— from a threshing-floor
He goes, on Sunday, to the church,
And sits among his boys ;
He hears the parson — pray and preach,
He hears his daughter's voice,
Singing — in the village choir,
And it makes his heart rejoice.
It sounds to him, like her mother^s voice,
Singing— in Paradise !
He needs must think of her once more.
How in the grave she iies ;
And with his hard — rough hand he wipes
A tear from out his eyes,
Toi ling — rejoicing — sorrowing —
Onward — through life he goes ;
Each morning — sees some task begin^
Each evening — sees it close ;
Something attempted — something done,
Has earned a night's repose.
Thanks, thanks to thee, my worthy friend,
For the lesson thou hast taught !
Thus — at the flaming forge of Life,
Owr fortunes must be wrought ;
Thus, on its sounding anvil shaped.
Each burning deed, and thought.
There's a tear that falls when we part
From a friend whose loss we shall mourn ;
There's a tear that flows lYom the half-brok'n heart.
When we think he may never return — oh, nevet
'Tis hard to be parted from those
With whom we forever could dwell,
But bitter, indeed, is the sorrow that flows [ever
When, perhaps, we are saying farewell — for«
There's a tear that brightens the eye
Of the friend, when absence is o'er !
There's a tear tliat flows not for sorrow, but joy,
VVhen we meet to be parted no more— oh, neverl
Then all that in absence we dread
Is past, and forgotten our pain ;
For sweet is the tear we at such moments shed,
Wheu we behold the lov'd olyect again— forever
300
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
712. Turkey, Ii^gland, and the United
SlATKS.—KossjUh. No man, aware of the value
of hid destiny, can live satisfied, -wiihoxit freedom ;
but he, to whom God has given freedom, has got
everything ; if he has the will to use his freedom
for the developoment of his mind and the per-
fection of his happiness. This is the basis, upon
which your free country has become a paradise,—
ou -which the eye and the heart may rest with joy,
end which must strengthen the desire of every
foreigner to become likewise free. During all my
life, I had but one leading idea— libeety. It was
tlie aim of my life, of my existence, to secure its
Messing to my People ; though I knew these
blessings but instinctively. Now, I see how
liberty ennobles men, and beautifies nature. How
should I not, then, be doubly determined, in
spite of all danger, of all difficulties, to endure,
to act, to struggle, and, if need be, to die, that
Ely People may become free ? My People, whom
I can say, with deep felt satisfaction, that there
is no people on earth, who better deserve to be free.
But, besides the bliss of liberty, there is also a
glory allotted to you; and this is the proud
position whi-ih you hold, not only to bear good
will to those, who do not enjoy that happiness,
but also, to offer the hand of friendship to their
less fortunate brethren. This is indeed a great
glory ; for liberty raises us to the dignity of men.
Being in this position, you, in your national and
individual capacity, are able to carry kito prac-
tical lite, the divine doctrines of our Saviour: —
" Thou Shalt love thy neighbor as thyseZ/." It
is only thus that I can explain the grand phe-
nomena, thae so many noble-minded men, united
in the love and enjoyment of freedom, can all
join in'ihe expression of their sympathy for the
principles of freedom, of which they choose to
consider me as an humble representative.
Without liberty, there can exist no lasting social
order, no field for productive labor, no personal
security, and no security for property. And if it
is not the aim of society, to open the fields of
productive labor, to grant security to persons and
property, and thus, to develop man's mind, and
ennoble his heart, — if this be not the aim of
human society, then I do not know what aim it
can have. How can mankind be contented,
industrious, and happy, without freedom ? But
it is also not without reason, that all classes are
united in sympathy, in order that that liberty,
which, under different forms of government,
but similar institutions, is the bliss and the pride
of the English race, in both hemispheres, should
likewise be allotted to other nations, to enjoy it
under a government that best suits their wishes
and their wants. Not without reason is this
sympathy, — not only because there is a moral
Bolidarity in the destinies of nations, but also,
because, where the productive power of a people,
produces more than they can consume, such a
country must have free intercourse, and an
uninterrupted interchange of communication
with the world, in order to secure the benefits of
its labor, that, by the stoppage of one channel,
there should arise a plethora, no less dangerous
than consumption. Now, without the liberty of
Europe, there is no such liberty of trade ; which
aW despots fear, because the liberty of commerce
is the great vehicle of political liberty. Freedom
to trade — is only possible with freedom in Europe.
It is fortunate, as well as glorious, when the
matifial interests of a great nation are identical
with the interesti of the freedom of the world.
This is a PromUential Law. Even a single
community can but enjoy welfare and security,
when the interests of the whole country are in
harmony with the interests of the individuals.
The people of Hungary have a future, because
they have vitality and deserve to live ; because
'heir iadeoeudence is necessary to the freedom of
Europe. It is to the future of my country, (hat
I devote the activity I have regained, by my
liberty from the bondage of Asia ; and this liberty
is due. in the first place, to the noble feelings
of the Sultan of Turkey ; who, in spite of the
arrogant threats of Russia and Austria, has
protected my life, and that of my companions;
and who, at last, raising himself by the magna-
nimity of his inspirations, and his respect for
the rights of humanity, above all threats, restored
me to liberty, in the most dignified manner.
While expressing my grateful acknowledgments
to Turkey, I would also return my deep felt
thanks for the magnanimous interferences of the
Government of Great Britain and that of the
United States, in such a high and generous
manner, supported by the public spirit of the
People of both countries, and even sanctioned by
the magnanimous resolution of Congress, in
obtaining the Uberation of myself and of my
associates. It is, therefore, with the warmest
feelings of a grateful heart, I propose the tocLst —
" Turkey — England — and the United States."
7 13. Hungary's Great Struggles.— ^TossmiA.
Three years ago, yonder house of Austria, which
had chiefly m.e to thank, for not having been
swept away by the revolution of Vienna, in
March. 1848,— having in return, answered by the
most foul, most sacriligious conspiracy against
the chartered rights, freedom,, and national exist-
ence of my native land, it became my share,
being then a member of the Ministry, with undis-
guised truth, to lay before the Parliament of
Hungary, the immense danger of our bleeding
country. Having made a sketch, which, however
dreadfid, could be but a faint shadow of the
horrible reality, I proceeded to explain the terrible
alternation, which our awful destiny left us, after
a failure of all our attempts to avert the evil.
Reluctant to present the neck of the realm to the
deadly snake, aimed at its very life, and anxious
to bear up against the horrors of fate, and
manfully to fight the battle of legitimate defence,
— scarcely had I spoken the word, scarcely had I
added words, that the defence would require
200,000 men, and eighty millions of florins, when
the spirit of freedom moved through the hall,
and nearly 400 Representatives rose, as one man ;
and, lifting up their right arms toward God.
solemnly declared—" We grant it ; Freedom !
or death.'^
Thus they spoke, and there they swore, in calm
and silent majesty, awaiting what further word
might fall from my lips. And for myself, it was
my duty to speak, but the grandeur of the
moment, and the rushing waves of sentiment,
benumbed my tongue. A burning tear fell from
my eyes, a sigh of adoration to the Almighty
Lord flushed my lips, and, bowing before the
majesty of my people, I left the tribunal silently,
speechless and mute. [ Here Kossuth paused a
few moments, overpowered by his emotions, and
then said,] Pardon me my emotions : the shadows
of OTir martyrs passed before my eyes ; I heard
the millions of my native land once more shout-
ing— " Liberty ! or death."
As I was then, so I am now: I thank you,
gentlemen, for the generous sympathy, with
which, in my undeserving person, you honored
the bleeding, the oppressed, but not broken Hun-
gary; and I thank you warmly for the ray of
hope, which the sympathy of your people casts on
the night of our fate. But the words fail me ;
not only for want of a knowledge of your lan-
guage, but chiefly because my sentiments ar«
deep, and fervent, and true. The tongue of man
is powerful enough to render the ideas which
the human intellect conceives ; but in the realm
of true and deep sentiments, it is but a weak
interpreter ; these are inexpressible, L'Lie the end-
less glory of the Omnipotent '
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
801
713. iTTDrsTRT ANT)ELoauE:ycE. In the
ancient republics of Greece and Rome, ora-
tory— was a necessary branch of a finished
education. A much smaller proportion of
the citizens were educated, than among us ;
but of these — a much larger number became
orators. No man — could hope for distinction,
or influence, and yet slight this art. The
commanders of their armies — were orators,
us well as soldiers, and ruled — as well by
their rhetorical, as by their military skill.
There was no trusting with them — as with
us, to a natural facility, or the acquisition of
an accidental fluency — by actual practice.
But they served an apprenticeship to the
art. They passed througn a regular course
of instruction in schools. They submitted to
long, and laborious discipline. They ex-
ercised themselves frequently, both before
equals, and in the presence of teachers, who
cr'ticised, reproved, rebuked, excited emula-
tion, and left nothing undone, which art, and
perseverance could accomplish. The great-
est orators of antiquity, so far from being
favored by natural tendencies, except indeed,
m their high intellectual endowments, had to
struggle against natural obstacles; and, in-
stead of growing up, spontaneously, to their
unrivalled eminence, they forced themselves
forward by the most discouraging, artificial
process.
Demosthenes — combatted an impediment
in speech, an ungainliness of gesture, which
at first — drove him from the forum in dis-
grace. Cicero — failed, at first, through weak-
ness of lungs, and an excessive vehemence of
manner, which wearied the hearers, and de-
feated his own purpose. These defects were
conquered by study, and discipline. He ex-
iled himself from home ; and during his ab-
sence, in various lands, passed not a day
without a rhetorical exercise, seeking the
masters who were most severe in criticism,
as the surest means of leading him to the per-
fection, at which he aimed.
Such, too, was the education of their other
great men. They were all, according to their
ability and station, orators; orators, not by
nature or accident, but by education, formed
in a strict process of rhetorical training ; ad-
mired and followed — even while Demosthe-
nes and Cicero were living, and unknown
now, only because it is not possible that any,
but the first, should survive the ordeal of ages.
The inference — to be drawn from these ob-
servations is, that if so many of those, who
received an accomplished education, became
accomplished orators, because, to become so
was one purpose of their study ; then, it is in
Ihe power of a much larger proportion among
us, to form themselves into creditable and ac-
curate speakers. The inference should not be
denied, until proved false by experiment.
Let this art oe made an object of attention,
and young men train tliemselves to it, faith-
fully, and long; and if any of competent ta-
lents and tolerable Science be found, at last,
incapable of expressing themselves in con-
tinued, and connected discourse, so as to an-
swer the ends of public speaking, then, and
not till then, let it be said, that a pecuUar
talent, or natural aptitude — is requisite, the
want of which — must render effort vain ;
then, and not till then, let us acquiesce in
this indolent, and timorous notion, which
contradicts the whole testimony of antiquity,
end oJU the experience of the world. Wirt.
. 2C
•yi*. THE FHEEMAN.
He is the freeman, whom the truth makes free,
And all are slaves, besides. There 's net a chain,
That hellish foes, confederate for his harm,
Can wind around him, but he casts it off,
With as much ease, as Samson, his green withes,
He looks abroad into the varied field
Of nature, and, though poor, perhaps, compared
With those, whose mansions glitter in his sight.
Calls the delightful scenery all his own.
His— are the mountains, and the vaJleys his,
And the resplendent rivers. His to enjoy,
With a propriety, that none can feel,
But who, with filial confidence inspired,
Can lift to heaven an unpresumptuous eye.
And smiling say— 'My Father made them al. !'•'
Are they not his, by a peculiar right,
And, by an emphasis of interest, his,
Whose eye— they fill with tears of holy joy,
Whose heart, with praise, and whose exalted mind,
With worthy thoughts — of thai unwearied love,
That planu'd, and built, and still upholds, a world,
So clothed in beauty — for rebellious man?
Yes : ye may fill your garners — ye that reap
The loaded soil, and ye may waste muck good,
In senseless riot; but ye will not find.
In feast, or in the chase, in song or dance,
A liberty like his, who, unimpeach'd
Of usurpation, and to no man's wrong,
Appropriates nature, as his Father's work,
And has a richer use of yours than you.
He is, indeed, a freeman. Free, by birth,
Of no mean city; plann'd, or ere the hills
Were built, the fountains open'd, or the sea,
With all his roaring multitude of waves.
His freedom — is the same in every state;
And no condition of this changeful life.
So manifold in cares, whose every day
Brings its own evil with it, makes it less:
For he has wings, that neither sickness, pain,
Nor penury, can cripple or confine.
No nook so narrow, but he spreads them there,
With ease, and is at large. The oppressor holds
His body bound ; but knows not what a range
His spirit takes, unconscious of a chain;
And that, to bind him, is a vain attempt,
Whom God delights in, and in whom he dwella.
TO-DAY AND TO-MOBROW.
To-day man 's dress'd in gold and silver br.f lit.
Wrapt in a shroud before to-morrow-night:
To-day he 's feeding on delicious food,
To-morrow dead, unable to do good!
To-day he 's nice, and scorns to feed on crunbs,
To-morrow he 's himself a dish for worms ;
To day he 's honor'd, and in vast esteem.
To-morrow not a beggar values him ;
To-day his house, tho' large, he thinks but small,
To-morrow no command, no house at all ;
To-day has forty servants at his gate,
To-morrow scorn'd, not one of them will wait!
To-day perfum'd, as sweet as any rose, »
To-morrow stinks in everybody'? lose;
To-day he 's grand, majestic, all delight,
Ghastful and pale before to-morrow niahl;
True, as the Scripture says, " man'b u.t'? «> SV-au."
The present moment is the life of maiL
802
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
115. CHAEACTER OF BONAPARTE.
He is falen! We may now pause—before that
eplendid prodigy, which towered amongst us, like
some ancient ruin, whose frown — terrified the
glance its magnificence attracted. Grand, gloomy
and peculiar, he sat upon the throne a sceptred
nermit, wrapt — in the solitude of his own ori-
ginality. A mind, bold, independent, and decis-
ive— a will, despotic in its dictates— an energy,
that distanced expedition, and a conscience — plia-
ble to every touch of interest, marked the outline
of this extraoidinary character, — the most extra-
ordinary, perhaps, that in the annals of this world,
ever rose, or reigned, or fell. Flung into life, in
the midst of a revolution, that quickened every
energy of a people who acknowledge no superior,
he commenced his course, a stranger by birth,
and a scholar by charity I ^Vith no friend, but
Lis sword, and no fortune, but his talents, he
rushed in the list— where rank, and wealth, and
genius — had arrayed themselves, and competi-
tion— fled from him, as from the glance of desti-
ny. He knew no motive, but interest — he ac-
knowledged no criterion, but success — he wor-
shiped no God, but ambition, and, with an eastern
devotion, he knelt— at the shrine of his idolatry.
Subsidiary to this, there was no creed, that he
did not profess, there was no opinion, that he did
not promulgate ; in the hope of a dynasty, he up-
held the crescent; for the sake of a divorce, he
bowed before the cross : the orphan of St. Louis,
he became tlie adopted child of the republic : and
with a parricidal ingratitude, on the ruins — both
of the throne, and tribune, he reared the throne
of his despotism. A professed catholic, he im-
prisoned the pope ; a pretended patriot, he impov-
erished the country ; and in the name of Brutus,
he grasped, without remorse, and wore, without
shame, tlie diadem of the Cesars ! Through this
pantomime of policy, fortune played the clown to
nis caprices. At his touch, crowns crumbled, beg-
gars reigned, systems vanished, the wildest theo-
ries took the color of his whim, and all that was
venerable, and all that was novel, changed pla-
ces with the rapidity of a drama. Even appa-
rent defeat — assumed the appearance of victory —
his flight from Egypt confirmed his destiny — ruin
itself— only elevated him to empire. But if his
fortune was great, his genius was transcendent ;
decision— flashed upon his councils ; and it was
the same to decide — and to perform. To inferior
intellects — his combinations appeared perfectly
impossible, his plans perfectly impracticable ; but,
in his hands simplicity — marked their develop-
ment, and success — vindicated their adoption. I
His person — partook of the character of his mind;
if the one — never yielded in the cabinet, the oth-
er— never bent in the field. Nature — had no ob-
stacle, that he did not surmount, space — no op-
position, that he did not spurn ; and whether amid
Alpine rocks, Arabian sands, or Polar snows, he
seemed proof against peril, and empowered with
ubiquity! The whole continent — trembled — at i
beholding the audacity of his designs, and the j
miracle of their execution. Scepticism — bowed [
to the prodigies of his performance; romance — j
assumed the air of history; nor was there aught ]
loo incredible for belief, or too fanciful — for ex-
peclation, when the world — saw a subaltern of i
Corsica — waving his imperial flag— over her most j
ancient capitals. All the visions of antiquity —
became commonplaces in his contemplation:'
kings were his ^eople — nations were his oatposts; j
and he disposed of coui .s, and crowns, and I
camps, and churches, anr; cabinets, as if they |
were titular dignitaries f the chess-board!!
Amid all these changes, he stood — iummutable — I
as adamant. i
It mattered little, whether in tlie field, or in the
drawing-room — with the mob, or the levee —
arf^r'ttp •' j.";..coi)in bonnet, or the iron crown —
iur.;ea" g a Bragurza, o' espousing •\ Hapsburg —
dictating peace on a raft to the czar of Russia, oi
contemplating defeat— at the gallows of Leipsig—
he was still the same military ^despot !
In this wonderful combination, his affectations
of literature must not be omitted. The jailer-
of the press, he affected the patronage of letters ;
the proscriber of books, he encouraged philoso-
phy—the persecutor of authors, and the murderer
of printers, he yet pretended to the protection of
learning ! the assassin of Palm, the silencer of
De Stael, and the denouncer of Kotzebue, he was
the friend of David, the benefactor of De Lille,
and sent his academic prize to the philosopher of
England. Such a medley of contradictions, and
at the same time such an individual consistency,
were never united in the same character. A
royalisc — a republican, and an emperor — a Mo-
hammedan— a catholic and a patron of the syna-
gogue— a subaltern and a sovereign — a traitor
and a tyrant — a chrisUan and an infidel — he was,
through all his vicissitudes, the same stern, im-
patient, inflexible original — the same mysterious,
incomprehensible self— the man — without a mod-
el, and without a shadow.— P/uWyjs.
TIG. The Beauties of Nature. Pause,
for a while, ye travelers on the earth, to con-
template the universe, in which you dwell,
and the glory of him, who created it. What
a scene of wonders — is here presented to
your view ! If beheld with a religious eye,
what a temple — for the worship of the Al-
mighty ! The earth is spread out before you,
reposing amidst the desolation of winter, or
clad in the verdure of spring — smiling in
the beauty of summer, or loaded with autum
nal fruit ; — opening to an endless variety of
beings — the treasures of their Maker's good-
ness, and ministering subsistence, and com-
fort to every creature that lives. The heav-
ens, also, declare the glory of the Lord. The
svm Cometh forth from his chambers — to scat
ter the shades of night — inviting you to thf
renewal of your labors — adorning the face
of nature — and, as he advances to his meri
dian brightness, cherishing every herb, and
every flower, that springetn from the bosom
of the earth. Nor, when he retires again
from your view, doth he leave the Creator
without a witness. He only hides his own
splendor, for a while, to disclose to you a
more glorious scene — to show you the im-
mensity of space, filled with worlds unnum-
bered, that your imaginations may wander,
without a limit, in the vast creation of God.
What a field is here opened, for the exer-
cise of every pious emotion ! and how irre-
sistibly do such contemplations as tliese,
awaken the sensibility of the soul ! Here, is
infinite power — to impress you with awe —
here is infinite wisdom — to fill you with ad-
miration— here is infinite goodness — to call
forth your gratitude, and love. The corres-
pondence between these great objects, and
the aftisctions of the human heart, is estab-
lished by nature itself; and they need only to
be placed before us, that every religious feel-
ing may be excited. — Moodie
There is .so great a fever in goodness, that
the dissolution of it must cure it : novelty is
only in request ; and it is as dangerous to be
aged in any kind of course, as it is virtuous
to be constant in any undertaking. There
is scarce truth enough alive to make soci-
eties secure; but security enough to make
fellowships accursed; much upon this rid-
dle runs the wisdom of the world. This
news is old enough, yet it is every day's
news. — Skakspeare.
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
303
718, THUNBKR STORM ON THE ALPS.
ft is the hush of uight ; and all between [clear,
Thy margin, and the mountains, dusk, yet
Mellow'd, and mingling, yet distinctly seen.
Save darkened Jura, whose capped heights ap-
Pi ecipitously steep ; and drawing near, [pear
There breathes— a living fragrance from the
•hore, [ear.
Of flowers — yet fresh with childhood ; on the
^rops the light drip of the suspended oar, [more.
i)t chirps the grasshopper— one good-rjight carol
He is an evening reveller, who makes
His life — an infancy, and sings his fill !
At intervals, some bird— from out the brakes—
?!tarts into voice, a moment, then, is still.
There seems a floating whisper, on the hill,
But that is fancy, for the starlight dews
All silently, their tears of love instill,
Weeping themselves away, till they infuse.
Deep into Nature's breast, the spirit of her hues.
The sky is changed ! and such a change ! O
night, [strong !
And storm, and darkness, ye are wondrous
Yet lovely in your strength, as is the light
Of a dark eye in woman! Far along,
From peak to peak, the rattling crags among.
Leaps the live thunder! not from one lone cloud:
But every mountain— now hath found a tongue,
And Jura answers through her misty shroud.
Back to the joyous Alps, who call to her aloud !
And this is in the night : Most glorious night !
Thou wert not sent for slumber ! Let me be
A sharer in thy fierce, and far delight,
A portion of the tempest, and of thee I
IIow the lit lake shines ! a phosphoric sea !
And the big rain comes dancing to the earth !
And now again— 'tis black, and now, the glee
Of the loud hills- shakes with its mountain-
mirth, [I'irth.
As if they did rejoice o'er a young earthquake's
Now, where the swift Rhone— cleaves his way
between [parted
Heights, which appear as lovers, who have
In hate, whose mining depths— so intervene,
That they can meet no more, though broken-
hearted : [thwarted,
Though in their souls, which thus each other
Love was the very root — of the fond rage.
Which blighted their life's bloom, and then,
departed!
Itself expired, but leaving them an age [wage !
Of years, all winters ! war— within themselves to
Now, where the quick Rhone thus hath cleft
his way, [stand :
The mightiest of the storms hath taken his
For here, not one, but many, make their play.
And fling their thunderbolts from hand to hand,
Flashing and cast around ! of all the band.
The brightest through these parted hills hath
His lightnings, as if he did understand, [forked
That in such gaps as desolation worked,
There the hot shaft should blast whatever there-
in lurked.— Byron.
Earth Bmiliaaround,\vith boundless bounty blest,
&.nd Heaven— beholds its image— in his breast.
719. Matkiinal AfFECTioif. Woman's
charms are certainly many and powerful.
The expanding ro.se, just bursting into beau-
ty, has an irresistible bewitchingnes.«;; the
blooming bride, led triumphantly to the hy-
meneal altar, awakens admiration and inter-
est, and the blush of her cheek fills with de-
light ; — but the charm of maternity, is more
sublime than all these.
Heaven has imprinted, in the mother's face,
something beyond this world, something
which claims kindred with the skies, — the
angelic smile, the tender look, the wakiii^
watchful eye, which keeps its fond vigU over
her slumbering babe.
These are objects, wliich neither the pencil
nor the chisel, can touch, which poetry fails
to exalt, which the most eloquent tongue, in
vain, would eulogize, and on which all de-
scription becomes ineffective. In the lieart o(
man lies this lovely picture ; it lives in his
sympathies ; it reigns in his affections ; his eye
looks around in vain for such another object
on earth.
Maternity, extatic sound ! so twined round,
our hearts, that they must cease to throb, err
we forfjet it ! 'tis our. first love ; 'tis part oi
our religion. Nature has set the motner up-
on such a pinnacle, that our infant eyes, and
arms, are first uplifted to it; we cling to it
in manhood ; we almost worship it in old age.
He, who can enter an apartment, and beliold
the tender bal)e, feedin,^ on its mother's beau-
ty— nourished by the tide of life, which flows
through the generous veins, without a pant-
ing bosom and a grateful eye, is no 7nan, but
a monster.
7'-JO. TO MARY IN HEAVEK.
Thou lingering star, with less'ning ray.
That lov'st to greet the early morn,
Again, thou usher'st in the day,
My Mary, from my soiil was torn .
O, Mary ! dear departed shade !
Where is thy place of blissful rest ?
Seest thou thy lover, lowly laid ?
Hear'st thou the groans, that rend his breast 1
That sacred hour— can I forget.
Can I forget the hallow'd grove.
Where, by the winding ./9yr we met,
To live one day of parting love !
Eternity— will not efiace
Those records dear, of transports past ;
Thy image, at our last embrace '.
Ah ! little thought we, 'twas our last !
Ayr, gurgling, kissed his pebbled shore,
O'erhung with wild woods' thick'ning green j
The fragrant birch, and hawthorn hoar, ,
Twin'd amorous round the raptur'd scene
The flowers sprang— wanton to lye prest,
The birds sang love— on every spray,
Till too, too soon, the glowing west
Proclaim'd the speed of winged day.
Still o'er these scenes my rnem'ry wakes,
And fondly broods, with miser care !
Time, but the impression deeper makes,
As streams— their channels deeper w«ar.
My Mary ! dear departed shade !
Where is thy place of blisstul rest 7
Seest thou thy lover lowly laid 1
Hear'st thou the groa_ns that rend his Lreast i
lli-doers— are ili-thinkera.
304
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
731. KICHARD.
Now— is the winter— of our discontent-
Made glorious summer— hy this sun of York ;
And all the clouds, that lower'd upon our house,
In the deep bosom— of the ocean— buried :
Now, are our brows — bound with victorious
wreaths ;
Our Iruised arms— hung up for monuments :
Our stern alarums— chang'd to merry meetings.
Our dreadful marches— to delightful measures :
Grim-visag'd war— hath smooth'd his wrinkled
front ;
And now— instead of mounting barbed steeds,
To fright the souls— of fearful adversaries.
He capers nimbly— in a lady's chamber,
To the lascivious pleasing of a lute. —
But /—that am not shap'd— for sportive tricks.
Nor made, to court an amorous looking-glass ;
I, that am rudely stamp'd, and want love's ma-
To strut before a wanton, ambling nymph ; [ jesty,
I, that am curtail'd— of this fair proportion,
Cheated of feature— by dissembling nature,
Deform'd, unfinish'd. sent, before my time.
Into this breathing world, scarce half made up.
And that— so lamely, and unfashionably.
That doffs bark at me, as I halt by them ;
Why I, in this weak— piping time of peace,
Have no delight to pass away the time ;
Unless to spy my shadow— in the sun,
And descant — on mine own deformity ;
And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover.
To entertain these fair— well spoken days,
I am determined to prove— a villain,
And hate the idle pleasures of these days.
Plots have I laid, inductions dangerous,
By drunken prophecies, libels, and dreams.
To set my brother Clarence, and the king,
In deadly hate— the one, against the other:
And if king Edwafd— be as true anijust.
As 7am subtle, false, and treacherous,
7V;ts day—should Ciarence closely be mew'd up;
About a prophecy, which says that G [_George']
Of Edward's heir— the murderer shall be. [comes.
Dive, thoughts, down to my soul ; here ClareBce
722. THE REJECTED.
Not have me ! Not love me ! Oh, what have I
Pn re, never was lover so strangely misled, [said ?
Rpjected I and just when I hoped to be blessed !
Von can't be in earnest ! It must be a jest.
Remember— remember how often I've knelt.
Explicitly telling you all that I felt.
And talked about poison, in accents so wild,
So very like torture, you started — and smiled.
iVot have me ! Not love mc ! Oh, what have I
All natural nourishment did I not shun'If done?
Mv figure is wasted ; my spirits are lost: [ghost.
And my eyes are deep snnk, like the eyes of a
Remember, remember— ay, madam, you must—
I once was exceedingly rtout, and robust ;
I rode by your palfrey, I came at your call,
And nishlly «"(>nt with you, to banquet and ball.
Not have mc I So\ love me ! Rejected I Refused!
Sure, never was Irver so strangely ill-used!
Consider my presents — I don't mean to boast —
But, madam, consider the money they cost !
Remember you've worn them ; and just can It be
To take all my trinkets, and not to take me 'i
Nay, don't throw them at me I— You'h break-
do not start— [heart !
I don't mean my gifts— but you will break my
Not have me! Not love me! Notgotothechmch!
Sure, never was lover so left in the lurch !
My brain is distracted, my feelings are hurt ;
Oh, madam, don't tempt me to call you— a flirt.
Remember my letters; my passion they tolcln
Yes, all sorts of letters, save letters of gold ;
The amount of my notes, too— the notes that I
penned,—
Not bank notes— no, truly, I had none to send !
Not have me ! Not love me ! And is it, then
That opulent Age is the lover for you "J [true
'Gainst rivalry's bloom I would strive— 'tis too
To yield to the terrors of rivalry's crutch, [much
Remember— remember I might call him out ;
But, madam, you are not worth fighting about ;
My sword shall be stainless, in blade, and in hill,
I thought you a. jewel— I find you— & jilt.
^'/SS. DESERTED WIFE.
He comes not — I have watched the moon go down,
But yet, he «omes not.— Once, it was not so.
He thinks not, how these bitter tears do flow.
The while he holds his riot in that town.
Yet he will come, and chide, and I shall weep;
And lie will wake my infant from its sleep,
To blend its feeble waihng whh my tears.
0 ! how I love a mother's watch to keep, [cheers
Over those sleeping eyes, that smile, which
My heart, though sunk in sorrow, fix'd, and deep.
1 had a husband once, wlto loved me ;— now,
He ever wears a frown upon his brow,
And feeds his passion— on a wanton's lip.
As bees, from laurel flowers, a poison aip ;
But yet, I cannot hate— O ! there were hours,
When I could hang, forever, on his eye.
And time, who stole, with silent swiftness by,
Strew'd, as lie hurried on, his path with flowers
I loved him then— he loved me too. My heart
Still finds its fondness kindle, if he smile ;
The memory of our loves— will ne'e*'depart;
And though he often sting me with a dart,
Venom'd, and barb'd, and waste upon the vile
Caresses, which his babe and mine should share;
Though he should spurn me, I will calmly bear
His madness,— and should sickness come, and
Its paralyzing hand upon him, then, [lay
I would, with kindness, all my wrongs repay.
Until the penitent should weep, ana say,
How injured, and how faithful 1 had Deen !
DiscovEniKs. From time to time, a
chosen hand, sometimes directed by chance,
but more commonly guided by rejection, ex-
periment and research, touches a spring, till
then unperceived ; and through what seemed
a blank and impenetrable wall, — the barrier
to all further progress, — a door is throvm
open into some before unexplored hall in the
sacred temple of truth. The multitude rush-
es in, and wonders that the portals could
have remained concealed so long. When a
brilliant discovery or invention is proclaimed,
men are astonished to think how long th«y
had lived on its confines, without penotratinK
its nature.
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
803
7aJJ. No EXCELLEXCK WITHOUT LabOH.
The education, moral, and intellectual, of
evert; individual, must be, chielly, his own
worii. Rely upon it, that tiie ancients were
right — Qiiuqiie suas fortunx faber — both in
morals, and intellect, we give their final shape
Uy our own characters, and thus become, cm-
Shatically, the architects of our own fortunes,
[ow else could it happen, tliat young men,
who have had precisely the same opportuni-
ties, should be continually presenting us,
with such different results, and iiishing to
such opposite destinies 1 Difference of talent
will not solve it, because that difference very
often is in favor of the disappointed candidate.
You shall see, issuing from the walls of the
same college — nay, sometimes from the bosom
of the same family — two young men, of whom
the one — sliall be admitted to be a genius of
high order, the other, scarcely above the point
of mediocrity ; yet you shall see the genius
linking and perishing in poverty, obscurity,
«nd wretchedness : while, on the other hand,
you shall observe the mediocre, plodding his
slow, but sure way — up the hill of life, gain-
ing steadfast footing at every step, and mount-
ing, at length, to eminence and distinction,
nil ornament to his family, a blessing to his
country. Now, whose work is this] Mani-
festly their own. They are the architects of
their respective fortune's. Tlie best seminary
of learnmg, that can open its portals to you,
can do no more than to afford you the oppor-
tunity of instruction : but it must depend, at
last, on yourselves, whether you will be in-
structed or not, or to what point you will
push your instruction. And of this be as-
sured— I speak, from observation, a certain
truth: there is no excellence without great
labor. It is the fiat of fate, from which no
power of genius can absolve you. Genius,
unexerted, is like the poor moth that flutters
around a candle, till it scorches itself to death.
If genius be desirable at all, it is only of that
great and magnanimous kind, which, like the
tondor of South America, pitches from the
summit of Chimborazo, above the clouds,
and sustains itself, at pleasure, in that em-
pyreal region, with an energy — rather invig-
orated, than weakened, by the etlbrt. It is
this capacity for high and long-continued
exertion — this vigorous power of profound
and searching investigation — this careering
and wide-spreading comprehension of mind,
and those long reaches of thought, that
" — Pliicic bright honor from the pale-faced moon,
Or dive into the bottom of the deep,
Where fathom linecou i never touch tho ground.
And drag up drowned . anor by the lOck.*— -'
This is the prowess, and these the hardy
adtievements. which are to enroll your names
.irnong tlie great men of the earth. — Wirt.
733. LIFE IS REAL.
Tell me not — in mournful numbers,
Life— is but an empty dream!
For the soul is dead— that slumbers,
And things are not — what they seem.
Life is real I liife is earnest !
And the giave— is not its goal ;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not written — of the sout.
Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end, and way,
BRONSON. 20
2c2
But to art, that each to-njorrow
Find us farther — than to-day.
Art is long, and time is fleeting.
And our hearts, though stout and brtivc.
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches — to the grave.
In the world's broad field of battle.
In the bivouac of life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle 1
Be a hero — in the strife I
Trust not future, howe'er pleasant!
Let the dead past— bury its dead'
Act! — act in the Vi\ing present!
Heart — within, and God — o'er head.
Lives of great men — all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footsteps — on the sands of time;.
Footsteps, that perhaps another.
Sailing o'er life's solemn main, •
A forlorn and sliipwreek'd brother.
Seeing, shall take heart again.
Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing.
Learn to labor, and to wait. — Longfellow.
734r. Dignity of Humax Nature. In
forming our notions of human nature, we are
very apt to make a comparison betwixt ?nenf
and animals, which are the only creatures,
endowed with thought, that fedl under oui
senses. Certainly, this comparison is very
favorable to mankind ! On the one hand, we
see a creature, whose thoughts — are not Jim-
ited, by the narrow bounds, either of place,
or time, who carries his researches — into the
most distant regions of this globe, and beyond
this globe, to the planets, and heavenly bo-
dies; looks backward — to consider the first
origin of the human race; casts his eyes for-
ward— to see the influence of his actions uji-
on posterity, and the judgments which will
be formed of his cliaracter — a tiiousand years
hence : a creature, who traces ca\ises and ef-
fects— to great lengths and intricacy ; extracts
general principles from particular appear-
ances; improves upon his discoveries, cor-
rects his mistakes, and makes his very errors
profitable. On the other hand, we are pre-
sented with a creature — the very reverse cf
this ; limited in its observations and reason
ings — to a few sensible objects which sur-
round it; wfthout curiosity, without foresight,
blindly conducted by instinct, and arrivm??,
in a very short time, at its utmost perfection,
beyond which — it is never able to advance a
single step. What a difference is there b»>-
twixt these creatures! and how exalted n
notion must we entertain of the former i/i
comparison of the latter.— Jfu we.
SURE REWARDS FOR VIRTUE.
There is a morning to the tomb's long night
A dawn of glory, a reward in heaven,
He shall not gain, who never merited.
If thou didst know the worth of one good deei
In life's last hour, thou wouldst not bid mo '.osa
The power to benefit. Ifl but save
A drowning fly, I shall not live in vair„
I had rather see some women praised extraordi-
narily, than to see any of them suffer by delraclioiu
306
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
725. emmet's vindication-— in full.
My Lords — VVhat have I to say, why sentence of death should
sot be be proununced on me. according to law ? I have nothing
to say, that can alter your predetermination, nor that it will be-
come me to sav, with any view to the mitigation of that sentence,
which you are here to pronounce, and 1 mujt abide by. But I have
that to say, which interests me more than life, and which you have
labored, (as was necessarily your oflScs in the present circumstan-
ces of this oppressed country,) to destroy. I have much to say,
why my reputation should be rescued — from the load of false ac-
cusation and calumny, which has been heaped upon it. I do not
imagine that, seated where you are, your minds can be so free from
impurity, as to receive the least impression— from what I am going
to uttei I have no hopes, that I can anchor my character— in the
br«i£t of a court, constituted and trammeled as this is— I only wish,
and : « the utmost I exp^>:, that your lordships — may suffer it to
float down your memories, untainted by the foul bf-?^th of preju-
dice, until it finds some more hospitable harbor— to snelter it from
the storm, by which it is at present buffeted. Was I only to suffer
death, after being adjudged guilty by your tribunal— I should bow
in silence, and meet the fate that sfwaits me, without a murmur-
but the sentence of the law, which delivers my body to the execu-
tioner, will, through the ministry of that law, labor, in its own
vindication, to consign my character to obloquy — for there must be
guilt somewhere: whether in the sentence of the court, or in the
catastrophy, posterity must determine. A man, in my situation,
my lords, has n„t only to encounter the difficulties of fortune, and
the force of power over minds, which it has corrupted, or subju-
gated, but, the difficulties of established prejudice.— The man dies,
but his memory lives : that mine may not perish, that it may live,
in the respect of my countrymen, I seize upon this opportunity— to
ridicate myself from some of the charges alleged a^inst me.
When my spirit shall be wafted to a more friendly port ; when my
shade shall have joined the bands of those martyred heroes, who
have shed their blood on the scaffold, and in the field, in defence
of their country, and of virtue, this is my hope ; I wish that my
memory and name— may animate those, who survive me, while I
ook down, with complacency, on the destruction of that perfidi-
ous government, which upholds its domination by blasphemy of
the Most High— which displays its power over man, as over the
beasts of the forest— which sets man upon his brother, and lifts his
h.And, in the name of, God, against the throat of his fellow, who
believes, or doubts, a little more, or a little less, than the govern-
ment standard— a govermnent, which is steeled to barbarity by the
cries of the orpha.is, and the tears of the widows whicJi it has
made.
[Hat, Lord Norhury interrupted Mr. Emmet, saying, that tlie
mean and wicked enthusiasts who fdt as he did, were not equal
to the accomplishment of their wild designs.
1 appeal to the immaculate God— I swear by the throne
ol Heaven, before which I must shortly appear— by the blood of
the murdered patriots, who have gone before me — that my conduct
has been, through all this peril, and all my purposes, governed on-
ly, by the convictions which I have uttered, and by no other view,
than that of their cure, and the emancipation of my country— from
the superinbuman oppression, under which she has so long, and too
p.'itiently travailed ; and that I confidently and assuredly hope, that,
«'ild and chimerical as it may appear, there is still union and
strength in Ireland to accomplish this noblest enterprise. Of this,
I speak with the confidence of intimate knowledge, and with the
coosrjation that appertains to that confidence. Think not, my
lord. 1 say tJiis for the petty gratification of giving you a transitory
uneasiness ; a man, who never yet raised his voice to assert a lie,
will not hazard his character with posterity, by asserting a falsehocKl
on a subject, so important to his country, and on an occasion like
Itiii. Yes, 0iy .ords, a man vvho does not wish to have his epitaph
mitten, until his country « liberated, win not leave a weapon in
Uie power of envy ; nor a pretence to impeach the probity, which
te means to preserve, even in the grave— to which tyranny con-
F:eoa him.
{Here, he was ogam interrupted, by the court.]
Afain, I say, that what J have spoken, was not intended for your
lordship, whose situation ( commiserate — rather than envy— my
expressions were tor my countrymen: if there is a true Irish-
man present, kt my last words cheer him in the hour of his afflic-
Oco—
fBere. he ivat aeain tjUemipted. Lord Norlwry taut he did
not sit there to hear (nMj;n.]
I have alwavs understo^ It to be the duty of a judge, when a
unnoner h'tf been convicted, to i/roooonw ttie sentence of the law ;
I I have, also, understood tliat judges, sometimes, think it thar Is?^
j to hear, with patience, and to speak with hrjnanitv ; to efusorl
ithe victim of the laws, and to offer, with tender benignitr tiis
opinions of the motives, by which he was actuated in the crime, of
which he had been adjudged guilty ; that a judje has though! rt
his duty so to have done. I have no doubt— but where is the boast
ed freedom of your institutions, where is the viunted impartialitv,
clemency, and mildness of your courts of justice ? if an unfortunaK
prisoner, whom your policy, and not pure justice, is about to deliv-
er into tlie hands of the executioner, is not suffered to explain hn
motives, sincerely and truly, and to vindicate the principles, ty
which he was actuated.
My lords, it may be a part of the system of angry justice, to tov
a man's mind by humiliation — to the purposed iguoii-'ny of the
scaffold ; but worse to me than the purposed shame, or the sctX-
fold's terrors, would be the sliame of such foul and unfounded in.«-
putations — as have been laid against me in this court : you, my
lord, are a judge, I am the supposed culprit ; I am a man, you irr-
a man, also; by a revolution of power, we might change place*,
though we never could change characters ; if I stand at -.he btr c;
this court, and dare not vindicate my character, what a farce u
your justice? If I stand at this bar and dare not vindicate r.iy
character, how dare you calumniate it I" Does the sentence of
death, which your unhallowed policy inflicts upon my body, rI^t
condemn my tongue to silence, and my reputation to reprosrh ?
Your executioner may abridge the period of my e-itistencc, tut
while I exist, I shall not forbear to vindicate my character, aui
motives— from your aspersions ; and, as a man to whom fame ^
dearer than life, I will make the last use of that life, in doing, jus-
tice to that reputation, which is to live after me, and which is tlif
only legacy I can leave to those I honor and love, and for whom I
am proud to perish. As men, my lord, we must appear on tli^
great day, at one common tribual, and it will then remain for the
searcher of ali hearts— to show a collective universe, who wss
engaged in the most virtuous actions, or actuated by the purest mo-
tives—my countiy's oppressors or —
[Here, he was interrupted, and told to listai to tlie setaence i/
the law.]
My lord, will a dying man be denied the legal privilege of excul-
pating himself, in the eyes of the community, of an undeserved
reproach, thrown upon him during his trial, by charging him with
ambition, and attempting to cast away, for a paltry consideration,
the liberties of his country ? Why did your lordship insult me t or
rather why insult justice, in demanding of me, why sentence of
death should not be pronounced ? I know, my lord, that form pcv
scribes that you should ask the question ; the form also presumi»
a right of answering. This, no doubt, may be dispensed with—
and so might the whole ceremony of the trial, since sentence was
pronounced at the castle, before your jury was empanelled ; your
lordships are but the priests of the oracle, and I submit ; but 1 inbitt
on the whole of the forms.
[Here the court desired him to proceed.]
I am charged with being an emissary of France 1 Au emissary
of France ! And for what end ? It is alleged that I wished to sell
the independence of my country ! And for what end ? Was lhi«
the object of my ambition ! And is this the mode by which a In
bunalof justice reconciles contradictions ? No, I am no emissary;
and my ambition waj — to hold a place among tiie deliverers of my
country ; not in power, nor in profit, but in the glory of theachieve.
ment! Sell my country's indeiiendence to France ! And for what .
Was it fora change of masters i' No '. But for ambition ! 0, my
country, was it personal ambition that could influence me! fl)d it
been the sou! of my actions, could I not, by my e'lucation and fortune,
by the rank and consideration of my family, have placed niy»c!f
among the proudest of my oppressors ? My country was my idol :
to it I sacrificed evCry selfish, every endearing sentiment ; and for
it, I now offer up my life. 0 God ! No, my lord ; I acted ?s ar.
Iriehmaa, determined on delivering my country— from the rot-jt
of a foreign, and unrelenting tyranny, and from the more gallirg
yoke of a domestic faction, which is its joint partner and peipo-
trator, in the parricide, for the ignominy of existing with an exto
rior of splendor, and of conscious depravity. It was the wish nt
my heart to extricate my countr)-, from this doubly riveted d^pot-
ism.
I wished to place her independence beyond the reach of any poor-
er on earth ; I wished to exalt you to that proud g1at(on in the wi>rl.l
Connection with France was indeed intended, but only at fai tt
mutual interest would sanction, or require. Were they to aoronic
any authority, inconsistent with the purest independence, it wouW
be the signal for their dectruction ; we sought aid, and wc sought it
READI:>GS AND RFXITAFIONS.
307
£8 we had aiRurances we should obtain it; as auxiliaries, in war —
and allies, tn ja^e.
Were the Freucli to come as invaders, or enemies, uninvited
by tJie wishes of the people, I should oppose them to the utmost of
niy strength. Yes, my countrymen, I should advise you to meet
them on the beach, with a sword in one hand, and a torch in the
ether; I would meet them with all the destructive fury of war;
ind I would animate my countrymen to immolate them in their
boats, before they had contaminated the soil of my country. If they
siicceeded in landing, and if forced to retire before superior disci-
pline, 1 would dispute every inch of ground, bum every h\\de of
pass, and the last intrenchment of liberty should be my grave.
What J could not do myself, if I should fall, I should leave as a
ifcet d'argc to my countrymen to accomplish; because I should
(fcl conecious that life, any more tlian death, is unprofitable, when
u foreign nation holds my country in subjection.
Bat it was not a? an enemy — that the succors of France were to
land : looked indeed for the assistance of France ; but I wished to
prove ^ France, and to the world, that Irishmen— deicrue to be a»-
tsted ! That they were indignant at slavery, and ready to assert
'. .e independence and liberty of their country.
I wished to procure for my country the guarantee, which Wash-
Dgton procured for America. To procure an aid, which, by its
example, would be as important as its valor ; disciplined, gallant,
pregnant with science and experience ; who would perceive the
rood, and [lolish the rough points of our cliaracter; they would
tome to us ae sti-angers, and leave us as friends, after sharing in our
perils, ?Jid elevating our destiny. These were my objects, not to
receive new tajk-masters, but to f.x\,e\ old tyrants; these were my
views, and thoee only became Irishmen. It was for these ends I
sought aid from France, because France, even as an enemy, could
Dot be more implacable than the enemy already in the bosom of my
country.
[Hcrt fie was interrupted ly the court.']
I have been chained — with that importance in the efforts — to
emancipate my country, as to be considered the hey-stone of the
combination of Irishmen, or, as your lordship expressed it, "the
life and blood of conspiracy." You do me honor over-much : You
have given to the subaltern — all the credit of a superior. There
ire men engaged in this conspiracy, who are not only superior to
me, but even to your own conceptions of yourself, my lord ; men,
before the splendor of whose genius and virtues, I should bow with
respectful deference, and who would think themselves dishonored
Xfi be called— yoitr friend — who would not disgrace themselves by
R.aking your blood-stained hand —
[Here he was interrupted.]
What, my lord, shall you tell me, on the passage to thi» scaffold,
which that tyranny, of which you are only the intermediary execu-
tioner, has erected for my murder, — that I am accountable for all
the blood that fias,a.xicl wUl be shed, in this struggle of the oppres-
sed—against the oppressor ?— shall you tell me this— and must I be
so very a slave — as not to repel it ?
I do not fear to approach the onmipotent Judge, to answer for
the conduct of my whole life : and am I to'be appalled and falsiied
bv a mere rcmna7tt of mortality here ? by you too, who, if it were
possible to collect all the innocent blood that you have shed in your
unhallowed miniitry, in one great reservoir, your lordship might
swim in it.
[Here the judge interfered.]
Let no man dare, when I am dead, to charge me with dishonor !
let no man attaint my memory, by believing that I could have en-
gaged in any cause but that of my countrj-'s liberty and indepen-
dence ; or, that I could have become the pliant minion of power,
in the oppression, or the miseries, of my countrymen. The pro-
clamation of the promisional government speaks for our views ; ao
inference cin be tortured from it, to countenance barbarity, or oe-
bisement at home, or subjection, humiliation, or treacnery from
abroad ; I would not have submitted to a foreigi" oppreawr, for the
aiime reason that I would resist the foreign and domestic oppressor ;
in the dignity of freedom, I would have fought upon the threshold
o< my country and its enemy should enter — only by posing over
my lifeless cor »e. Am I, who lived but for my country and wno
tnve subjected myself to the dangers of the jealous and witchftil
oppressor, and the bondage of the grave, only to give my country-
men their rights, and my country her independence, and am I f> be
iotded with wlumny, and not suffered to resent or repel it — Nn
God forbid :
U the spit ts — of the illustrious dead — partioipate in the concerns,
srd area of ,1nise, who are dear to them— in this transitory life— O
Wtr dear — uid venerated shade— of my departed father, look down
»ith scrutiny, unon the conduct of your suffering son; aiid see if I
have, even for a moment, deviated mm those pracip es t>f nio
ralityami patriotism, which it ww your care to jnstfll rita my
youthful mind ; and for which I am now to offer up my life.
My lonis, yoa are impatient for the sacrifice— tlio blood, wbicti
you seek, is not congealed by the artificial terrors which surround
your victim ; it circulates warmly and unruffled, through the chan-
nels, which God created for noble purposes, but which yju are Leal
to destroy, for purposes so grievous, that they cry to heaven
Be yet patient ! I have but a few words more to say.— I an. going
to my cold— and silent grave : my lamp of life— Is nearly extiu
guished ; my race is run : the grave opens to recei . e me, and
sink into its bosom ! I have but one request to ask at ii y depwturt
from this world,— it is th« charity of its silence !— Let no man wr is
my epitaph : for, as no man, who knows my motives, dare fi/xs
vindicate them, let not prejudice or ignorance asperse them. La:
them, and me, repose in obscurity, and pei.ce, £iid my tomb rematii
uninscribtd, until other time*, and other men, can do justice to mj
character : when my country takes her place among the natione Oi
the earth, then— And not till then— let my epitaph be writtea.--i
have done.
73«. LUCY.
Three years she grew, in sun, and shower,
Then, Nature said, " a lovelier flower.
On earth, was never sown ;
This child I. to myself, will take;
She shall be mine, and I will make —
A lady of my own.
Myself will, to my darling, be
Both law, and impulse : and with me,
The girl, on rook and plain,
In earth, and heaven, in glade, and bower,
Shall feel an overseeing power,
To kindle, and restrain.
She shall be sportive, as the fawn,
That, wild with glee, across the lawn.
Or up the mountain, springs;
And hers, shall be the breathing balm,
And hers, the silence, and the calm —
Of mute, insensate things.
The floating clouds — their state shall lend
To her ; for her — the willow bend ;
Nor, shall she fail to see,
Even in the motions of the storm,
Grace, that shall mould the maiden's form,
By silent sympathy.
The stars of midnight— shall be dear
To her ; and she shall lean her ear.
In many a secret place,
Where rivulets dance their wayward Touad;
And beauty, born of murmuring sound.
Shall pass into her face.
And vital feelings of delight-
Shall rear her form— to stalely height,
Her virgin bosom swell ;
Such thoughts, to Lucy, I will give.
While she, and I, together live.
Here, in this happy dell."
Thus Nature spake. The work was dono—
How soon my Lucy's race was run !
She died,— and left to me
This heath, this calm, and quiet scene ;
The memory— of what ftas been,
And never more— will be.— Wordsworth.
When thou doest good, do it because it is
good; not because men esteem it so. When
thou avoidest evil, flee from it because it is
evil ; not because men speaK: against it. Be
honest for the love of honesty, and thou shalt
be uniformly so. He that doeth it without
principle — is wavering.
808
READINGS ANI RECITATIONS
787. CicBRo's OnATioJf against Vek-
REs. I ask now, Verres, what have you to
advance against this charge] WiU you pre-
tend to deny it 1 Will you pretend tliat any-
thing false, that even anything aggravated —
IS alleged against you] Had any prince, or
any state, committed the same outrage against
tlie privileges of Roman citizens, should we
not think we had sufficier* reason — for de-
claring immediate war against them '.' What
punishment, then, ought to be inflicted on a
tyrannical and wicked prsetor, who dared, at
no greater distance than Sicily, within sight
of the Italian coast, to put to the infamous
death of crucifixion, that unfortunate and
innocent citizen, Publius Gavius Cosanus,
only for his having asserted his privilege of
citizenship, and declared his intention of ap-
pealing to the justice of his country, against
a cruel oppressor, who had unjustly confined
him in prison, at Syracuse, whence he had
just made his escape I The unhappy man, ar-
rested as he was going to embark lor his na-
tive country, is brought before the wicked
jirajtor. With eyes darting fury, and a coun-
tenance distorted with cruelty, he orders the
lielpless victim of his rage to be stripped, and
rods to be brought ; accusing liim, but with-
out the least shadow of evidence, or even of
suspicion, of having come to Sicily as a spy.
It was in vain, that the unhappy man cried
out, " I am a Roman citizen, 1 have served
under Lucius Pretius, who is now at Panor-
mus, and will attest my innocence." The
bloodthirsty prsetor, deaf to all that he could
urge in liis own defence, ordered tlie infa-
mous punishment to be inflicted. Thus, fath-
ers, was an innocent Roman citizen public-
ly mangled, with scourging ; whilst the only
words lie uttered amidst his cruel sufferings
were, " I am a Roman citizen !" With these
he hoped to defend himself from violence,
and infamy. But of so little service was this
privilege to him, that while he was asserting
his citizenship, the order was given for his
execution, — for his execution upon the cross !
0 liberty ! 0 sound, once delightful to eve-
ry Roman ear ! 0 sacred privilege of Ro-
man citizenship ! once — sacred, now — frum-
\iled upon ! But what then ! is it come to
this ] Shall an inferior magistrate, a gover-
nor, who holds his power of the Roman peo-
ple, in a Roman province, within sight of It-
aly, bind, scourge, torture with fire and red-
hot plates of iron, and at last put to the infa-
mous death of the cross, a Roman citizen 1
Shall neither the cries of innocence, expiring
in agony, nor the tears of pitying spectators,
nor the majesty of the Roman common-
wealth, nor the justice of his country, re-
strain the licentious and wanton cruelty of
a monster, who, in confidence of his riches,
St .-ikes at the root of liberty and sets mankind
at defiance]
VANITT.
O, vanity,
How are thy painted beauties doted on,
By light and empty idiots! how pursued
With open and extended appetite !
How they do sweat and run themselves from breath,
Raised on their toes, to catch thy airy forms.
Still turning giddy, till they reel like drunkards,
That buy the merrj' madness of one liour
With the long irksomeness of following time.
Time flies and never dies.
738. MOLOC C'S ORAT'ON FOK WAK.
My sentence — is for open war : of w;ie«.
More unexpert, I boast not ; theni, let those
Contrive, who need ; or, wlieii they need ; not now
For while they sit contriving, shall the rest,
Millions, that stand in arms, and longing, wait
The signal to ascend, sit lingering here,
Heaven's fugitives, and for tlieir dwelling-place,
Accept this dark, opprobrious den of shame,
The prison of his tyranny, who reign.-^
By our delay ! No, — let us rather choose,
Armed with hell-flames, and fury, all at onc»i,
O'er heaven's high towers, tio force resistleM way,
Turning our tortures, into horrid arms —
Against the torturer ; when, to meet the noise
Of his almighty engine, he shall hear
Infehial thunder; and, for lightning, see
Black fire and horror-shot, with equal rage,
Among his angels: and his throne, itself,
Mixed with Tartarean sulphur, and strange fire,
His own invented torments. — But, perhaps,
The way seems difficult, and steep to scale,
With upright wing, against a higher foe.
Let such bethink them, if the sleepy drench,
Of that forgetful lake — benumb not stili,
That in our proper motion, we ascend
Up to our native seat : descent, and fail,
To us — is adverse. Who, but felt of late,
When the fierce foe — hung on our broken ri?ar,
Insulting, and pursued us, through the deep.
With what compulsion, and laborious fight.
We sunk thus low! — The Suicent is easy then :
The event is feared: — should we again provoke
Our stronger, some worse way his wrath may find,
To our destruction ; if there be, in hell.
Fear to be worse destroyed. — What can be worse,
Than to dwell here, driven out from bliss.co.idemn'd
In this abhorred deep — to utter wo ;
Where pain of unextinguishable fire
Must exercise us, without hope of end,
The vassals of his anger, when the scourge
Inexorable, and the torturing hour
Call us to penance ? — Mere destroyed than thus,
We should be quite abolished, and expire.
What fear we then? — What doubt we to incense
His utmost ire I which, to his height, enrnged,
Will either quite consume us, or reduce
To nothing this essential ; happier far,
Than miserable to have eternal being ;
Or, if our substance be indeed divine.
And cannot cease .o be, w^e are, at worst,
On this side nothing ; and, by proof, we feel
Our power sufficient, — to disturb his heaven,
And, with perpetual inroad, to alarm.
Though inaccessible, his fatal throne ;
Wh'ch, if not victory, is yet revenge.— Jlfuion
THIS WORLD.
"Tis a jarf world," said one, '* a world of icoe,
Where sorrow — reigns supreme." Yet from my
The all-sustaining hope did not depart ; [hean
But, to its impiilse true, I answered — "No !
The world hath muck of good— nor seldom, joy
Over our spirits— hrooAs with radiant wing ;
Gladness from grief, and life from death may
Treasures are owrsthe grai-ecannot destroy ;[s\}T\r:fi\
Then chide not harshly — our instrtictress .^tern.
Whose solemn lessons — wisdom bids us learn "
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
309
739. IlfFtUr-XCB OF THE WiSE AISD GOOI).
The relations between man, and man, cease
not with hfe. They leave behind them their
memory, tlieir example, and the effects of
their actions. Their influence still abides with
ui. Their names, and characters dwell in
our thoughts, and hearts — we live, and com-
mune with them, in their writings. We en-
>ny the benefit of their labors— our institu-
tions have been founded by them — we are
Sjrrounded by the works of the dead. Our
knowledge, and our arts are the fruit of their
toil — our minds have been formed by their
instructions — we are most intimately con-
nected with them, by a thousand depend-
encies.
Those, whom we have loved in life, are still
objects of our deepest, and holiest affections.
Their power over us remains. They are with
us in our solitary walks; and their voices
speak to our hearts in the silence of midnight.
Their image is impressed upon our dearest
recollections, and our most sacred hopes.
They form an essential part of our treasure
laid up in heaven For, above all, we are
Separated from them, but for a little time.
We are soon to be united with them. If we
follow in the path of those we have loved, we,
too, shall soon join the innumerable company
of " the spirits of just men made perfect."
()ur affections, and our hopes, are not buried
in the dust, to which we commit the poor re-
mains of mortality. The blessed retain their
remembrance, and their love for us in heaven ;
and we will cherish our remembrance, and
)ur love for them, while on earth.
Creatures of imitation, and sympathy as
we are, we look around us for support, and
countenance, evert in our virtues. We recur
The scythe— had left tiie xvlii enng g.'aAs,
And strelch'd the fading blossom
And thus, I thought with mar-y a sigh,
0 The hopes — we fondly cherish,
Like flowers, which blossom, but to die,
Seem only born— to perish.
Once more, at eve, ab road I strayVI,
Through lonely hay-fields musing ;
While every breeze, that round me play'd,
Rich fragrance— was diffusing.
The perfumed air, the hush of eve,
To purer hopes appearing,
O'er thoughts perchance loo prone to grieve^
Scatler'd the halm of healing.
For thus " the actions of the just,"
When Memory hath enshrined them,
E'en from the dark and silent dust
Their odor leaves beliind then;. — Bartoii.
731. Public Faith. To expatiate on the
value of public faith — may pass — with some
men, for declamation — to such men, I have
nothing to say. To others, I will urge — can
any circumstance mark upon a people, more
turpitude and debasement? Can anything
tend more to make men think themselves
mean, or degrade, to a lower point, their esti-
mation of vikue, and their standard of action ?
It would not merely demoralize mankind,
it tends to break all the ligaments of society,
to dissolve that mysterious charm which at-
tracts individuals to the nation, and to inspire,
in its stead, a repulsive ser ^e of shame and
disgust.
What is patriotism ? Is it a narrow affec-
tion for the spot, where a man was born ?
for them, most securely, to the examples of ^^^ the very clods, where we tread, entitled
the dead. There is a degree of insecurity,
and uncertainty about living worth. The
stamp has not yet been put upon it, which
precludes all change, and seals it up as a )ust
object of admiration for future times. Tfiere
is no greater service, which a man of com-
manding intellect can render his fellow crea-
tures, than that of leaving behind him an un-
.spotted example.
If he do not confer upon them this benefit;
if he leave a character, dark with vices in the
sight of God, but dazzling qualities in the
view of men ; it may be that all his other ser-
vices had better have been forborne, and he
had passed inactive, and unnoticed through
life. It is a dictate of wisdom, therefore, as
well as feeling, when a man, eminent for his
virtues and talents, has been taken away, to
collect the riches of his goodness, and add
them to the treasury of human improvement.
The true christian — liveth not for himself;
and it is thus, in one respect, that he dieth
not for himself. — Norton.
730. HUMAN LIFE.
I walk'd the fields — at morning's prime,
The grass — was ripe for mowing :
The sky-lark — sung his matin chime,
And all— was brightly glowing.
" And thus." I cried, the " ardent boy.
His pulse, with rapiure heating.
Deems life's inheritance — his joy —
The future— proudly greeting."
I wandered forth at noon : — alas I
On ea-fh'6 materal bosom
to this ardent preference, because they are
greener] No. sir, this is not tlie character ol
the virtue, and it soars higher for its object
It is an extended self-love, mingling with all
theenjoymentsoflife,and twisting itself with
the niinutest filaments of the heart.
It is thus — we obey the laws of society, be-
cause they are the laws of virtue. In then
authority we see, not tlie array of force and
terror, but the venerable image of our coun-
try's honor. Every good citizen makes that
honor his own, and cherishes it, not only as
precious, but as sacred. He is willing to risk
his life in its defence, and is conscious, that
he f!;ains protection while he gives it. For,
what rights of a citizen will be deemed in-
violable, when a state renounces the princi-
ples, tiiat constitute their security ?
Or, if this life should not be invaded, what
would its enjoyments be in a country, odious
in the eyes of strangers, and dishonored in
his own? Could he look — with affection and
veneration, to such a country as his parent?
The sense of having one — would die within
him; he would blush for his patriotism, if lie
retained any, and justly, for it would be a vice.
He would be a banished man — in his native
land. — Fisher Ames.
If thou well observe
The rule of not too much, by temperance taught,
In what thou eat'st and drink'st.seeking llrom thence
Due nourishment, not gluttonous delight,
Till many years over thy head return :
So mayst thou live, till, like ripe fruit, thou drop
Into thy mother's lap, to be with ease
Gather'd, not harshly pluck'd, in death matur«.
810
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
•732. PoriTiCAi. CoRRTTPTiojf. We are
apt to treat the idea of our own corruptibili-
ty, as utterly visionary, and to ask, with a
crave affectation of dignity — what ! do you
think a member of congress can be corrup-
ted] Sir, 1 speak, what I have long and de-
liberately considered, when I say, that since
man was created, there never has been a po-
htical body on the face of the earth, that
would not be corrupted under the same cir-
cumstances. Corruption steals upon us, in a
thousand insidious forms, when we are least
aware of its approaches.
Of all the forms, in which it can present it-
self, tlie bribery of office — is the most dan-
gerous, because it assumes the guise of patri-
otism— to accomplish its fatal sorcery. We
are often asked, where is the evidence of cor-
ruption'? Have you seen it? Sir, do you
expect to see it 1 You might, as well, expect
to see the embodied forms of pestilence, and
famine — stalking before you, as to see the la-
tent operations of this insidious power. We
may walk amidst it, and breathe its contagion,
without being conscious of its presence.
All experience teaches us — the irresistible
powei of temptation, when vice — assumes the
.orm of virtue. The great enemy of man-
kind— could not have consummated his in-
fernal scheme, for the seduction of our first
parents, but for the disguise, in which he
presented himself. Had he appeared as the
devil, in his proper form : had the spear of
Ithuriel — disclosed the naked deformity of
the fiend of hell, the inhabitants of paradise
would have shrunk with horror from his
presence.
But he came — as the insinuating serpent,
and presented a beautiful apple, the most de-
licious fruit in all th« garden. He told his
glowing story to the unsuspecting victim of
liis guile. " It can be no crime — to taste o/
this delightful fruit. It will disclose to you
the knowledge of good, and evil. It will
raise you to an equalitj'^ with the angels."
Such, sir, was the process; and, in this
simple, but impressive narrative, we have the
most beautiful and philosophical illustration
of the frailty of man, and the power of temp-
tation, that could possibly be exhibited. Mr.
Chairman, I have been forcibly struck, with
the similarity, between our present situation,
and that of Eve, after it was announced, that
Satan was on the borders of paradise. We,
too, have been warned, that the enemy is on
our borders.
But God forbid that the similitude should be
carried any farther. Eve, conscious of her
innocence, sought temptation and defied it.
The catastrophe is too fetally known to us
all. She went, " with the blessings of heaven
on lier head, and its purity in her heart,"
guarded by the ministry of angels — she re-
turned covered with shame, unaer the heavy
denunciation of heaven's everlasting curse.
Sir, it is innocence — that temptation con-
auers. If our first parent, pure as she came
from the hand of God, was overcome by the
seductive, power, let us not imitate her fatal
rashness, seeking temptation, when it is in
our power to avoid it. Let us not vainly
confide in our own infallibility. We are lia-
ble to be corrupted. To an ambitious man,
an honorable office will appear as beautiful
und fascinating — as the apple of paradise.
I admit, sir, that ambition is a passion, at
once the most powerful and the most useful.
Without it, human affairs would become a
mere stagnant pool. By means tff his pat-
ronage, the president addresses himself in
I tlie most irresistible manner, to this the rx>-
blest and strongest of our passions. All that
the imagination can desire — honor, power,
wealth, ease, are held out as the temptation.
Man was not made to resist such temptation.
It is impossible to conceive, — Satan hiraeelf
could not devise, a system, which would more
infallibly introduce corruption and death into
our political Eden. Sir, the angels fell froir.
heaven with less temptation. — McDuffie
733. CATO'S SOLILOQUY OX IMMORTALITY.
It must be so — Plato, thou reasonest well !
Else, whence this pleasing hope, this fond desiTC,
This longing — after immorlality ?
Or, whence — this secret dread, and inward horror,
Of falling — into nought? Why— .shrinks the soul —
Back on herself, and startles — at destruction? —
'Tis the Divinity — that stirs within us :
'Tig Heaven itself, that points out — a hereafter,
And intimates — Eternity — to man.
Eternity! — thou pleasing — dreat"ul thought!
Through what variety — of untried being, [pass J
Through what new scenes, and changes, must we
The wide, the unbounded prospect lies before me
But shadows, clouds, and darkness, rest upon it.—
Here — will I hold. If there's a Power above us,
(And that there is, all Nature cries aloud —
Through all her works,) He must delight in virtue.
And that, which He delights in must be happy.
But when? or where? This world— was made
for Cesar?
1 'm weary of conjectures — this — must end them.-
[ Laying his hand on his sword.
Thu« — I am douitly armed. My death — and lifj
My bane — and antidcf'^, are both before me.
This — m a moment, brings me to an end ;
But tkis — informs me — I shall ne^-.er die.
The soul, secured in her existence, smiles —
At the drawn dagger, and defies its point. —
The stars — shall fade away, the sun himself
Grow dim with age, and nature sink in yeara
But Uiou shah flourish — in immortal youth,
Unhurt — amidst the war o( elements,
The wreck of matter, and the crush of worlds.
Idleness — is the badge of gentry, the
bane of body and mind, tlie nurse of naugh-
tiness, the step-mother of discipline, the chief
author of all mischief, one of the seven dead-
ly sins, the cushion upon which the devil
chiefly reposes, and a great cause not only of
melancholy, but of many other diseases : for
the mind is naturally active ; and if it be not
occupied about some honest business, it rush-
es into mischief, or sinks into melancholy.
GRAVE OF THK RENOWNED.
When, to the grave, we follow the rer.owned
For valor, virtue, science, all we love, [bea.Ti
And all we praise ; for worth, whose noontide
Mends our ideas of ethereal pow'rs,
Dream we, that lustre of the moral world
Goes out in stench, and rottenness the close ?
Why was he wise to knovr, and warm to praise.
And strenuous to transcribe, in human life.
The mind almighty! could it be that fati,
Juet when the lineaments began to shine,
Should snatch the draught, and blot it out forever.
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
311
7J4. Duties oi Amehicaiv Citizejnts.
Fellow-citizens: let \xa not retire from this oc-
casion, witliout a deep and solemn conviction
of the duties, which have devolved upon us.
This lovely land, this glorious liberty, these
benign institutions, the dear purchase of our
fathers, are ours ; ours to enjoy, ours to pre-
serve, ours to transmit. Generations past,
and generations to come, hold us responsible
for this sacred trust. Our fathers, from be-
hind— admonish us with their anxious, pater-
nal voices ; postery — calls out to us from the
bosom of the future ; the world turns hither
its solicitous eyes ; all, all conjure us to act
wi5-3ly, and faithfully, in the relation which
we sustain. We can never, indeed, paij the
debt which is upon us ; but, by virtue, by mo-
rality, by religion, by the cultivation of every
^ood principle, and every good habit, we may
bope to enjoy the blessing, through our day,
and leave it, unimpaired, to our children.
Let us feel deeply, how much of what we
are, and what we possess, we owe to this lib-
erty, and to th-ese mstitutions of government.
Nature has, indeed, given us a soil, which
yields bounteously — to the hands of industry;
the mighty and fruitful ocean is before us,
and the skies, over our heads, shed health and
s'igor. But what are lands, and seas, and
skies — to civilized man, without society, with-
out knowledge, without morals, without reli-
gious culture ; and how can these be enjoyed,
in all their extent, and all their excellence,
but under the protection of wise institutions,
and a free government? J'ellow-citizens,
there is not one of us here present, who does
not, at this moment, and at every moment,
experience, in his own condition, and in the
condition of those most near and dear to him,
the influence, and the l)enefits — of this lib-
erty, and these institutions. Let us then,
acknowledge the blessing ; let us feel it deep-
ly, and powerfully ; let us cherish a strong
affection for it, and resolve to maintain, and
perpetuate it. The blood of our fathers, let it
not have been shed in vain ; the great hope
of posterity, let it not be blasted.
The striking attitude, too, in which we
stand to the world around us, — cannot be al-
togetlHjr amitted here. Neither individuals,
nor nations — can perfonn their part well,
until they understand, and feel its import-
ance, and comprehend, and justly appreciate,
all the duties belonging to it. It is not to in-
flate national vanity, nor to swell a light and
empty feeling of self-importance ; but it is,
that we may judge justly of our situation and
of our duties, that I earnestly urge this con-
sideration of our position, and our character
among the nations of tlie earth.
It cannot be denied,'but by those who would
dispute against the sun, that with America,
and in America, a new era commences in
human atTairs. This era is distinguished by
free representative governments, by entire
religious liberty, by improved systems of na-
tional intercourse, by a newly awakened and
an unmienchable spirit of free inquiry, and
by a dittusion of knowledge through the com-
munity, such as has been before, altogether
anknown, and unheard of. America, Ante-
nca, our country, fellow-citizens, our own
dear and native land, is inseparably connect-
ed, fast bound up, in fortune, and by fate,
with these great interests. If they fall, we
fall ivifh them; if they stand, it will be be-
cause we have upholden them.
Let us contemplate, then, thi.» connection,
which binds the posterity of others to out
own ; and let us manfully discharge all the
duties it imposes. If we cherish fae virtues,
and the principles of our ftithers. Heaven wiU
assist us to carry on the work of human lib-
erty, and human happiness. Auspicious
omens cheer us. Great examples are before
us. Our firmament now shines brightly upon
our path. Washington is in the clear, upper
sky. Adams, Jefferson, and other stars nave
joined the American constellation ; they cir-
cle round their center, and the heavens beam
with new hght. Beneath this illumination,
let us walk the course of hfe; and, at its close,
devoutly commend our beloved country, the
common parent of us all, to the divine be-
nignity.— Webster.
735. LANDING OP THE PILGRIM FATHERS.'
The breaking waves — clashed high
On a slern — and iwck-bound coast,
And the woods — against a stormy sky,
Their giant bra\iches — tossed;
And the heavy night — hung dark —
The hills — and waters o'er,
When a band of exiles — moored their bark
On the wikl — New England shore.
Not — as the conqueror — comes.
They, the true-hearted, came,
Not with the roll — of the stirring drums,
And the trumpet— that sings of fame.
Not — as the flying---corae,
In silence, — and in fear ;
They shook — the depth — of the desert's glocai,
With their hymns of lofty cheer.
Amidst the storm— they sang.
And the stars — heard, and the sea;
And the sounding aisles — of the dim woods rang
To the anthem— -of the free.
The ocean-eagle — soared
From his nest — by the white wave's foani,
And the rocking pine? — of the forest roared;
This — was their wel'^.ome home.
There were men — with hoary liair,
Amidst that pilgrim band,
Why had they come — to wither there,
Away — from their childhood's land ?
There was woman's — fearless eye,
Lit — by her deep love's truth;
There was manhood's brow, serenely high,
And the fiery heart — of youth.
What — sought they— thus, afar?
Bright jewels — of the mine?
The wealth of seas, the spoils of war?
They sought — a faith's pure shrine!
Aye, call it holy ground.
The soil— where first they trod ! [round—
They have left, unstained— what there — Ihey
Freedom — to worship God I — Hemans.
'Twas Slander— filled her mouth with lying words,
Slander, the foulest whelp of Sin. The man
In whom this spirit entered— was ondone.
His tongue — was set on fire of hell, his heart
Was black as death, his legs— were faint with hasic
To propagate the lie— his soul had framed ;
His pillow— was the peace of families
Destroyed, the sigh of innocence reproached,
Broken friendships, and the strife of brotherhood*
Yet did he spare his sleep, and hea.- the clock
Number the midnight watches, on his bed,
Devising mischief more; and early rose.
And made most hellish meals of good men's iuirao«
312
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
730. The PiLGniMs, akb theik Desti-
Mf. Methinks I see it novj, — that one, solita-
ry, adventurous vessel, the Maiifiower — of a
forlorn hope, freighted — with the prospects
of a future state, and bound — across the un-
knov^rn sea. I behold it pursuing, with a
thousand misgivings, the uncertain, the tedi-
ous voyage. Suns rise — and set, and weeks,
and months — pass, and winter — surpiises
them on the deep, but brings them not — the
sight— of the wished-for shore. I see them
now, scantily supplied with provisions, crowd-
ed, almost to suffocation, m their ill-stored
prison, delayed by calms, pursuing a circuit-
oiiS route, — and now, driven in fury, before
the raging tempest, on the high and giddy
waves. The awful voice of the storm — Kowis
through the rigging. The laboring masts —
seem straining from their base; the dismal
sound of the pump — is heard — the ship leaps,
as it were, madly, from billow to billow ; the
ocean breaks, and settles with engulphing
floods — over the floating deck, and oeats,
with deadening weight, against the staggered
vessel. I see them escaped from these perils,
pursuing their all but desperate undertaking,
and landed, at last, after a five months' pas-
sage, on the ice-clad rocks of Plymouth, —
weak, and weary from the voyage, — poorly
armed, scantily provisioned, depending on the
charity of their ship-master — for a draft of
beer on board, drinking nothing but water on
shore, — without shelter, — without means, —
surrounded by hostile trit)es. Shut, now, the
volume of history, and tell me, on any prin-
ciple of human probability, what shall be tlie
fate of this handfull of adventurers'? Tell me,
man of military science, in how many months
were they all swept off — by the thirty savage
tribes, enumerated within the early limits of
New England] Tell me, politician, how
long did this shadow of a colony, on which
{^our conventions and treaties had not smiled,
anguish on the distant coast'.' Student of
history, compare for me — the baffled pro-
jects, the deserted settlements, the abandon-
ed adventures, of other times, and find the
parallel of this. Was it the winter's storm,
ueating upon the houseless heads of women
and children ; was it hard labor and snare
raeals; was it disease,— was it the tomahawk;
was it the deep malady of a blighted hope, a
ruined enterprise, and a broken heart, aching
in its last moments, at the recollection of the
loved and left, beyond the sea; was it some,
or all of these united, that harried this for-
saken company to their melancholy fate ?
And is it possible, that rieithcr of these cau-
ses, that not all combined, were able to blast
this bud of hope '? Is it possible, that from
a beginning so feeble, so frail, so worthy,
not so much of admiration as of pity, there
has gon'.j forth a progress so steady, a growth
so wonderful, a reality so important, a prom-
ise yet to be fulfilled, so glorious'/ — Everett.
737. Tribute TO William Penx. Wil-
liam Penn — stands tlie first, among the law-
^iv*!rs, whose names, and deeds are recorded
m history. Shall we compare with him Lycur-
gus, Solon, Romulus, those founders of mili-
tary commonwealths, who organized their
citizens in dreadful array — against the rest
ot their species '.' ta'ight them to consider
their fellow-men ar barbarians, and them-
selves as alone wonny to rule over the earth?
What benefit did mankind derive from their
boasted institutions 1 InUirr jgate tl e shadis
of those who fell in the mighty contests, be-
tween Athens a«d Lacedsemon, betweei.
Carthage and Rome, and between Rome and
the rest of the universe. But see our Wil-
liam Penn, with weaponless hands, sitting
down, peaceably, with his followers, in tht
midst of savage nations, whose only occupa-
tion was shedding the blood of their fellow-
men, disarming them by his justice, and teach- ,
ing them, for the first time, to view a stranger
without distrust. See them bury their toma-
hawks, in his presence, so deep, that man shall
never be able to find them again. See them
under the shade of the thick groves of (^uc-
quannock, extend the bright chain of friend-
ship, and promise to preserve it, as long as
the sun, and moon shall endure. See him,
then, with his companions, establishing his
commonwealth on the sole basis of religion,
morality, and universal love, and adopting,
as the fundamental maxims of his govern-
ment, the rule handed down to us from
HEAVEjf , " Glory to God on high, and on
earth peace, and good will to all men."
Here was a spectacle — for the potentates
of the earth to look upon, an example for
them to imitate. But the potentates the
earth did not see ; or, if they saw, they turned
away their eyes from the sight ; they did not
hear ; or, if they heard, they shut their ears
against the voice.
The character of William Penn alone,
sheds a never-fading lustre upon our history.
No other st^te in this Union can boast of such
an illustrious founder ; none began theii so-
cial career, under auspices so honorable to
humanity. Every trait of the life of that
great man, every fact, and anecdote, of those
golden times, will furnish many an interest-
irig subject for the fancy of the novelist, ard
the enthusiasm of the poet. — Duponceau.
738. wolsey's soliloquy on AMBrriow.
Farewell, a long farewell, to all my greatness!
This — is the state of man : To-day, he puts forth
The tender leaves of hope ; to-morrow, blossormc
And bears his blushing honors — thick upon him ;
The third day, comes a frost, a. killing frost;
And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full sure3y
His greatness is a ripentjig, nips his rod ;
And then he falls, as I do.
I have ventur'dj
Like little wanton boys, that swim on bladders.
These many summers — in a sea of glory,
But far beyond my dei)th ; my high-blown pride
At length — broke under me ; and now has left me
Weary, and old with service, to the mercy
Of a rude stream, that must forever — hide me
Vain pomp, and glory of this world, I haU you
I feel ray heart now open'd.
O I how wretched
Is that poor man, that hangs on princes' favors !
There are, betwixt that smile — he would aspire to,
That sweet aspect of princes, and his ruin.
More pangs and fears, than war or women hive;
And when he falls, he falls, like Luci/er,
Never — to rise again. — Shahspeare.
Meditation — here —
May think down hours — to moments ; liere. lh«
May give a useful lesson — to the nead, [hearl
And learning, wiser grow — without his hooka.
READINGS AND RECITAIIONS.
813
T30. BA&QUE GiKL, on love's sacrifice.
Twas one of those sweet spots, which seem just
Forlovers'nieeting, or, for minstrel haunts :[made
The maiden's blusli— would look so beamiful,
By those white roses, and the poet's dream,
Would be so soothing, lull'd by the low notes,
The birds sing — to the leaves, whose soft reply-
Is murmur'd by the wind : the grass beneath,
Is full of wild flowers, and the cypress boughs
Have twined o'erhead, graceful,and close as love.
The sun— is shining cheerfully, though scarce his
May pierce— through the dim shade, yet, still,[rays
Some golden hues are glancing o'er the trees,
And the blue flood is gliding by, as bright,
As hope's first smile. All, lingering, stayed to
Upon this Eden — of the painter's art, [gaze
And looking on its loveliness, forgot —
The crowded world— around them ! But a spell,
Stronger than the green landscape— fixed the
The spell — of woman's beauty! By a beech, [eye —
Whose long dark shadow— fell upon the stream.
There stood a radiant girl ! her chestnut hair —
(One bright gold tint was on it)— loosely fell
In large rich curls — upon a neck, whose snow
And grace—were like the swan's ; she wore the
Of her own village, andheramall white feet [garb
And slender ancles, delicate, as carved
From Indian ivory— were bare, — the turf [stood:
Seem'd scarce to feel their pressure. There she
Her head — leant upon her arm, the beech's trunk
Supporting her slight figure, and one hand,
Press'd to her heart, as if to still its throbs I
You never might forget that face, — so young,
So fair, yet trac'd — with such deep characters
Of inward wretchedness ! The eyes were dim
With tears, on the dark lashes ; still, the lip
Could not quite lose — its own accustom'd smile,
Even by that pale cheek — it kept its arch.
And tender playfulness : you look'd, and said.
What can have shadovv'd — such a sunny brow ?
There is so much of natural happiness.
In tliat bright countenance, it seems but formed,
For Spring's light sunbeams, or yet lighter dews.
You turned away— then came— anil look'd a^ain,
\Vatching the cale, and silent .oveliness'.
Till even sleep — waa haunted by that image.
There was a sever'd chain iipon the ground —
Ah ! love is e'en more fragile than its gifts!
A tress of raven hair ;— oh ! only those,
Whose souls have felt this one idolatry.
Can tell — hoto precious— is the slightest thing.
Affection gives, and hallows ! A dead flower
Will Ions be kept, remembrancer of looks.
That made each leaf a treasure. The tree
Had two slight words — graven upon its stem —
The broken heart's last record— of its faith —
"Adieu Henri!"
I learnt the hist'ry of the lovely picture :
It was a peasant girl's, whose soul was given
To one — as far above her, as the pine —
Towers o'er the lovely violet ; yet still
She lov'd, and was belov'd again, — ere yet
The many trammels of the world — were flung
Around a heart, whose first and latest pulse,
Throbb'd— but for beauty: him, the young, the
brave,
Cliivalrous prince, whose name, in aftei years,
40 2D
A nation— was to worship — i/iai young heart —
Beat with its first wild passicn — that pure feeling,
Life only once may knew. I will not dwell
On how afTection's bark was launch'd, andjost:
Love, thou hast hopes, like summer's— short,
and bright
Moments of ecstasy, and maddening dreams,
Intense, delicious throbs! But happuiess
Is not for thee. If ever thou hast known
Quiet, yet deep enjoyment, 'tis, or ere
Thy presence is confessed ; but, once revealM
We bow us down— in passionate devotion,
Vow'd at thy altar; then the serpents wake.
That coil around thy votaries— hopes that mato
Tears— burning arrows— lingering jealousy
And last, worst poison, of thy cup — neglect.
It matters little, how she was forgotten.
Or what she felt— a woman — can but weep.
She pray'd her lover, but to s&y—farewell,-~
To meet her, by the river, where such hours
Of happiness had passed, and said, she knew
How much she was beneatli him ; but she pray 'ij
That he would look upon her face — once more !
He sought the spot,— upon the beechen tree
"Adieu Henri "-was graven— and his heart —
Felt cold — within him ! He turned to the wave
And there — the beautiful peasant floated — DeatI:
Had seal'd — "Zore's — sacrifice t"
TIO. HOME.
There is a land, of every land the pride,
Belov'd by heaven — o'er all the world beside '
Where brighter suns — dispense serener light
And milder moons emparadise the night;
A land of beauty, virtue, valor, truth.
Time tutored age, and love exalted youth.
The wandering mariner, whose eyes explores
The wealthiest isles, the most enchanting shoPFt;,
Views not a realm— so beautiful and fair.
Nor breathes a spirit of a purer air;
In every clime — the magnet of his soul,
Touch'd by remembrance, trembles to that pole ;
For in this land— of heaven's peculiar grace.
The heritage— of nature's noblest race,
There is a spot of earth — supremely blesi,
A dearer, sweeter spot — than all the rest,
Where man, creation's tyrant, casts aside
His sword, and sceptre, pageantry, and pride ;
Within his softened looks, benignly blend
The sire, the son, the husband, father, friend :
Here, woman reigns ; the mother, daughter, wif»^,
Strews, with fresh flowers, the narrow way of
In the clear heaven of her delightful eye, [Ufe ;
An angel guard of loves and graces lie ;
Around her knees, domestic duties meet.
And fire-side pleasures gamble at her feet.
Where shall that land, tliat spot of earth be found?
Art thou a man? a patriot ? look around ;
Oh ! thou Shalt find, howe'er thy footsteps roam,
That la nd--thycountry,^nd that spot— thy home!
He, W:io, malignant, tears an absent friend.
Or, w.ien attacked by others, don't defend :
Whc trivial bursts of laughter strives to raise,
And counts of prating petulance the praises
Of things he never saw, who tells his »alo,
And friendship's secrets knows not to r-oncocJ",
This man is vile ; here, Roman, fix your mark ;
His soul is black.
314
READINGS AND RPXITATIONS.
741 . MAR(A »E TORQUEMADA TAKING TIZE VAIL.
" My xur-i I you should have seen her, as she stood,
^; Idr^ the *orld— farewell. Her pretty hands,
Like ttvo enclasping lilies ; in her «yes,
Two .juiveriiig crystal drops, — her cheek— a rose.
Yet cf the whitest, turned upon the sky,
To which her thoughts were wing'd ! I never saw
So heavenly touch'd a sorrow I"
There is a spot, a holy spot,
A refufre for the wearied mind ;
Where earth's wild visions— are forgot,
And love, thy poison spell 's untwined.
There, learns the withered heart — to pray —
There, gonlly breaks earth's weary chain ;
Nay, let me weep my life away-
Let me do ail,— but love again.
Oh! thou that judgest of the heart,
Look down upon this bosom barej
And all, all mercy as thou art,
Save from that wildest, worst despair.
There — silent, dreamless, loveless, lone,
The agony, at length, is o'er ;
The bieedin^g breast— is turned to stone,
Hope dies— and passion— 'ivakes no more.
I ask not death,— I wait thy will ;
I dare not — touch my fleeting span :
But let me, oh: not linger still.
The slave of misery and man:
Why sink my steps ! one struggle past,
And all the rest — is quiet gloom ;
Eyes— look your longest, and your last,
Then, turn ye to your cell, and lomu.
riy swift, ye hours :— the convent grate,
To me— is open Paradise :
The keenest bitterness of fate,
Can last, but till the victim — dies !
713. FAI^ OF BEAUTY, BY TEMPTATION.
Once on a lovely day, it was in spring —
I rested on llie verge of that dread cliff,
That overlooks old Sterling. Jill was ffay ;
The birds— sang sweet ; the frees— put forth their
leaves, [soms ;
So pale, that in the sun, they looked like blos-
Some children wandered, careless, on the hill.
Selecting enr\yJloJcers. My heart rejoiced^
For ail was glad around me. One sweet maid
Came tripping near, eyeing, with gladsome smile,
Each little ^o?pcr, that bloomed upon the hill :
Nimbly she picked them, 'minding me of the swan,
That feeds upon the waste. I blest the girl,—
8he was not maid, nor child ; but of that age,
Twixt both, when purity of frame, and soul.
Awaken d.^eiims of beauty, drawn in heaven.
Deep in a little den, within the cliff.
KflnioWet caught her eye, — it was a primrose,
Fail flaunting in the sun. With eager haste,
rieei ess of risk, she clambered down the steep,
Pluck'd the wish'd flower, and sighed! for when
she saw
The depth she hid descended, then, she woke
To sense of danger ! All her flowers she dropped.
And tried to gain the height : but—tried in vain!
I hastened to her rescue ; but — alas !
' came too late !--0 God ! she fell.
Far, far down -on the rocks below,
Her lovely /om was found— at rest!
I saw her, in mid air, fall likft a serx^h
From out the firviament. The rooks and dawn
That fled their roosts, in thousands, at the sight.
Curtained her exit— from my palsied eye.
And di-Azy brain. O: newer, will that scene
Part from my heart ! whene'er I would be sa4,
I think of it.
74:3. THE BEST OF WIVES.
A man had once a vicious wife —
(A most uncom7?wn thing in life) ; [ceasins
His days— and n^lits— were spent in strife— un
Her tongue went glibly— all day long,
Sweet contradiction— still her song, [done.
And all the poor man did— was wrong, and ill-
A truce without doors, or within.
From speeches — long as tradesmen spin,
Or rest from her eternal din. he found not.
He every soothing art displayed ;
Tried of what stuff her skin was made :
Failing in all, to Heaven he prayed— to take her.
Once, walking by a river's side.
In mournful terms, '• My dear," he cried, [them.
" No more let feuds our peace divide,— Pll end
"Weary uf life, and quite resigned,
To drown— I have made up my mind,
So tie my hands as fa.st behind— as can be,—
'•Or nature — may assert her reign,
My arms assist, my will restrain,
And swimming, I once more regain, my troublco "
With eager Jiaste- tne dame complies.
While joy — stands glistening in her eyes;
Already, in her thoughts, he dies— before her.
Yei, when I view the rolling tide.
Nature revoits" — he said ; " beside,
I would not be a suicide, and die thus.
"It would be better, far I think.
While close I stand— upon the brink.
You push me in,— nay, never shrink— but do it.
To give the blow— the more effect,
Some twenty yards— she ran direct, [do.
And did — what she could least expect, she should
He slips aside— himself to save,
So souse — she dashes, in the wave, [pleasure.
And gave, what ne'er she gave before — much
" Dear husband, help ! I sink :" she cried ;
"Thou best of wive? — " the man replied,
" I would,— but you my hands have tied, — Iier.-
ven help you."
The moiiem device of consulting indexes?,
is to read books hebraically, and be^'in where
others usually end. And this is a compendi-
ous way of coming to an acquaintance with
authors; for authors are to be used like loi>
sters, you must look for the best meat in the
tails, and lay tlie bodies back again in the
dish. Your cunningest thieves (and what
else are readers, who only read to borrow, i.
e. to steal) use to cut off the portmanteau
from behind, without staying to dive into the
pockets of the owner. — Swift.
Desire, (when young) is easily suppressed ;
But, cherished by the sun of warm encoura^^e
nient.
Becomes too strong— and potent— for control ;
Nor Yields— hut to despair the worsi of passions
READINGS AND RECITATIONS
315
74:4:, ALEXANDER'S FEAST.
T'was^at the royal feast, lor Persia won,
By Philip's warlike son. —
Aloft, in awful state, tlie godlike hero sat
On his imperial throne.
His valiant peers — were placed around.
Their brows,with roses, and with myrtles bound ;
So, should desert, in arms be crowned.
The lovely Thais, by his side,
Sat, like a blooming Eastern bride,
In flower of youth, and beauty's pride. —
Happy, happy, happy pairl
None but the brave, none but the brave.
None but the brave — deserve the fair.
Timotheus, placed on r.igh.
Amid the tuneful clioir.
With flying fingers — touched the lyre;
The trembling notes ascend the sky.
And heavenly joys inspire.
The song — began from Jove,
Who left his blisstul seats above;
Such is the power — of mighty love.
A dragon's fiery form belied the god :
Sublime, on radiant spheres he rode.
When he, to fairUlympia pressed, [the world.
Ar.d stamped an image of himself, a sovereign of
The listening crowd — admire the lofty sound :
A present deity 1 they shout around;"
A present deity ! the vaulted roofs rebound.
With ravished ears, the monarch hears;
Assumes the god, affects to nod,
And seems to sliake the spheres.
The praise of Bacchus, then, the sweet musician
Of JBacchus, ever fair, and ever young. [sung,
The jolly god in triumph comes !
Sound the trumpets, beat the drums
Flushed with a purple grace.
He shows his honest face. [comes 1
Now, give the hautboys breath — he comes! he
Bacchus, ever fair and young.
Drinking joys did first ordain.
Bacchus' blessings are a treasure;
Drinking is the soldier's pleasure.
Rich the treasure ; sweet the pleasure ;
Sweet is pleasure after pain.
Soothed with the sound, the king grew vain ;
Fouglit his battles o'er again ; [the slain.
\nd thrice he routed all his foes, and thrice he slew
The master saw the madness rise;
His glowing cheeks, his ardent eyes ;
And, while he heaven and earth defied,
Changed his hand, and checked his pride. —
He chose a mournful muse, soft pity to infuse,
He sung Darius, great and good, [len.
By too severe a fate, fallen, fallen, fallen, fal-
Fallen from his higli estate,
And weltering in his blood.
Deserted, in his utmost need.
By those, his former bounty fed.
On the bare earth — exposed he lies,
AVith not a friend — to close his eyes. —
With downcast look — the joyless victor sat,
Revolving, in his altered soul,
Tiie various turns of fate below,
And, now and then, a sigh he stole,
And tears — began to flow.
The master smiled, to see.
That love — was in the next degree ;
Twas but a kindred sound to move ;
For pity — melts the mind to love.
Softly sweet in liVdiau measures.
Soon, he soothed his soul to pleasureu,
War, he sung, is toil and trouble;
Honor, but an emptv bubble ;
Never ending, still heemning,
Fighting still, and stilt <ie«»roying.
If the world b« wo'-'h thy winning,
Think, oh! think it worth enjoying 1
l.ovely Thais sits beside thee ;
Take the good the gods j rovide thee.—
The many rend the skies with loud applause ;
So love was crowned, but music — won the causu.
The prince, unable to conceal his pain.
Gazed on the fair, who caused his care.
And sigh":d and looked ; sighed and looked
Sighed and looked; and sighed again:
Atlength,withlove, and wine, at once oppress'd,
The vanquished victor — sunk — upon aer brea,st
Now, strike the golden lyre again ;
A louder yet, and yet a louder strain :
Break his bands of sleep asujider,
And rouse him, liKt- a ratrhug p«JiI of thunder.
Hark ! hiirk !— the horrid sound [dead.
Hath raised up his h^-ad, a.** iiwaked from the
A nd amazed he stares around.
Revenge, revenge I Timotheus cries-
See tlie furies arise ! See ilie snakes that they rear,
How they hiss in the air.
And the sparkles that flash irom their eyes '.
Behold a ghastly band, each a torch in his liand !
Tiiese are Grecian ghosts, that in battle were slain,
And, unburied, remain inglorious on the plain.
Give the vengeance due to the valiant crew.
Behold, how ihey loss iheir torches on high !
How they point to the Pereisn abodes.
And glittering temples of the.r hostile gods I
The princes ai)plaiid, with a furiaus joy; [siroy:
And the king seized a flambeau, with zeal to de-
Thais led the way, to light him lo his prey ;
And. like another Helen — fired anoiher Troy.
Thus, long ago, ere heaving bellows learned to
While organs yet were mute ; [blow,
Timotheus, to his breathing flute and sounding lyre.
Could swell the soul to rage, or kindle soft deairti
At last, divine Cecilia came,
Inventress of the vocal frame.
The sweet enthusiast, from her sacred store,
Enlarged the former narrow bounds.
And added length — to solemn sounds, [lore.
With nature's mother-wit, and arts unknovim bo-
Lct old Timotheus yield the prize,
Or both — divide the crown ;
Ke — raised a mortal — to the skies;
She — drew an angel down. — Dnjden.
ORATOR PUFF.
Mr. Orator Puff— had two tones — in his voice,
The one — squeaking thus, and the other down so;
In each sentence he utter'd he gave you your choice,
For one half was B alt, and the rest G below.
Oh ! oh ! Oratar Puff,
One voice for an orator '» surely enough.
But he still talked away, spite of coughs and of frowns,
So distracting all ears with his ups and his downs,
That a wag once, on hearing the orator say,
" My voice is for war," ask'd him, " Which of them, pray?"
Oh! oh! &c.
Reeling homewards, one evening, top-heavy with gin,
And rehearsing his speech on t)ie weight of the crown,
He tripp'd near a saw-pit, and tumbled right in,
" Sinking fund,"' the last words as his noddle came dowu.
Oh! oh! &c.
" Good Lord !" he exclaini'd, in his he-and-she tones,
" Help me out ! — help me out ! — I have broken my bones !"
" Help you out !" s\\A a PaJdy, who pass'd, " what a bother
Why, there's twooi you there; cant yoj help one ar.-
Oh! oh! &c. [other?"
CHARACTER OF A GOOD PAR.SOrT.
His preaching much, but more his practice wrot
(A living sermon of the truths he taught;)
For this by rules severe his life he squared,
That all might see the doctrine which they heaid
For priests, he said, are patterns for the rest;
(The gold of heav'n, who bear the God imprcRs'd ;
But when the precious coin is kept unclean,
The sovereign's image is no longer seen.
If they be foul on whom the people trust,
Well inay the baser coin contract a rust.
316
READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
7 45. Austrian Slanders and Hungarian
Bravery.— iCo5si<«A. While, during our holy
struggle, we were secluded from the world, our
enemies, wauting to cover their crimes by lies,
told you the tale, that iu Hungary, we are but
an insignificant party — and this party fanaticized
bv myself. Well, I feel proud at my country's
strength. They stirred up, by foul delusions,
even to the fury of civil war, our Croat, Wallack,
Serb, and Slovack brethren against us : but this
did not sufBce. The house of Austria poured all
its forces upon us ; but this would not do ; we
beat them down. The proud dynasty was forced
to stoop at the foot of the Czar. He thrust his
legions upon us ; and still we could have been a
match for them : One thing there wag, that we,
the plain children of straight-uprightness, could
not match ; that is, the intrigues of Russian
diplomacy, which knew how to introduce treason
into our ranks. This caused us to fail, combined
with Russian arms. But still we were styled a
party, fanaticized by me. " Well, T thank them
for the word." You may judge by this, what
will then be, when not a mere party, but together,
all the Magyars, the Croats, Wallacks, Serbs, and
Siovacks, united into one body, will range under
the standard of freedom and right. And be ye
gure they will. Humanity, with its childish faith,
can be deluded for a moment ; but the bandage
soon falls from its eyes, and it will be cheated no
more.
Afterward, the scorned party turned out to be a
nation, aiid a valiant one. But still our enemies
said, it was J, who inspired it. Perhaps there
might be some glory in inspiring such a nation,
and to such a degree. But I cannot accept the
praise. No : it is not I who inspired the Hun-
garian people, — it was the Hungarian people who
inspired me. Whatever I thought and still
think, whatever I felt and still feel, is but a
feeble pulsation of that heart, which beats in the
breasts of my people. The glory ef battles, in
history, is ascribed to the leaders ; theirs are the
laurels of immortality. And yet, on meeting the
danger, they knew, that alive or dead, their
names will live upon the lips of the people for-
ever. How different, how much purer, is the
light spread on the image of thousands of people's
sons, who, knowing that where they fall they will
lie unknown, their names unhonored and unsung,
but who, nevertheless, animated by the love of
freedom and fatherland, went calmly on, singing
national anthems, against batteries, whose cross-
fire vomited forth death and destruction, and
took them, without firing a shot ; they who fell,
falling with the shout — " Hurrah for Hungary! "
And so they died by thousands, — the unnamed
demigods! Such are tbe people of Hungary.
Still they say, it was I, who have inspired them.
No ; a thousand times, no. It is t/iey who have
Inspired me.
The moment of death is a dreary one. Even
the features of Cato partook of the impression
erf this dreariness. A shadow passed over the
brow of Socrates, on drinking of the hemlock
cup. But with us, those who behold the nameless
victims of the love of country, lying on the
death-field bcueafh Buda's walls, met but the
Impression of a smile on the frozen lips of the
dead : and the dying answered those who would
console — " Never mind : Buda is ours : Hurrah
for our Fathp.rland ! " ,'Ho they spoke,— and died.
He who witnessed such scenes, not as fxceptlons
but as a constant rule, with thousands of the
people's nameless sons ; he who saw the hay
weep, when told, that he was too young to die
£br his country : he. wlio saw the spontaneous
fccri/ic€s of our nation ; he, who saw what a
fury spread over the peoplej when they heard of
the final catastrophe ; he, who marked thflr
behaviour, towards the victors, when all was lost
he, who knows what sore curses is mixed in the
prayers of the Magyar, and what kind of senti-
ment is burning alike in the breast of the old
and of the child, of the strong man and of the
tender loife, and ever will be burning on, till the
hour of national resurrection strikes ; he, who
is aware of all this, will surely bow before my
people with respect, and will acknowledge, with
me, that such a people wants not to be inspired,
but that it is itself an everlasting source of
inspiration. Such are the people of Hungary.
And for me, my only glory is, that this people
found in myself, the personification of their oivn
sentiments.
746. Capabilities of Hungary and her
Sympathisers — Kossuth. Some have questioned
the capabilities of Hungary, to maintain herself
as an independent nation. But she has all the
elements of independence. She has four thousand
German square miles, and a population of thirteen
millions, who are brave and industrious. She
has no debt of her own ; and she is not liable for
the debts of Austria. True, we created a debt,
during our recent struggle ; but the house of
Austria burnt the greater part of it ; so, ( thanks
to them,) we are free from that. Then, Hungary
is. in consequence of her municipal institutions,
accustomed to cheap government. Municipal
government is always cheap; while centralized
governments are always dear. Again, she has
great resources ; she is rich in mines, and could
supply the whole world with the purest salt, for
ten thousand years. Then, she has large national
estates, which might be distributed so as to
increase the revenue very materially. The prin-
ciple of self-government is so strongly implanted
in the Hungarians, that nothing can eradicate it.
And let it not be forgotten, that the freedom
of Hungary is intimately connected with the
question of freedom in Europe, and the principles
of self-government: and while you will not
interfere in the self-government of foreign nations,
you will determine not to allow other countries to
interfere. To this extent, I wish to see the people
of this country turn their attention to foreign
afifairs, and exercise their influence to spread the
principles of freedom and self-government. —
Remember, that, with every down-beaten nation,
one rampart of liberty falls.
I therefore rely upon your active sympathy
most confidingly. I rely upon it, in the name of
all who suffer oppression and languish for free-
dom, like my people and myself. All they are
my brethren, whatever tongue they speak, what-
ever country they call their home. Members of
the great family of mankind, the tie of blood is
strengthened between us by common sufferings.
The nameless woes of my native land, as well as
the general reception I enjoy, may, perhaps,
entitle me to entreat you, out of the depths of
my own desolation ; take it for the cry of oppresed
humanity, crying out by my stuttering tongue.
Do not forget, ye lovers of liberty, in your own
happiness, our stcfferings. Remember, in j'our
freedom . those who are oppressed ; remember, in
your own proud security the indignities ive
endure. Remember the fickleness of human fate,
— that those wounds, with which the nations
bleed, are so many wounds inflicted on that
principle of liberty, which makes your glory and
happin«>es. Remember that is a tie in mankind's
destiny ; be thankful for the tear of compassion
you shed over our mournful past, — but, have
something more than a tear, — have a brother »
hand to give to our pressure, and do unto us, ua
you would have ethers do to you.
READINGS, RECITATIONS, AND DIALOGUES.
317
749. A DIALOGUE BETWEEN A MINI8TEB, A SON
OF TEMPEEANCE, AND A TAVEEN KEEPER.
Minister. I have never had but one opinion
on this subject, and that is adverse to your
great " Movements," as you call them.
Son of Temperance. (With surprise.)
Adverse !
M. That is the word I have used.
S. of T. You surprise me. Of all others,
I would expect to find, in the Minister of the
Gk)spel, the advocate of Temperance.
M. I am the advocate of Temperance.
jS^. of T. And, yet, you do not approve our
action in this cause.
M. I do not.
S.ofT. Why so, sir?
M. Your pledge is based upon a simple
human resolution. Now, / acknowledge no
reforming power, but the grace of God. Build
the foundations of your Order upon religious
principles, and then 1 will have confidence
therein. But, so long as all depends on the
unsustained, unregenerated will of man, there
is no safety. Human resolutions may appear
very strong for a time ; but, so long as they
are unsustained by the silver cords of divine
truth, and the golden bands of divine love,
they may be broken at any moment Your
pledges^^and associations are but external
bonds, in danger of being severed at any
time, that inward struggling, self-love, self-
interest, appetite, or unsubdued passion
regain strength ; but, religion is an attraction
that draws from the centre of a man's life,
and holds all in permanent integrity. Your
" moral suasion," depend upon it, is of little
value ; I believe only in religious "suasion."
S. of T. What do you mean by religious ?
M. A change of heart, wrought by the
grace of God. Such a change is worth a
thousand pledges. The new man is freed
from the shackles of old appetites and pas-
sions ; he is washed from his impurities ; he
has left the fiery streams of sin, and drinks,
now, only of the waters of life.
S. of T. But, how is a drunkai-d to be^in
to be religious ?
Tavern Keeper. I knew several of these
men, Parson B., who have been saved by
your religious " suasion," as you call it.
M. Well? What of them?
Tnv. Keep. Out of six, who joined the
Church, four drink at ray bar as freely as
ever; two keep sober, but one of these is a
nigger rascal than he was before. These are
facts ; and no one should be afraid to look at
facts. So much for your pledges, ' and so
much for your religion! I wouldn't give
mu^h for either.
M. Nor would I give much for your hopes
of heaven, friend Tavern Keeper. You
musin't be angry with me, for speaking the
truth.
Tav. Keep. The troth, as seen from your
point of view. Not in the least angry. I am
a plain spoken man of the world ; I can
receive, xu turn, a good share of plain speak-
ing.
S. of T. Let us not, by any thitjg offen.
sively personal, disturb, on this occasion, the
balance of each other's minds. We three, all
men of some experience, look tipon the great
temperance movement, from different points
of observation. Each sees what is before
him, in a peculiar light, and comes to his
conclusions through a different course of
reasoning. No harm can, and some good
may, arise, from an interchange of ideas.
Tav. Keep. So / think. And, if yoa,
gentlemen, wish to converse on the subject
of Temperance, I am willing to give you the
benefit of my conclusions on the sulyect.
M. Suppose, then, Mend Tavern Keeper,
you give us your views about Temperance.
Tav. Keep. Well ; my view, to speak
frankly, is, that neither ministers nor tem-
perance men, as a general thing, are doing
half the good they might do.
S. of T. Indeed ! how so ?
Tav. Keep. I do not speak lightly, nor
from prejudice, in what I say. It was but
natural, that, from my relation to this move-
ment, I ehould, from the begimiing, assume
an attitude of observation. At first, I was
rather alarmed. You attacked the enemy so
vigorously, and carried point after point, with
such indomitable bravery, that I really began
to fear for my own position : and there was a
period, when, blinded by self-interest, and
angry with the sweeping denunciations hurled
at the heads of tavern keepers, I would, had
it been in my power, have crushed the very
heart out of your salutary reform. That
feeling, however, in time, passed away, and
was followed by a better state of mind. I
was still a careful observer; yet, with my
sympathies all on your side;.
S. of T. And still continued in the traffic ?
Tav. Keep. (Not appearing to notice this
remark.) It was not long, however, before I
saw, that your system had in it a most fatal
error.
S. of T. Ah! And pray what was this
error?
Tav. Keep. You took from the clinging
vine its old support, yet failed to furnish
another of adequate strength.
M. You are right there, friend Tavern
Keeper: this I have always said.
S. of T. We procured employment for
the refonned inebriate. We organized asso-
ciations, in which he might act with hia
fellow man, and find others to lean upon iu
his weakness ; others, who would encourage
him to persevere in the good work he had
begun. We interested his sympathies in the
poor drunkard, and sent him forth into the
highways and by-ways, the lanes and the
alleys, on missions of mercy.
Tav. Keep. And, for a while, everything
went on bravely.
M. But, all was done in the strength of
mere human resolutions ; and these are, in
times of strong temptations, weaker than the
bruised reed. No wonder, that so many,
who had run well for a season, fainted and
failed by the way. There is, depend upon
it, no true reliance upon any system that is
not based upon religion. The heart must first
318
READINGS, RECITATIONS,
be changed. Unless reform begins here, all
is hopeless.
Tav. Keep. So you ministers all say ; and,
yet, the pledge has made fifty sober men out
of drunkards, where your religion, as you call
It. has made one I speak knowingly on the
subject.
M. It pains me, to hear any one speak so
lightly of rehgion.
Tav. Keep. Don't misunderstand me. I
am no scoffer at God and the Bible.
M. And yet you scoff at religion.
Tav. Keep. Don't misunderstand me in
this, either. I have only spoken of the value
of what you call religion, in reforming the
drunkard. Do not construe my remarks into
any thing beyond this.
M. What we call religion ?
Tav Keep. Your suddenly wrought con-
versions, I mean. Your washing the Ethiop's
ekin white in a moment. In this kind of
religion I never had any faith : and this kind
of religion, let me tell you, never had, nor ever
will have, any salutary efficacy, in saving
men from the degradation of drunkenness.
M. The Bible is very explicit on this
subject. To all men, whether sober or not, it
says, " Ye mtist he born again." Here is the
only chance of salvation from evil.
Tav. Keep. I have never questioned this.
But I have always questioned your common
interpretation of the Scripture annunciation.
The Bible regards our natural birth as the
type of spiritual birth, does it not 1
M. Certainly.
Tav. Keep. And, yet, your new spiritual
man is conceived and bom in a moment ;
coming forth, as it were, in full stature. But,
ia natural birth, there is brought forth a
tender, helpless, ignorant infant, and a growth
therefrom, with almost imperceptible slow-
)iess; until, at length, we have the man in
fall stature. If this is the case, naturally,
how can we look for a different order of things
eoiritually 1 I am no Doctor oi Divinity ; but,
d-ipend upon it, my friend, you can have no
ti le spiritual man in any other way
S. of T. There is, to my mind, force in
what you say ; and I perceive some glimpses
of a new light breaking in upon me. Without
doubt, as experience too amply demonstrates,
there is some defect in our system; for,
thou^'h we can draw multitudes over to our
side, large numbers soon leave us for the old
enticements. It seems too true, that we take
from the clinging vine its former supports,
and fail to give another, having equal power
to lift, up to the breezes and sun-shine.
Tav. Keep. In other words, as Temperance
reformers, you cut off from a man, who has
sought, for years, his pleasure in sensual
indulgence, all his old delights ; and, ere a
new and higher life is developed, you fail to
substitute for him those innocent social plea-
sures, that he may enter into without danger.
You make stirring appeals to his reason and
manhood, and all that ; while, in truth, he is
but a child, weak-limbed, and tottering in the
right way. You lift him upon his feet, and
say to him, "Walk on bravely, confidently,
and all will be well ;" and, yet, he has, m
himself, no strength. And with the Cbtirch
it is no better, but rather worse.
M. Don't say that.
Tav. Keep. It is true. There, everything,
I might almost assert, is taken away, Tho
Chnrch excludes all pleasures, as evil in
themselves. What ground is there, therefore,
for the refonned drunkard to stand upon ?
M. The ground of trust in God.
Tav. Keep. Good ground, I will own, foi
those who can trust in Him.
M. All may, if they will.
Ta/v. Keep. But, there lies the great
difficulty. This willing to trust in God is
easy enough in theory, but how difficult do
thousands, and tens of thousands, find it in
practice. Many seem, for a time, to tmst in
God ; but the result proves, that it is only
seeming. Depend upon it, your Church
systems, with here and there an exception,
fail to provide for that very class most in need
of its saving influence. You require them to
come up to you, but never dream of going
down to them.
M. You make broad assertions, my friend.
Tav. Keep. Yet true, as that the sun
shines. The children of this world, as they
were eighteen hundred years ago, are still
wiser than the children of light. They go
down to the level of the ignorant, the sensual,
and the debased, and hold them where they
are, by ministering to what is in them. But
the •' children of light," as the religionists of
the day esteem themselves, never do this.
They offer only mental pleasures and sublime
ecstacies, and condemn all sensual pleasures
as evil. Instead of coming down to the
sensual-minded, with pure sensual pleasures,
and, by these, gradually lifting them up, step
by step, until, by an almost imperceptible
transition, they are able to elevate them into
a perception of mental delights, they say to
all, in a spirit of self-righteousness, come up
to us. But, alas ! who of the grovelling crowd
are able to go up ?
M. What would you have us do ?
Tav. Keep. I can say what I think it wise
for you to do.
M. Well : what is it ?
Tav. Keep. Bring within the pale of the
Church all innocent pleasures.
M. What do you call innocent ?
Tav. Keep. Such as do not violate any of
God's commandments.
M. Mention some of them.
Tav. Keep. Dancing, concerts of fine
music, exercises in elocution, dramatic repre-
sentations, and all other modes of enjoyment
not evil in themselves.
M. No.; never.
S. of T. You are right, friend Tavern
Keeper! I see this as I never saw it before.
It is too true, that we have failed to provide
irmocent pleasures, blending the sensual with
the intellectual, for those, who, during long
years, have debased themselves in things
merely corporeal. And this has arisen,
mainly, from our desire, as temperance men,
to be co-workers with the Churches, We
saw, and acknowledged, the power of God in
saving men; and numbers of us had faith in
AND DIALOGUES.
319
Iho pledge ; only so far as it paved the way
for religion, But, afar off, in stately attitudes,
stood the Church, with a repulsive, rather than
an inviting aspect. It did not come down
to help us ; but rather rebuked us, for inter-
fering with its exclusive right to save men.
Tav. Keep. Your arch-enemy knows better
how to do his work. He understands the
power of dramatic spectacles, of music and
pictures, of all things that appeal to the
senses ; and he is daily gathering in his
harvest, of those whom the Church neglects to
save. Under his particular patronage is the
theatre, which you might make so all-power-
ful for good; and, everywhere, he is seizing
upon things innocent, yet despised and
neglected by the Church, and making them
engines of destruction. But, good morning!
I have said a great deal more than I expected
to say, at first. Pardon my free speaking;
and do not be so unwise as to reject what is
untrue, even though it be uttered by a Tavern
Keeper. Good morning, gentlemen.
S. of T. Just one word, if you please.
Tav. Keep. Well ; speak freely.
S. of T. I must also venture upon a plain
word^or two, before we part. I acknowledge
myself your debtor, for useful hints; perhaps
I may be of equal service to you.
Tav. Keep. Say on : I am always willing
to learn.
S. of T. You seem to have thought a good
deal on the subject of temperance. Has it
never occurred to you, that, as a vender of
liquor, you were doing harm in the com-
munity ?
Tav. Keep. O yes ; often. But, then, I
have argued, that my giving up the sale of
ardent spirits, wouldn't lessen their consump-
tion. Some one else would take my stand,
and sell on, just the same as before. And,
why, I have asked myself, should I not have
the benefit, as well as anotlier.
S. of T. Might not a thief, or robber, use
the same argument?
Tav. Keep. Not always ; for, if he failed
to rob, or steal, in a certain case, his intended
victim would, in all probability, go free of
harm.
S. of T. Perhaps so. Still, I do not
understand how any one, as intelligent and
observant as you are, can reconcile it to his
instinctive sense of right, to make gain of that
which destroys his brother, body and soul.
Tav. Keep. I doubt, if many who sell
liquor, permit that instinctive sense of right,
to which you refer, to come into play.
S. of T. How can they help it ?
Tav. Keep. The selfish love of gain rulea
over most of our impulses.
<S. of T. Most true. But, are we just to
ourselves, to say nothing of society, thus to
permit self-love to overrule these better
impulses?
Tav. Keep. I will not say that we are.
M. Society is held in its integrity, by the
bond of mutual benefits. The farmer, the
mechanic, the manufacturer, the artist, are all
engaged in promoting the public good. Each
works for, and provides, food raiment, or
other things needful to sustain life, and
increase the common stock of enjoyment. A
few are drones in the hive; spending their
days in idleness, and taking from others,
without rendering a just return of benefits.
And there is yet another dass, who are
neither producers nor idlers, but parasites,
drawing life from the very hearts of the
people; who pull down, but never aid in
building up, the social fabric. Can you guess
the class to which I allude ?
Tav. Keep. To do so, would not, by any
means, be difficult.
S. of T. It grieves me, friend Tavern
Keeper, to adjudge you as belonging to this
class,
Tav. Keep. I will not gainsay your judg-
ment now. To-morrow it will be different,
S. of T. Do I hear aright? Will you,
indeed, give up this evil traffic ?
Tav. Keep. Such is my purpose. For
some time, my mind has been approaching
this decision. It has been confirmed by our
present conversation.
S. of T. You will come over on our side,
and help us ?
Tav. Keep. I will abandon the sale of
liquor. Thus much I owe to society, as a
good citizen. Beyond that, I can now pledge
myself to nothing. As already said, I do not
think either your rule of action, or that of the
Church, the surest and best that can be
adopted. You do not come down low enough,
stooping under the poor debased drunkard,
like the mother-bird to her fledgings. You do
not wisely regard what is in man, You do
not come to his senses with enticements, and
thus give him the good, opposite to the evil
that has been removed. But I have spoken
of this already. Good morning !
8. of T. May God confirm you in your
good resolutions.
M. Amen.
Tav. Keep, And may he bring to your
love of serving your fellows, a higher intelli-
gence ; for, rest assured, that both of you have
much to learn of the science, by vphich we
are saved from evil.
750» DEBATE— CHARACTER OF JULIUS CiBSAK.
N. B. This Debate can be given as a whole, qt
any part of it be declaimed by one, or more
individuals, according to circumstances.
R. A., Chairman.
The Debaters.— J. G., F. M., R. P., R. G., B. G.,
F. A., R. v., W. M., R. T., W. S., H. H., F. W.
R. A. Gentlemen, I am happy to see you.
Agreeably to the notice of your late worthy
chairman, you have assembled to discuss the
propriety of calling Caesar a Great Man. I
promise myself much satisfaction from your
debate. I promise myself the pleasure of
hearing many ingenious arguments on each
side of the question, and the gratification of
witnessing a contest, maintained with anima
tion, good humor, and courtesy. You are my
sureties, and I shall not be disappointed.
The avocations of your late chairman have
not allowed him to resume his seat — a seat
honorable in itself, but more honorable from
320
READINGS. RECITATIONS,
the diguity with which he filled it. I have
been appointed to succeed him.
My first duty is, to bear testimony to the
accomplishments of my predecessor; to his
eloquence, his • disinterestedness, and his
address. My next duty regai'ds myself; afid
calls upon me to declare my sense of the
honor 1 enjoy, in having been appointed to
this station. My lust duty — and one that I
discharge with great diffidence — is, to present
you -rnth a lew observations that have
reference to the occasion of your being
assembled.
Yoa are assembled, gentlemen, to discuss
the merits of a man, whose actions are con-
nected with some of the most interesting
events in Roraan story. You have given the
subject due consideration. You come pre-
pared for ihe contest ; and I shall not presume
to offer any opinion, respecting the ground
which either side ought to take. My remarks
shall be confined to the study of Oratory ; and,
allow me to say, I consider Oratory to be the
second end of our academic labors, of which
the first end is, to render us enlightened,
useful, and virtuous.
The principal means of communicating our
ideas are two — speech and writing. The
former is the parent of the latter; it is the
more important, and its highest effi)rts are
called Oratory.
If we consider the very early period at
which we begin to exercise the faculty of
speech, and the frequency with which we
exercise it, it must be a subject of surprise,
that so few excel in Oratory. In any enlight-
ened community, you will find numbers who
are highly skilled in some particular art or
science, to the study of which ihey did not
apply themselves, till they had almost arrived
at the stage of manhood. Yet, with regard to
the powers ox* speech— those powers which
the very second year of our existence gener-
ally calls into action, the exercise of which
goes on at our sports, our studies, our walks,
our very meals ; and which is never long
suspended, except at the hour of refreshing
sleep; with regard to those powers, how few
^ surpass their fellow-creatures of commo'
infonnation and moderate attainments ! herw
very few deserve distinction ! how rarely
does one attain to eminence !
The causes are various ; but we must not
attempt, here, to investigate them. I shall
simply Slate, that one cause of our not
generally excelling in Oratory, is, our neglect-
ing to cultivate the art of speaking — of
speaking our own language. We acquire
the power of expressing our ideas, almost
insensibly; we consider it as a thing that is
natural to us; we do not regard it as an art:
it ?s an art — a difficult art — an intricate art —
and our ignorance of that circumstance, or our
omitting to give it due consideration, is the
cause of our deficiencv.
In the infant, just beginning to articulate,
you will observe every inflection that is
recognized in the most accurate treatise on
elocution; you will observe, further, an exact
propoition in its several cadences, and a
speaking expression in its tones. Select a
dozen men — men of education, erudition — ask
them to read a piece of animated composition ;
you will be fortunate if you find cue in the
dozen, that can raise, or depress, his voice —
inflect or modulate it, as the variety of the
subject requires. What has become of the
inflections, the cadences, and the modulation,
of the infant ? They have not been exercised ;
they have been neglected ; they have never
been put into the hands of the artist, that he
might apply them to their proper use ; they
have been laid aside, spoiled, abused ; and, ten
to one, they will never be good for any thing •
Oratory is highly useful to him that excels
in it. In common conversation, observe the
advantage which the fluent speaker enjoys
over the man that hesitates, and stumbles in
discourse. With half his information, he has
twice his importance ; he commands the
respect of his auditors; he instructs and
gratifies them. In the general transactions
of business, the same superiority attends him.
He communicates his views with clearness,
precision, and effect; he carries his point
by his mere readiness ; he concludes his
treaty, before another kind of man would have
well set about it. Does he plead the cause
of friendship ? how happy is his friend! Of
charity? how fortunate is the distressed?
Should he enter the Senate of his country, he
gives strength to the party which he espouses ;
should he be independent of party, he is a
party in himself. If he advocates the cause
of liberty, he deserves to be the people's
champion ; if he defends their i-ights, he
approves himself the people's bulwark !
That you will persevere in the pursuit of so
useful a study, as that of Oratory, I confi-
dently hope. That your progress has been,
hitherto, considerable, I am about to receive
a proof.
Gentlemen, the questionfor debate, is — Was
CjisAR A Great Man ?
J. G. Sir, to bespeak your indulgence, is a
duty, imposed, no less, by a knowledge of
your desert, than by a consciousness of my
deficiency. I am unpractised in the orator's
art; nor can I boast that native energy of
jralent, which asks not the tempering of
experience ; but, by its single force, effects
what seems the proper achievement of labors,
and of years. Let me, then, hope, that you
will excel in favor, as much as I shall fall
short in merit. Let me presume, that the
perfonnance of what I undertake with diffi
dence, will be regarded by you with allowance.
Let me anticipate, that failure will not be
imputed as a crime, to him, who dares not
hope success.
"Was Caesar a great man?" What revo
lution has taken place in the first appointed
government of the universe ; what new and
opposite principle has begun to direct the
operations of nature ; what refutation of their
long established precepts, has deprived Reason
of her sceptre, and Virtue of her throne, that
a character, which forms the noblest theme
that ever Merit gave to Fame, should now
become a question for debate ?
No painter of human excellence, if he
would draw the features of that hero'a
AND DIALOGUES.
321
charat'ter, needs study a favorable light, or
striking attitude. In every jjosture, it has
majesty; and the liueaiiienis cl'its beauty are
prorninent in every point of view. Do you
esk uie, " Had Ctesar genius ?" He was an
orator! " Had CiBsar judgment?" He was
a politician ! '' Had C«sar valor ?" He was
a conqueror! "'Had C^sar feeling?" He
was a friend !
It is a generally received opinion, that
uncommon circuraslances make uncommon
n3»,n. Caesar was an uncommon man, in
Ccmmon circumstances. The colossal mind
commands your ailrairation, no less in the
pirate's captive, than in the victor of Phar-
ealia. Who, but the first of his race, could
have made vassals of his savage masters,
mocked them into reverence of his suoerior
nature, ami threatened, with impugnity the
power that held him at its mercy ? Of all the
striking incidents of CiGsar's life, had history
iireserved for us but this single one, it would
have been sufficient to make us fancy all the
rest ; at least, we should have said, " Such a
man was born to conquest, and to empire!"
To expatiate on CfBsar's powers of oratory,
would only be to add one poor eulogium to the
testimony of the lirst historians. Cicero,
himself, grants him the palm of almost pre-
eminent merit; and seems at a loss for words
to express his admiration of him. His voice
was musical, his deliver^' energetic, his
^anguage chaste and rich, appropriate and
peculiar. And it is well presumed, that, had he
Etudied the art of pubhc speaking, with as
much industry as he studied the art of war,
he would have been the first of orators.
Q.uintilian says, he would have been the
only man, capable of combatting Cicero ; but,
granting them to have been equal in ability,
what equal contest could the timid Cicero —
whose nerves fail him, and whose tongue
f&Uers, when the forum glitters with arms
—what equal contest could he have held with
the man, whose vigor chastised the Belgoe,
and annihilated the Nervii, that maint>ained
their ground, till they were hewn to pieces
on tile spot I
His abilities, as a master of composition,
were, undoubtedly, of the fii'st order. How
admirable is the structure of his Commen-
taries ! what perspicuity and animation are
there in the details ! You fancy yourself
upon the field of action'. You follow the
development of his plans, with the liveliest
curiosity ! You look on with unwearied
attention, as he fortifies his camp, or invests
his enemy, or crosses the impetuous torrent!
You behold his legions, as they move forward,
from diilerent points, to the line of battle ; you
hear the shout of the onset, and the crash of
the encounter; and, breathl'^ss with suspense,
mark every fluctuation of the awful tide
of war!
As a politician, how consnmraate was his
address ! How grand his projections ! How
hapi>y the execution of his measures ! He
compels the vanijuished Helvetii to rebuild
their towns and villages ; making his enemies
ihe guards, as it were, of his frontier. He
captivates, by his clemency, the Arvemi, and
Ut(0^'SON. 21
the Mdni, winning to Vtic support of his arms,
the strength that had been employed to over-
power them. He governs his })rovince with
such eciuily, and wisdom, as add a milder, but
a fairer lustre to his giory ; and, by their
fame, prepare the Roman people for his liappy
yoke. Upon the very eve of his rupture with
Pompey, he sends back, on demand, the
bonowed legions, covering with rewards the
soldiers that may no longer serve him ; ami
whose weapons, on the morrow, may be
turned against his breast— presenting, here, a
noble example of his respect of right; and
of that magnanimity, which maintains that
gratitude should not cease, though benetite
are discontinued. When he reigns sole
master of the Roman world, how temperate
is his triumph ! how scrupulous his respect
for the very forms of the laws ! He discounte-
nances the profligacy of the patricians, and
endeavors to preserve the virtue of the
state, by laying wholesome restraints upofi
luxury. He encourages the arts and sciences,
patronizes genius and talent, respects religion
and justice, and puts in practice every means
that can contribute to the welfare, the happi-
ness, and the stability of the empire.
To you, sir, who are so fully versed in the
page of history, it must be unnecessary to
recount the military exploits of Caesar. Why
should I compel your attention to follow
him, for the hundredth time, through hostile
myriads, yielding, at every encounter, to the
force of his invincible arms. Full often, sir,
have your calculations hesitated to credit the
celerity of his marches ; your belief recoiled
at the magnitude of his operations; and your
wonder re-perused the detail of his successive
victories, following upon the shouts of one
anotlier. As a captain, he was the first of
warriors; nor were his valor and skill more
admirable, than his abstinence and watchful-
ness ; his disregard of ease and his endurance
of labor ; his moderation and his mercy.
Perhaps, indeed, this last quality forms the
most prominent feature in his character; and
proves, by the consequences of its excess,
that virtue itself requires restraint, and has
its proper bounds, which it ought not to
exceed ; for Caesar's moderation was his rain!
That Cassar had a heart susceptible of
friendship, and alive to the finest touchee
of humanity, is unquestionable. Why does
he attempt, so often, to avert the storm of
civil war ? Why doef he pause so long upon
the brink of the Rubicon ? Why does he
weep when he beholds the head of his unfor-
tunate rival ? Why does he delight in
pardoning his enemies ; even those very men
that had deserted him?
It seems as if he lived the lover of mankind,
and fell — as the Baiu) expresses it — van-
quished, not so much by the weapons, as by
the ingratitude, of his murderers.
If sir, a combination of the most splendid
talents for war, with the most sacred love of
peace — of the most illustrious public virtue,
with the most endearing private worth — of
the most unyielding courage, with tho moat
accessible moderation, may constitute n groot
man — that title must be Cajsar's !
322
READINGS, RECITATIONS.
F. M. Sir, I come to the discassion of this
question, with something more than the
anxiety and hesitation, with something less
than the ardor and the hope, of a novice.
When the man that has not proved his
strength, is brought to the test, how much
soever he may seem to doubt himself, he still
feels a secret trust that he shall succeed ; -and,
even while he apparently shrinks from the
trial, views himself, in the anticipating mirror
of expectation, crowned with the meed of
applause. Besides, his very inexperience is
a socrce of confidence ; for, in the eye of the
severest judge, he shall not merit condemna-
tion, who fails upon his first attempt. From
what source shall I derive the hope, that I
shall not expose myself to the contempt,
which the man, who fails in the performance
of what he undertakes, deserves ? From your
forbearance? Yes, sir; allow me to presume
upon that, as a source of confidence ; allow
me to trust, that you will not exercise a
rigorous judgment with respect to him, who,
if he answer not the expectation which the
chairman of this assembly has a right to form
of those who aspire to his notice, possesses,
still, the humble merit of acknowledging his
liability to that misfortune, and the prudence
to guard you against disappointment.
No change, sir, has taken place in the first
appointed government of the universe. The
operations of nature acknowledge, now, the
same principle that they did in the beginning.
Reason still holds her sceptre, Virtue still fills
her throne, and the epithet of greai does not
belong to C?Bsar!
I would lay it down, sir, as an unquestion-
able position, that the worth of talents is to be
estimated, only by the use we make of them.
If we employ them in the cause of virtue,
their value is great. If we employ them in
the cause of vice, they are less than worth-
less— they are pernicious and vile. Now, sir,
let us examine Caesar's talents by this prin-
ciple, and we shall find, that, neither as an
orator, nor as a politician — neither as a warrior,
nor as a friend — was Caesar a great man. •
If 1 were asked, " What was the first, the
second, and the last principle of the virtuous
mind?" I should reply, " It was the love of
country." Sir, it is the love of parent, brother,
friend ! the love of man ! the love of honor,
virtue, and religion ! the love of even^ good
and virtuous deed ! I say, sir, if I were
asked, " What was the first, the second, and
the last principle of the virtuous mind?"
I should reply, " It was the love of country !"
Without it, man is the basest of his kind!
d t elfish, cunning, narrow speculator ! a
trader in the dearest interests of his species !
reckless of every tie of nature, sentiment,
aff'ection! a Marms ; a Sylla; a Crassus; a
Cataline ; a Caesar ! What, sir, was Caesar's
oratory? How far did it prove him to be
actuated by the love of country? I'll tell
you, sir ; I'll show you this great Caesar in
such a light and posture, as skall present no
air of majesty, or lineament of beauty. How
far, I say, sir, did Caesar's oratory prove him
to be actuated by the love of country? It
justified, for political interest, the invader
of his domestic honor : sheltered the incerv
diary ! abetted treason ! flattered the people
into their own undoing! assailed the liberties
of his country, and bawled into silence every
virtuous patriot that struggled to uphold them/
He would have been a greater orator than
Cicero ! I question the assertion ; I deny
that it is correct ; I revolt from it ; I will not
suffer it ! He would have been a greater
orator than Cicero ! Well ! let it pass ; he
might have been a greater orator, but he
never could have been so great a man.
Which way soever he had directed his
taJents, the same inordinate ambition would
have led to the same results ; and, had he
devoted himself to the study of ora^.ory, his
tongue had produced the same effects as his
sword; and equally desolated the human
kingdom.
But Caesar is to be admired as a politician !
I do not pretend to define the worthy speaker's
idea of a politician ; but I shall attempt, Mr.
Chairman, to put you in possession of mine.
By a politician, I understand a man who
studies the laws of prudence and of justice,
as they are applicable to the wise and happy
government of a people, and the reciprocal
obligations of states. Now, sir, how far was
Caesar to be admired as a politician ? He
makes war upon the innocent Spaniards, that
his military talents may not suffer from
inaction. This was a ready way to preserve
the peace of his province, and to secure its
loyalty and affection ! That he may be
recorded as the first Roman that had* ever
crossed the Rhine, in a hostile manner, he
invades the unoffending Germans, lays waste
their territories with nre, and plunders and
sacks the country of the Sicambri and tli--
Suevi. Here was a noble pohcy ! that planted
in the minds of a brave and formidably people,
the fatal seeds of that revenge and hatred,
which finally assisted in accomplishing the
destruction of the Roman Empire ! In short,
sir, Caesar's views were not of that enlarged
nature, which could entitle him to the name
of a great politician ; for he studied, not the
happiness and interest of a community, but
merely his own advancement, which he
accomplished, by violating the laws, and
destroying the liberties, of his country.
That Caesar was a great conqueror, I
do not care to dispute. His admirers are
welcome to all the advantages that result
from such a position. I will not subtract one
victim from the hosts, that perished for liis
fame; nor abate, by a single groan, the
sufferings of his vanquished enemies, from his
first great battle in Gaul, to his last victory
under the walls of Munda; but I will avow
it to be my opinion, that the character of a
great conqueror does not necessarily consti-
tute that of a great man ; nor can the recital
of Caesar's many victories produce any other
impression upon my mind, than what pro-
ceeds from the contemplation of those convul-
sions of the earth, which, in a moment,
inundate, with ruin, the plains of fertility and
the abodes of peace ; or, at one shock, convert
whole cities into the graves of their living
population.
AND DIALOGUES.
523
Hut OiBsar's munificence, liis clemency,
f'-^"' moderation, and his affectionate nature,
r";?titate him a great man! What v/as his
D noificenee, his clemency, or his moderation?
'J he automaton of his ambition ! It knew no
BKpiranon from the Deity. It was a thing
trom the hands of a mechanician ! an ingenious
mockery of nature ! Its action seemed spon-
taneous— its look argued a soul — but all the
virtue lay in the finger of the operator. He
could possess no real munificence, moderation,
or clemency, who ever expected his gifts to
be doubled by return ; who never abstained,
but with a view to excess ; nor spared, Iftit
for the indulgence of rapacity.
Of the same nature, sir, were his affections.
He was, indeed, a man of exquisite artifice;
but the deformity of his character was too
prominent; no dress could thoroughly hide it;
nay, sir, the very attempt to conceal, served
only to discover the magnitude of the dis-
tortion. He atones to the violated and
murdered laws, by doing homage to their
rames ; and expiates the massacre of thou-
sands, by dropping a tear or two into an ocean
of blood !
R. P. Sir, if it is necessary for talent and
desei-t to bespeak indulgence, what ' shall
encourage him, who cannot boast of talent
and desert ? ^ With how much diffidence did
the gentlemen that have preceded me, present
themselves to your notice ; how cautious were
they to prepare you for something that might
exercise your patience, and stand in need of
your forbearance ; and yet, with how much
energy, ease, and address, have they acquitted
themselves ! I must confess, I hardly think
it just to prsfess a deficiency, which we do
not feel; it exhausts, needlessly, the stock of
benevolence, and leaves the really neces-
sitous without assistance or relief; it is like
a rich man's assuming the garb of a mendicant,
and drawing upon the treasury of commisera-
tion for those sighs, and that solace, which
are the proper alms of penury and distress.
For my part, sir, I shall so far profit by the
example of those gentlemen, as not to bespeak
your excuse, lest I should thereby excite your
expectation; and shall, accordingly, proceed
to consider the question, without apology, or
further preface.
To form an accurate idea of Caesar's
character, it is necessary that we should
consider the nature of the times in which he
lived ; for the conduct of public men cannot be
duly estimated, without a knowledge of the
circumstances under which they have acted-
The happiness of a community resembles the
health of the body. As it is not always the
game regimen that can preserve, or the same
medicine that can restore, the latter; so, the
former is not always to be maintained by the
same measures, or recovered by the same
corrections. There was a time, when kingly
power had grown to so enormous an excess,
as rendered its abolition necessary for the
salvation of the Roman people. Let us
examine whether the times, in which Caesar
lived, did not call for, and justify, the measures
which he adopted ; whether the liberty of the
lepublic had not degenerated into such a state
of anarchy, as rendered it expedient, that the
power of the empire should be vested in ono
man, whose influence and talents couid
command party, and control faction.
The erroneous ideas that we have formed
concerning Bxjman liberty, have induced us
to pass a severe judgment on the actions of
many an illustrious man. The admirers
of that liberty will not expect to be told, that
it was little better than a name. True
liberty, sir, could never have been enjoyed by
a people, who were the slaves of continual
tumults and cabals ; whose magistrates were
the mere echoes of a. crowd, and among
whom, virtue itself, had no protection from
popular caprice, or state intrigue. By the
term liberty, I understand a freedom from all
responsibility, except what morality, virtue,
and religion impose. That is the only liberty,
which is consonant with the true interests of
man; the only liberty, that renders his
association with his fellows permanent and
happy; the only liberty, that places him in
a peaceful, honorable, and prosperous com-
munity ; the only liberty that makes him the
son of a land, that he would inhabit till his
death, and the subject of a state, that he
would defend with his property and his blood !
All other liberty is but a counterfeit — the
stamp a cheat, and the metal base — turbulence,
insolence, licentiousness, party ferment, selfish
domination, anarchy — such anarchy as needed
more than mortal talents to restrain it ; and
found them in a Caesar.
I hold it to be an unquestionable position,
that they, who duly appreciate the blessings
of liberty, revolt as much from the idea of
exercising, as from that of enduring, oppres-
sion. How far this was the case with the
Romans, you may inquire of those nations that
surrounded them. Ask them, "What insolent
guard paraded before their gates, and invested
their strongholds?" They will answer, "A
Roman legionary." Demand of them, " What
greedy extortioner fattened by their poverty,
and clothed himself by their nakedness?"
They will inform you, "A Roman Clusestor."
Inquire of them, 'What imperious stranger
issued to them his mandates of imprisonment
or confiscation, of banishment or death?"
They will reply to you, " A Roman Consul."
Cluestion them, " What haughty conqueror
led, through his city, their nobles and kings in
chains, and exhibited their countrymen, by
thousands, in gladiators' shows, for the amuse-
ment of his fellow citizens V They will tell
you, " A Roman General." Require of them,
"What tyrants imposed the heaviest yoke?
enforced the most rigorous exactions ? inflicted
the most savage punishments, and showed
the greatest gust for blood and torture?"
They will exclaim to you, "The Roman
people."
Yes, sir, that people, so jealous of what
they called their liberties, to gratify an insa-
tiate thirst for conquest, invaded the liberties
of every other nation ; and on what spot
soever they set their tyrant foot, the fair and
happy soil of the freeman withered at their
stamp ! But the retributive justice of Heaven
ordained, that their rapacity should be the
524
HEADINGS, RECITATIONS,
means of its own punishment. As their
territories extended, their armies re-juired to
be enlarged, and their- campaigns became
proti-acted. Hence, the citizen lost, in the
camp, that independence which he had been
taught in the city: and, being long accus-
tomed to obey, implicitly, the voice of his
general, from having been sent forth the hope,
returned the terror of his country. Hence,
air, their generals forgot, in foreign parts, the
republican principles which they had imbibed
'n the forum ; and, long habituated to unlimited
command, from being despots abroad, learned
to be traitors -at iwme. Hence, sir, Marius
returned the salutations of his fellow-citizens
with the daggers of assassins ; and, with cool
ferocity, marched to the Capitol, amidst the
groans of his butchered countrymen, expiring
on each side of him; hence, Sylla's bloody
jn-oscription, that turned K-ome into shambles;
that tore its victims from the altars of the
gods ; that made it death for a man to shelter
a person proscribed, though it were his son,
liis brother, or his father ; and never suffered
the executioners to take breath, till senators,
knights, and citizens, to the number of nine
thousand, had been inhumanly murdered !
Sucli, sir, were the events that characterized
the times in which Caesar lived. To such
atrocities were tlie Roman people subject,
while the rivalry of their leading men was
at liberty to create divisions in" the state.
Had you, sir, lived in those times, what would
you liave called the man, that would have
stepped forward to secure your country against
the repetition of those liorrid scenes. Would
you not have styled him a friend to his
country — a benei'aclor to the world — a great
man — a demi-god? Was not Caesar such a
character? Observe what use he makes of
his power. He does not employ it to gratify
revenge, or to awe his countrymen ; on the
contrary, the whole of his conduct encourages
coniidence and freedom; while he reforms
the government, and enacts the wisest laws,
for the preservation of order, and for the
happiness of the community. They who
object to the character of Coasar, condemn it,
principally, upon the score of his having
erected himself into the sole governor of the
republic; but, let it be remembered, that the
happiness of a state does not depend so much
upon the form of its government, as upon the
manner in which that government is adminis-
tered. A country might be as prosperous
and free, under what was anciently called a
tyranny, as where the chief power was vested
in the people,
In short, sir, when Caesar created himself
dictator, and thereby destroyed, virtually, the
repubUcan form of government, he usurped
no more than the people did, when they
erected themselves into a republic, and there-
by destroyed the monarchy ; and the existing
circumstances, which rendered the act of the
latter expedient, were not more urgent than
those, which gave rise to the conduct of the
former.
Ofnsar, sir, was a great man !
li G., Sen. Ca?sar, sir, was not a great
man He, who. for his own private views.
disobeyed the order of the senate, from whoff.
he held his power ; he, who seduf'ed ftcrit
their duty, the soldiers whom he commanded,
in trust, for the repubhc ; he, who passed tnt;
Rubicon, though, by that step, he knew no
must inundate his country with blood ; he.
who plundered the public treasury, that
he might indulge a selfish and rapacious
ambition ; he, against whom the virtuous
Cato ranked himself, whose very mercy the
virtuous Cato deemed a dishonor, to which
death was preferable — was not a great man.
" Caesar erected himself into a tyrant, that
he^might prevent a repetition of those atrocities
which had been committed by Marius and
Sylla!" What does ^he gentleman mean by
such an assertion? Ccesar pursues the same
measures that Marius and Sylla did — Why?
— to prevent the recurrence of the effects,
which those measures produced! He keeps
his eye steadfastly fixed upon them ; follows
them in the same track ; treads in their very
foot-prints ? Why ? That he may arrive at
a different point of destination : What flimsy
arguments are these ! What were Sylla and
Marius, that Caesar was not? If t?Ley were
ambitious, was not he ambitious ? If they
were treacherous, was not he treacherous ?
If they rebelled, did dot he rebel? If they
usurped, did not he usurp? If they were
tyrants, was not he a tyrant?
You were told, the people, from their long
continued service in the army, gradually lost
the spirit of independence, and that the
calamities of the state arose from that cause.
Granted; it follows, then, that a spirit of
independence was necessary for the prosperity
of the state ; and, consequently, that the way
to put a stop to its calamities, was to revive
that spirit. Did Caesar do this ? The gentle-
man says, he had the happiness of his country
at heart. From his own argument, it follows,
tliat this was the way to secure the happiness
of his country. Did Cossar adopt it? Was it
to i-evive, in his counlrjmen, the spirit of
independence, that he audaciously stepped
from the rank of their servant, to that of their
master? Was it to preserve the integi-ity,
which fosters that spirit, that he corrupted
the virtue of all that came in contact with
him, and that he dared to tempt? Was it for
the regeneration of the republic, that he con-
verted it into a tyranny ? Was it to restore
the government to its ancient health and
soundness, that he filled all the offices of the
state with his own creatures — the instruments
of his usurpation? Was it to re-animate the
people with the sense of their own dignity,
that he called them BnUi and Cumosi — that
is, beasts and fools — when they applauded
the tribunes, for having stripped his statues
of the royal diadems, with which his flatterers
had dressed them? These were the acts
of Caesar. Did they tend to restore the
ancient virtue of the Roman people ? No,
sir; they tended to annihilate the chance of
its restoration ; to sink the people into a viler
abasement ; to rob them of the very names of
men.
But the gentleman has brought forward a
very curious argument, for the purpose of
AND DIALOGUES.
325
pm»ing thut the Romans were incapable
of being a free people ; namely, that their
magietrates were the mere echoes of the
people. He adverts, I suppose, to what were
oalled the tribunes of the people — officers, t.at
acted particularly for the plebeian orders, and
were generally chosen from their body. But
tliose magistrates, or tribunes, were, it seems,
the mere voices of the people, and that
circ am stance rendered the people incapable
of being free ! To me, at least, this is a
paradox. Who elected these tribunes ? The
people What were they? The represen-
tatives of the people. Whose atfairs did they
manage ? The affairs of the people. To
whom were they responsible? The people.
What should they have been, then, but the
voices, or, as the gentleman has expressed, it,
the echoes of the people? But this circum-
stance rendered the Roman people incapable
of being free ! Did it shackle them, to have
a control over their tribunes ? Did it enslave
them, to have a voice in their own measures?
Did it sell them into bozidage. to have t.he
disposal of their owr: affairs? If it did, T
would advise you, sir, not to meddle with
that honest man, your steward. Bid him let
what farms he pleases ; demand what tines
he pleases; cultivate what land he pleases;
fell what timber he pleases ; keep what
accounts he pleases ; and make what returns
he pleases ; lest, by impertinently meddling
vk ith your servant, in your own affairs, you
rob youi'self; ruin your estate; become
involved in debt ; and end your days in
prison !
Tbe admirers of Cossar, and, of course, of
that form of government, which was anciently
called a tyranny, ai-e extremely fond of under-
rating the character of the Romans, as a free
people ; their liberty they always represent
to us, as something bordering on excess; ai.d,
following the idea that extremes meet, they
describe it as verging into that extreme,
which naturally leads to despotism. But the
hypothesis which is not borne out by facts, is
g(X)d for nothinc^. It was iMt the liberty
which the plebeians enjoyed, that was the
cause of their final enslavement. It was the
senate's jealousy of that liberty; tbe senate's
struggles for the control of that liberty ; the
senate's plunder of that liberty ; the senate's
desire to annihilate that liberty; which left it
In the power of any crafty knave, miscalled a
great man, who was sufficiently master of
hypocrisy and daring, to set his foot on both
the senate and the people, and make himself,
as CiBsar did, the tyrant of his country!
F. A. Mr. Chairman
B. G. Mr. Chairman
F A. I belierve I am in possession of the
obair— 1 certainly spoke first.
£. G. I apprehend that I rose first. How-
ever, the point may be easily settled. The
Chairman will decide which of us first caught
his attention.
Chairman. The last speaker is certainly
ia possession of the ohair.
F. A. I acquiesce in the decision.
B. Q. When the voice of a single man,
cfia operate so instantaneously, in composing
a difference, who would net approve of a
rational and moderate lyranny * It is not.
however} Mr. Chairman, my present object,
to answer the arguments, which have been »o
ably brought forward, to support the negative
of tfiis question. 1 rise to submit a few
observations upon the nature of the question
i4;self. I take the liberty of stating, that T
think it an injudiciously selected question ;
a vague and indefinite question; a questioa
which does not receive from every mind tlie
same interpretation. I dare assert, Mr. Chair-
man, that, in this very assembly, there are
various different opinions with respect to
what constitutes a great man. Some will tell
you, that greatness consists in rank ; some,
in exploits ; some, in talects ; some, in virtue.
Thus, sir, the very premises of our discussion
are unsettled and wavering; and, from
unsettled and wavering premises^ what can
pi'oceed, but indefinite and inconclusive argu-
ments. Already do the gentlemen on the
opposite side, endeavor to strain your question
to the construction, that greatness essentially
consists in goodness ; and they may quote
Mr. Pope, and say, '"Tis phrase absurd to
call a villain great." Others, again, may
insist, that greatness depends upon rank,
and exclaim, with Milton. " Worthiest, by
being good, far more than great, or high. '
Where are we to rest, sir, upon this doubtful
basis ? — this " neither sea, nor good dry land !"
I confess, Mr. Chairman, that, until this point
shall have been disposed of, 1 cannot hope tor
an end to the debate ; and, therefore, propose,
as an amendment, that, previously to the
further discussion of the question, we shall
determine, '• what it is that constitutes a great
man?'"
F. A. I oppose the amendment! I oppose
it, because I tliink it unnecessary, unprece-
dented, ill-timed, and indecorous
F. W. 1 beg your pardon, Mr. Cl^airman,
but [ believe there is not any motion before
you, as the gentleman's amendment has not
been .seconded.
li. V. Mr. Chairman, I second the amend-
ment.
Ckainnan. Tlie gentleman, then, will have
the goodness to submit his amendment in
writing.
F. A. I apprehend, sir, that your recora-
menda'ion involves a (juestion of no small
importance ; namely, whether the gentleman
can write.
B G. I thank the gentleman for his
friendly insinuation, and beg leave to assure
him, that if I cannot write, my deficiency is
far less deplorable than his, who is a master
of the art of penmanship, and makes a despi-
cable use of it; and I dare assert, that the
man, who makes a bad use of his tongue, will
never use his pen to much advantage. Mr.
Chairman, licre is the motion, ready written ;
and if the writing is not mine, the dictation
is ; and that is more than many a man can
say, who flourishes upon paper !
F. A. Sir, if the little gentleman that has
just sat down, imagines it would give me
any pleasure to hurt his feehngs, I assaro
him he is much mistalien. Mr. Chairman;
126
READINGS, as CITATIONS,
I object to the ameudment. on two grounds ;
first, because it is indecorous, with regard to
j'ou ; secondly, because it is uncalled for,
with regard to the question. Your experience,
sir, could never have allowed you to propose
a question, that required revision ; and had
you proposed such a question, it would have
been our duty to receive it without comment.
The question, in point, does not require
revision. You do not ask, if Caesar was a
great warrior, or a great politician ; but, if he
was a great man. Surely, sir, in these
enlightened times, we do not inquire what it
is that constitutes a great man ? Do we not
refuse the name of man to him, that violates
the laws of morality and religion? And,
if we wish to express, that a person is
eminently virtuous, do we not use that name
without a single epithet? To say of any one,
that he i-s a man, is to give him credit for the
noblest endowments of the heart. To say
that he is not a man, is to leave him destitute
of any generous principle. The question
cannot be viewed in any light but one;
namely, as inquiring whether Caesar was a
man of great virtues, and justifiable conduct ?
If he was so, our opposition will be fruitless.
If he was not so, those gentlemen exert their
eloquence to little purpose.
B. G. Sir, I hope the hi^ gentleman that
has just sat down, will do me the justice to
believe, that, as I receive little satisfaction
from being offended, so I am not sedulous to
find out cause for oflfence. If the gentleman
is serious in his apology, I ought to be — and
I am — satisfied. If he is not serious, I assure
him, that I pity the poverty of that man's
pretensions, who thinks he can humiliate
another, by reflecting upon the dimensions of
his body — that least and lowest part of a
man ! It is' not, sir, the consideration of five
feet, r,r six, that ever yet operated in achieving
a noble action, or performing a virtuous one;
nor have those maxims which have instructed,
or those imaginations which have delighted
mankind, proceeded from how much a man
could measure, in his stockings, the length of
his back, or the thickness of his body. Those
are considerations for your tailor ; and give
me leave to assure the worthy gentleman,
that, though he could overlook me by a full
head and a half, it would not give him the
advantage of one poor eighth of an inch, with
respect to heighth or breadth of soul, or
intellect — the proper, the real, the only measure
of a man. With regard to my amendment,
Mr. Chairman, I am not aaxious to press it.
That I did not propose it from any disrespectful
feeling towards you, I entreat you to believe.
I withdraw it, and I beg you will excuse the
inteiTuptio» it has occasioned.
Ch,airman. I cannot allow the last speaker
to withdraw his amendment, without express-
ing my conviction, that, in proposing it, he
was actuated solely by the desire of giving
the question a greater degree of precision.
I own it has been objected to, as not being so
definite as it ought to be ; and it is probable
that we might have presented it in a less
objectionable shape. However, I trust that
yoa will proceed with the discussion ; at the
same time, keeping in mind, that the greatest
talents, and the most brilliant achievementa.
are not sufl5cient to constitute a great man.
unless his ends are virtuous and noble.
F. A. Mr. Chairman, to you, sir, I am sure,
I need not apologize for the freedom I have
used, with regard to the gentleman who last
addressed you. Believe me, sir, had I not
known his great natural talents — had I not
admired and valued them — I should not have
presumed to ruffle him into resentment, or
pique him into retort. I appeared to slight
him, because I knew that he was above
slight. I questioned his strength, that he
might be tempted to exei't it ; and I rejoice at
his triumph, although it has been achieved by
my own apparent defeat.
But, upon what ground are we to acknow-
ledge that Ccesar was a great man ? For my
part, I am at a loss to account for the infatuation
of those who call him so ; for his chief merit
seems to have consisted in his talents as
a warrior; and those talents he certainly
employed in a cause that cannot be defended,
upon any principle of morality or religion.
What species of beings are we, that we laud
to the skies, those men whose names live in
the recollection of a field of carnage, a sacked
town, or a stormed citadel ? that we celebrate,
at our convivial meetings, the exploits of him,
who, in a single day, has more than trebled
the ordinary havoc of death 1 that our wives
and daughters weave garlands for the brow,
whose sweat has cost the groans of widows
and of orphans ? and that our very babes are
taught, to twine the ai-ms of innocence and
purrty about the knees that have been used
to wade in blood? I say, what species of
beings are we, that we give our praise, oui
admiration, and our love, to that which reReon,
religion, interest, every consideration, should
persuade us to condemn — to avoid — to abhor !
I do not mean to say, that war ought never
to be waged; there are, at times, occasionfi
when it is expedient — necessary — justifiable ;
but who celebrates, with songs of triumph, %
those commotions of the elements, that call
the awful lightning into action ; that hurl the
inundating clouds to earth ; and send the
winds into the deep, to rouse its horrors T
These things are necessary ; but we hail
them not with shouts of exultation ; we do
not clap our hands as they pass by us ; we
do not throng, in crowds, to their processions ,
we shudder, as we behold them! What
species of beings are we ? We turn, with
disgust, from the sight of the common execu-
tioner, who, in his time, has despatched a
score or two of victims, and we press to the
heels of him, that, in a single day, has been
the executioner ol thousands !
Let us not call Caesar a great man, because
he was a great warrior ; if we must admire
him, let us seek some other warrant for our
applauses, than what proceeds from the groans
and wri things of humanity !
Let us, then, sir, first, examine his youth —
and here we are struck with his notable
adventure with the pirates. These free-
booters took him, as he was sailing to Khodes •
they asked twenty talents for bis ransom,
AND DIALOGUES.
327
and, in derieion of their moderation, he
promised them fifty — the onus of which act of
liberality was borne by the honest Milesians,
who raised the money by a voluntary tax.
He spent thirty-eight days with those pirates ;
joined in their diversions ; took his exercises
among them ; wrote poems and orations, wliich
he rehearsed to them, and which, indeed,
pirates as they were, they did not admire ;
and, in short, lived among them witli as much
Becurity. ease, and honor, as if he had been in
Rome. And what was the sequel ? His
ransom arrives — they keep their compact — set
him at liberty — he departs— arrives at Miletus
— mans some vessels in the port of that
place — returns — attacks these same pirates —
takes the greater number of them prisoners,
and crucifies them to a man !
Was this a great act in Caesar ? True ! ha
had promised to do so, when they showed no
great relish for the songs and speeches which
he had written among them; but should he
have kept his promise? True! they were a
banditti ; they had depiuved him of his liberty :
but he had eaten at their board ; he had par-
taken of their diversions ; he had slept among
them in sacred security; he had railed at
them without retort ; threatened them, and
only excited delight at his freedoms. Should
oe, Mr. Chairman, have crucified them ?
crucified them to a man ? was there not one,
at least, he might have spared ? one blutf face,
whose humor and confidence had pleased him
above the rest? one hand, whose blunt
officiousness he more particularly remem-
bered? Oh! Mr. Chairman, do we admire
the attachment, which a wild beast displays
towards its attentive keeper ; do we applaud
that sacred and general principle of nature,
which allows kindness to obliterate the sense
of injury; and shall we give our sanction,
praise, and admiration, to this exploit of
Caesar's !
What do we find hira next about? He
produces the images of Marius ! that man,
who, as my worthy friend has said, returned
the salutations of his fellow-citizens, with the
blows of his assassins ; and marched to the
capitol, amidst the groans of his butchered
countrymen, expiring on each side of him.
This was wnot following the steps of Marius ;
it was justifying them; it was expatiating
upon them, in the language of veneration and
triumph 1 it was inviting to the standard of
his ambition, every recreant, that would sell
the vigor of his arm to any cause, no matter
how bloody, how unnatural, how immoral,
how sacrilegious !
I shall not comment upon the circumstance,
of his having been two hundred and fifty
thousand pounds in debt, before he obtained
any public otfice ; neither shall 1 dwell upon
his exhibition of three hundred and twenty
pair of gladiators ; his diversions in the
theatre ; his processions and entertainments ;
in which, as Plutarch says, he far outshone
the most ambitious, that had gone before
him J and, by which he courted the favor of
the vile, the witless, the sensual, and the
venal. I shall not expatiate upon the share
be had in Catahne's conspiracy. I shall not
track him in his military career, by pointing
out the ruin, which he left behind him at every
step. I shall simply answer those gentlemen,
who argue that Caesar usurped the supreme
power for the public good, by examining the
characters of the men who abetted him.
Were your country, sir, in a state of
anarchy ; were it distracted by the struggles
of rival parties, drawn out, every now and
then, in arms against one another ; and were
you, sir, to attempt a reformation of manners,
what qualifications would you require in the
men whom you would associate with you,
in such an undertaking ? What would con-
tent you ? Talent ?— No I Enterprise ?— No !
Courage ? — No ! Reputation ? — No ! Virtue ?
— No ! The men whom you would select,
should possess, not one, but all of these ;
nor, yet, should that content you. They must
be proved men — tested men — men that had,
again and again, passed through the ordeal
of human temptation, without a scar, without
a blemish, without a speck ! You would not
select a firebrand ; you would not seek your
seconds in the tavern, or in the brothel ; you
would not inquire out the man, who was
oppressed with debts, contracted by licentious-
ness, debauchery, every species of profligacy!
Who, sir, I ask, were Ctesar's seconds in this
undertaking? Crebonius Curio, one of the
most vicious and debauched young men in
Rome ; a creature of Pompey's, bought off by
the illustrious Ctesar? Marcus Antonius, a
creature of that creature's; a young man, so
addicted to every kind of dissipation, that he
had been driven from the paternal roof; the
friend and coadjutor of that Clodius, who
violated the mysteries of the Bona Dea, and
drove into exile the man, that had been called
the father of his country! Paulus iEmelius,
a patrician, a consul, a friend of Pompey's,
bought ofi" by the great Caesar, with a bribe
of fifteen hundred talents! Such, sir, were
the abettors of Caesar. What, then, was
Caesars object? Do we select extortioners,
to enforce the laws of equity ? Do we make
choice of profligates, to guard the morals of
society? Do we depute atheists, to preside
over the rites of religion ? What, I say, was
Caesar's object ? I will not press the answer ;
I need not press the answer ; the premises
of my argument render it unnecessary. The
achievement of great objects does not belong
to the vile ; or of vii'tuous ones, to the vicious ;
or of religious ones, to the profane. Ctssar
did not associate such characters with him for
the good of his country. His object was, the
gratification of his own ambition — the attain-
ment of supreme power ; no matter by what
means accomplished , no matter by what
consequences attended. He aspired to be
the highest, above the people ! above the
authorities ! above the laws ! above his country !
and, in that seat of eminence, he was content
to sit; though, from the centre to the far
horizon of his power, his eyes could con-
template nothing but the ruin and desolation,
by which he had reached it!
R. V. Mr. Chairman, I solicit your attention.
The gentleman says, we ought not to
rejoice at the triumphs of the warrior 1 Is
32S
READINGS, RECITATIONS,
this [josition, sir, to be received, without the
least resLrictiou ? Let us detect the sojjhistry
of tliose who support the nefjative of the
question.
A caitiff enters your house at the dead
hour of the night, prepared for robbery, and
grasping the instrument of murder ! You
hear the tread of unkaown feet ; you rise,
come upon the intruder, resi|t him, and lay
him prostrate! Shall your wife shudder,
when you approach to tell her she is safe?
Shall your children shrink from you. when
you say you have averted the danger, that
threatened their innocent sleep ? Why should
they not ? I'll tell you, sir: because you have
followed the dictates of reason, of affection,
of nature, and of God. Had you not
been alarmed — notwithstanding this imminent
danger, had you risen in safety, and had you
found the ruffian dead at your chamber door,
without a mark of violence upon him — his
ready weapon lying by his hand— had you
then called your family to behold the spectacle,
what would they all have done ? Would not
some have fallen upon their knees ? would
not others have stood with uplift hands?
would not all have been transfixed with
gratitude, with adoration, that their Almighty
guard had stretched his arm between them
and destruction, and marked a limit, which
the murderer should not pass, without the
penalty of death ? Ami is the question
changed, because you are the instrument of
God ? It would be preposterous to say so.
If, then, your wife, your children and family,
shall bless the hand that has been the means
of their preservation; if they shall weep for
gratitude, and press to you on every side,
rejoicing in the protection of y-our arm ; shall
he not hear the voice of gratulation, whose
skill and valor have saved the lives of
thousands ; have defended cities of matrons
and children, not from unexpected destruction
but from destruction, again and again antici-
pated— approaching before their eyes, and,
at every step, acquiring additional horror!
Sir, there are waiTiors, whose victories should
be celebrated with shouts and songs — for
whose brows our wives and daughters should
weave garlands, and whose knees our infants
should embrace — such warriors as guard the
boundaries of their native land ! Though they
have waded through blood, fair is their aspect.
Religion is the motto of their standard, and
Mercy glances from their sword. And had
not Ctesar been such a warrior? Who were
the enemies over whom he triumphed, before
his rupture with Pompey? Barbarians, that
lived by predatory warfare ! The people,
whose ancestors had once sacked Rome! who
were the restless invaders of the Roman terri
tory; and, in one of their incursions, annihi-
lated a consular army of^a hundred and twenty
thousand men ! a nation of robbers ! ignorant
of the laws of arms — regardless of leagues and
treaties — the blood-hounds of havoc — that
destroyed for the mere gust of destroying.
But, a very curious attack has been made
upon the character of Caesar; namely, that he i
put a few pirates to death I 1 question if tfic I
worthy gentleman understaids what a pirats
of those times signified. Probably he con-
ceives him to have been a rough, honest, free,
merry kind of fellow, that loved a roving life,
and indulged himself, only now and then, in a
little harmless plunder ! He will not expect
to be told, that he was a man, enrolled in a
formidable band; possessing, at times, a
fleet of a thousand gar«eys; making frequent
descents upon the Italian coasts — plundering
villas, temples, and even towns ! carrying oft'
consuls and their lictors ! tearing virgins from
the arms of their aged parents ! murdering,
in cold blood, the prisoners whom they had
taken, particularly Romans; and spreading
such terror over the seas, that no merchant
vessel dared to put out of port, and large
districts of the empire were threatened with
famine! Surely, the gentleman must be
ignorant of these facts ; otherwise, he would
not have chosen so untenable a position for
attack. As to Caesar's forgetting, that the
pirate had been his host, it might, indeed,
have been some ground for animadversion,
had he ever remembered that he was so.
Come gentlemen, truly, may be so much in
love with hospitality, as to admire it. though
it should be forced upon them with handcuffs
and fetters ; and may have so curious a tasle
for visiting, as never to go abroad, except
upon the requisition of a bailiff; or value an
entertainment, unless the Kost turns the key
upon them, and feasts them in a dungeon,
with walls a yard thick, and windows double-
barred. But, as such fancies cannot be called
common, Caesar, I think, may escape without
censure for not having indulged in tliem.
And Caesar is to be condemned, because
he produced the images of Marius, and
revived his memory and honors ! Now, sir,
1 conceive, a weaker ground of accusation
could not have been selected ; for the mere
circumstance of Marius's having been related
to Caesar by marriage, presents a very natural
excuse for such a proceeding ; particularly, as
it took place upon the death of Caesar's aunt,
who was the wife of Marius. I fear the
worthy gentleman does not follow Bacon's
recommendation, and chew and digest the
nutritious food, which historical reading pre-
sents to the mind ; otherwise, he giust have
perceived, that Cassar's conduct, on this
occasion, not only admitted of excuse, but
even challenged commendation. Let him
return to the page which he has examined,
I fear, too superficially, and he will find, that,
up to that time, several of Sylla's partisans —
partisans in his murders — remained in Rome
— lived there, in peace, in safety — perhaps in
power ; he will find the general assertion,
that Caesar's conduct, in having revived the
memory of Marius, incensed the nobility ; and
the particular assertion, that Catulus accused
him 'before the Senate — this Catulus had been
the distinguished friend of Sylla — had been
raised, by Sylla, to the consulship ; and, at
Sylla's death, had preserved his remains from
the deserved dishonor of an ignominious
burial ; had procured him the most magnificent
funeral, that had ever been seen in Home,
and caused the vestals and pontifices t»> lin^
AND DIALOGUES.
329
hymns, in praise of the man, who, as it
has been justly said, converted Rome into
ehambles, with his butcheries ! he will find
thai CsBsar answered the invectives of Catulus.
and was acquitted with high applauses; and
he, thereupon, attacked the remaining parti-
sans of Sylla, brought them to trial, and having
convicted such as had imbrued their hands in
the blood of their fellow citizens, caused them
to Le condemned to death, or to perpetual
pauishment !
Let UB, sir, do justice to the dead, though
their interests 'be parted from ours, by the
lapse of a hundred generations ; and, as this
noble act of Caesir's followed the revival of
his uncle's honors, let us believe, that he
revived his uncle's honors for the purpose of
performing this noble act — that the memory
of Sylla's enemy, being opposed to the memory
of Sylla, might deprive it of that power, which
gave impunity to murder, and guarded sacri-
lege from vengeance !
As to the assertion, that CaBsar's aims may
be ascertained, by examining the character
of those whom he associated with him, it must
go for nothing. The gentleman must recollect,
l?»at those very men had been the abettors of
Pfrnpey — had been employed by Pompey —
aye ! and with the sanction of the senate — in
can-yi ng on the measures which he adopted
against Caasar.
Our cause may rest upon one single fact:
Rome was happy, prosperous, and honored,
under Caesar's government ; and I shall have
the hardihood to assert, that he, whose rule
secures the happiness, prosperity, and glory
of a nation, deserves to rule it.
W. M. Sir, if you are not indebted to the
gentleman that has just addressed you, I am
sure the fault is not his. He has made you a
present of a wife, and a fine thriving family,
with all the happy etceteras. Allow me, sir,
to pay my compliments to you, in your new
character ; allow me to congratulate you upon
your having escaped the bachelor's tax ; allow
me to give you joy of a title, which becomes
your grave deportment — which you wear with
a peculiar grace — and which, I fervently trust,
you will wear long! Yet, let me hope, Mr.
Chairman, that you will sometimes remember
your late affectionate fraternity, now disconso-
late at the loss they have sustained. Let
me presume, that you will sometimes steal
yourself away from the lullaby of the nurse,
and the prattling of the children, to visit your
old companions. Your condescension will not
be unprofitable. From the contemplation of
our desolate state, you will turn, with a
livelier zest, to your own little domestic
circle ; your heart will feel the prouder by
the contrast ; and, in the fiillness of your joy,
you will sigh an involuntary blessing upon the
day, that first introduced you to the acquain-
tance of the worthy gentleman !
You know, Mr. Chairman, I never prided
myself upon my talents for speaking. You
must, therefore, attribute my present pre-
sumption, to the surprise which I feel, at
leprning that you managed your courtship so
cunningly, as to bring it to a conclusion,
Without the knowledge of the mistress you |
wooed, the parson that performed tte cerC'
mony, and even without your own privacy !
However, sir, as I have risen, 1 shall
venture an observation or two, upon the
question before me. And here, Mr. Chairmai4.
I feel myself tolerably bold, for I have a good
cause, and that is more than half the battle ;
sir, it is the whole of the battle ; it is the
victory itself; for, though Truth should be
repulsed a hundred times, she will be
triumphant at last. Defeated again, and
again, she returns unwearied, whole, and
confident, to the charge — because she is
immortal !
"As easy may you the intrenchant air
With your keen sword unpress, as make her
bleed."
But this kind of style does not belong to
me, Mr. Chairman. Unfortunately, I am a
fellow so given to jesting, that I am always
thought to be most in jest, when I appear to
be serious ; therefore, sir, I must talk to you
in my own way — catching at the ideas just as
they present themselves ; and giving them to
you without examination, or order, or system,
or any thing else that bespeaks a man of a
sedate habit of thinking — confiding every
thing, as I said before, to the goodness of my
cause.
And, first of all, sir, I have not the least
idea of calling a man great, because he has
been a great conqueror ! I do not like what
are called your great conquerors ! your gentle-
men that have slain their tens of thousands,
and fought more battles than they are years
old ! I care not in what cause they may have
been engaged — that is the last consideratioji ;
for the \eTy best cause may be entrusted to
the very worst man ; that is, with respect to
morals, principles, and so forth. It is not
virtue that is requisite to form such characters ;
it is the contempt of death, enterprise, cunning,
skill, resolution ; and these may be found in a
man who does not possess one single recom-
mendation besideo. How many a renowned
general has turned his arms against the very
cause, in whose defence he first took them
up ? — as Caesar did — Caesar, who was com-
missioned by his country, to subdue the Gauls,
and then commissioned himself to subdue his
country ! I wonder tliat any man, who has a
regard for common sense, or plain honesty,
can so far forget himself, as to justify Caesar's
conduct in this particular. I shall state a very
simple case to you. Mr. Chairman. You have
a very large estate ; you employ a couple of
stewards to assist you in the management
of it ; and you send one of them to reside in
the most distant part of it. Well, sir; this
steward is a fellow of address ; he manages
his little government very skilfully ; keeps
your tenants in due subjection, and your
servants in admirable order; at the same
time, taking care to secure himself in theii
good graces, by indulgences, and gifts
and flatteries, and every efl'ective means of
engaging esteem. Well, sir ; in process of
time, you determine to dismiss this steward ;
but you retain the other. You recal him, thai
he may give an account of himself, and recftivo
130
READINGS, RECITATIONS,
tiis discharge. Does he obey you? No.
ile does not stir a step ! He sets his arms
a-kimbo, and thus accosts your messenger:
" Mr. Jack — or Thomas, or William, or Walter
—present my duty to my master, and say,
that when steward such-a-one receives his
discharge, I'll accept mine. I should like to
see your face, Mr. Chairman, upon your
receiving his message. I fear it would require
something more than the caresses of your
vvii'e, and the prattling of your infant family,
to preserve it in its natural smoothness-
VViiat would you do with the rascal ? I need
i.ot follow the supposition further. You would
(lo what you could. You would have him
iUted, imprisoned, whipped, put in the pillory,
lianged ; and yet, sir, such a man — though
acting upon a larger scale — w.^s the immortal
CtBsar. it makes one sick to hear the cause
of such a fellow advocated I And let me
recal to the recollection of tiiose gentlemen,
the truth, that greatness cannot consist in any
thing, that is at the disposal of chance ; or,
rather, that exists by chance. Had not fortune
favored Cassar in his first battles, he would
have been recalled, perhaps, brought to trial,
and banished ; and then he would havQ been
little Ca!sar.
And, now, sir, in the name of common sense,
what mighty acts did Caesar perform, when
he became the master of his country? We
are told, that the servile senate created him
reibrmer of manners — a fine reformer of
in anno rs, whose own manners stood so much
in need of reforming ! Sir, they should rather
have made him inspector of markets ; for it
v/f.s in that capacity he shone the most
conspicuously. It is said, he limited the
expenses of feasts, and that his officers used
to enter the houses of the citizens, and snatch
from olf their tables any meats that were
served up, contrary to his prohibition ! I
should like to see a constable enter my parlor
at dinner-time, and hand away a dish, just as
it had been placed upon the table ! I'd cut
his fingers off with the carving-knife ! But
the best of it is, his restrictions affected
certain orders only. Men ot rank might do as
they pleased. They might have their litters,
and their embroidered robes, and thei^ jewels ;
aye ! and, I dare say, their dishen, without
limit of number, or of quality, or of vai-iety.
Give me no great Caesar for the govenior of
my country. Give me such government, as
.eaves the management of a man's table to
o'mself ! Give me such cities, as have markets
without informers ; where a cook may ride in
a carriage, as fine as his own gilt and figured
pastry, and a pin-maker may set you down
to as many different dishes, as there are
minikins in a row^ !
In fine, Mr. Chairman, my opinion of Csesar
IS this: He was a very fine fighter; a very
bad patriot; a very selfish master; and a very
gT eat rogue !
R. T. Sir, if my worthy friend has, pre-
sented you with a wife and family, the last
sueaker is not behind hand with him, for he
has given you a large estate to maintain
them; an estate so large as to require two {
stewards to manage it! The gentleman has |
made an affecting appeal tc your feelings, ifl
favor of your old companions, the bachelors
of your acquaintance ; but, I trust, bis oratory
will not be so successful, as to induce you to
pay the tax for them, while this assembly
presents so many fair and irresistible argu-
ments in favor of the marriage state !
As to the gentleman's eloquence, in opposi-
tion to Caasar's greatness, he himself tells
you, what degree of importance you are to
attach to his opinions, for he very ingeniously
says, you are not to expect any thing serioua
from him; but that you must accept of undi-
gested ideas, and rash conclusions, in the
place of sober reflection, and logical reasoning :
his arguments, therefore, pass for nothing ,
and do not add to the strength of his cause,
or subtract from that of ours.
In one instance, however, I shall comment
upon what he has said ; because a man should
not be frivolous, even in his jesting. I allude
to his wit, respecting the restraints that Caasar
laid upon luxury. Surely, the gentleman
cannot have been so great a victim to his
mirth, as to have laughed away the fruit of
his academic labors ! Surely he cannot have
forgotten, that Cassar had proud authority for
the policy he pursued, in the respect alluded
to ! Surely, he remembers a few of the laws
of Lycurgus, particularly that which prescribed
the diet of the Spartans, and enjoined all ranks
to eat, witholit distinction, in one common
hall, where the simplest repast was provided !
Surely, I need not remind him, that the heroes
of Greece fared upon black broth, and drew
their glory no less from the moderation of
their appetite, than from the excess of their
courage and patriotism.
The gentleman says, it makes him sick to
hear the cause of such a man as Caesar
advocated ! I shall prescribe for his sickness.
Let him take a dose of common sense, and
use a little mental exercise — that will remove
his sickness. I am sure it makes me sick
to hear the arguments of Caesar's oppo-
nents.
Sir, he was a man of stupendous loftiness
of mind! A man above all influence of
fortune ! Himself, where other men would
have been — nothing I Observe him, when he
is surprised by the Nervii. His soldiers
are employed in pitching their camp. The
ferociops enemy sallies from his concealment,
puts the Roman cavalry to the route, and falls
upon the foot. Every thing is alarm, confusion,
and disorder! Every one is doubtful what
course to take 1 Every one, but Caesar ! He
causes the banner to be erected — the charge
to be sounded — the soldiers, at a distance,
recalled — all in a moment! He runs from
place to place — his whole frame is in action^
his words, his looks, his motion, his gestures,
exhort his men to remember their foi-mer
valor ! He draws them up, and causes the
signal to be given — all in a moment! The
contest is doubtful and dreadful ! Two of his
legions are entirely surrounded ! He seizes
a buckler from one of the private men ; puts
himself at the head of his broken troops !
darts into the thick of the battle! rescues his
legions, and overthrows the enemy !
AND DIALOGUES.
331
But, if you wcul.' ^jonteraplate CiEsar in a
situation, where he is peculiarly himself,
observe him attempting to cross the sea in a
fishing-bark. A storm arises ; the waves and
winds oppose his course; the rowers, in
despair, desist from their labor ! CiEsar, from
the time he had entered the boat, liad sat in
silence, habited in tlie dist^uise of a slave,
unknown to the sailors or the pilot. Like a
genius, who could command the elements, he
Btands before the master of the vessel, in his
proper shape, and cries, " Go on boldly, my
friend, and fear nothing ! Thou carriest Csesar
and his fortune along with thee !"
Heally, sir, I cannot command my patience,
when I hear those gentlemen indulge them-
selves in invectives against a man, the
twentieth part of whose excellence, divided
amougst the wliole of them, would make them
heroes.
I shall certainly vote for the affinnative of
the question.
11'. ^. Sir, if my worthy friend was sick,
I hope he is now m a fair way of recovery.
The gentleman has considered his case, and
prescribed for him ; and iie cci'tainly could not
have fallen into better hands.
You must confess, Mr. Chairman, you preside
over an assembly whose members entertain a
very respectfiil sense of your merits. One
has made you the father of a happy family.
Another has bestowed on you a handsome
estate. Allow me, sir, to recommend a
physician to you; one who will be a faithful
guardian of your health ; who will watch, with
ekilful eye, the delicate complexion of your
wife ; and regulate, with gentle and innocent
doses, your children's habit of body. What
sir, is the blessing of a wife, of children, of
fortune, if sickness spreads langor through our
nerves, or fever through our veins ? Believe
me, sir, the gentleman's merit does not consist
in his diploma, only; it has its foundation in
knowledge, in science, and experience. Nor
is his ability confined to his mere professional
walk; he is, as you may perceive, from the
speech that he has just made you, a philoso-
pher, and a moralist. Unlike Macbeth's
physician, he
" Can minister to a mind diseased ;
Pluck from the memory a rooted sorrow;
Kaze out the written troubles of the brain,
And, with some sweet oblivious antidote,
Cleanse the foul bosom of that perilous stuff,
That weighs upon the heart."
I regret, bowever, Mr. Chairman, that,
notwithstanding my eulogium, I must dissent
from him, with regard to his admiration of
Coe.'^ar. I cannot, I confess, behold those
incidents he has just named, in Caesar's life,
in the same light that he does. When Caesar
was surprised by the Nervii, he had a great
cause at stake, and his conduct was the
natural result of that consideration. That
consideration made him collected, and gave
him coolnens, to employ the readiest means
of extricating himself from the danger that
Jhreatened him. Besides, he was no raw
rximmander ; lie had subdued the Helvetians,
the Germans, and the Belgians: nor, was bis
rescuing thr two Ictiions, that wert^sunouuded
by the enemy, so wonderful an exploit. He
was joined, at that critical moment, by the
force' that he had left to guard his baggage
nor was his success more the consequence of
his courage, in leading his men into the
thickest of the fight, than of the enthusiasm
of his soldiers, who followed their general,
and whose dearest honor was, then, most
particularly, concerned in his safety.
Ca?sar, an ambitious general, attempted tf.
cross the sea in a fishing-bark ! A lover swair
across the Hellespont! Caesar's fortunes an->
life were at stake. He had only a handful ot
men with him, and Antony was loitering, aa
he supposed, near Bnindusium. Leander had
his mistress at stake ! I will not, Mr. Chair-
man, trespass any longer on your patience.
I am sure you will agree with me, that grea^
exploits have noble ends ; and then, indeed
they make the executor gi-eat.
"AYho wickedly is wise, or madly brave,
Is but the more a fool— the more a knave I
Who noble ends, by noble means, obtains,
Or, failing, smiles, in exile or in chains ;
Like good Aurelius, let him sigh, or bleed
Like Socrates — that man is great indeed 1"
H. H. Mr. Chairman, a gentleman lif.»
said, that the man whose rule secures the
happiness, prosperity, and glory of a nation
deserves to rule it. With equal confidence,
1 assert, that the man, who obtains the rule
of his country, by violating its laws — how
much soever he may contribute to make
it happy, prosperous, and great — does imt
deserve to rule it. He sets a bad example ;
an example, the more pernicious, as his
virtues seem to palliate the atrocity of his
usurpation. He leaves it in the power of
any wretch, who may possess his ambition,
without his excellence, to quote his name,
and use it as an authority for the commission
of similar crime.
No gentleman has j'et presumed to say,
that Cajsar's conduct was sanctioned by the
laws of Rome ; those laws, that guarded move
cautiously against the approaches of tyranny,
than agamst the invasion of a foreign enemy ;
those laws, whicli justified any private man in
putting to death the person, whom he could
afterwards prove to have been guilty of
meditating usurpation. Caisar, then, did not
deserve to rule his country, for he violated its
laws. A good man respects the laws of his
country ; Caesar was not, in this view, a good
man, Caesar was not, in this view, a great
man ; for goodness is an essential f^art of
greatness.
Let us now examine how far he deserved
to rule his country; because, as it has been
said, he secured' its happiness, prosperity,
and greatness. Sir, I do not believe that lie
accomplished any such object. To dispose of
all oihces and honors, just as his own interest,
or fancy, directed his choice of the candidates ;
to create new offices for the gratiKcation of
his favorites and creatures— making the public
property the recompense of public delincjuency ;
to degrade the venerable senate, by Intro -
ducing into it persons whose only claim to
that dignity was their servile devotion to
his interests— connnon soldiers the sous of
READINGS, RECITATIONS,
freed-meii, foreigners, and so forth. I say,
sir, to adopt such measui-es as these, had
not a tendency to secure the happiness or
prosperity of his country. But, upon what
ground does the gentleman assert, that Ca?sar
secured the greatness of his country '.' Was
il hy extending the fame of its arms ? There
was another kind of fame, which the Roman
people valued more than the fame of their
arras— the fame of their liberty ! There was
another liind of greatness, dearer to their
pride than all the wealth, or honor, that could
result from foreign victory; that kind of
greatness, which gloried, not in the establish-
ing, but in the destroying of tyranny ; which
drove a Tarquin from the throne, and cast an
Appius into prison; which called their proudest
heroes from the heads of armies, and the rule
of conquered nations, into the equal ranks of
private citizens.
A gentleman, speaking of Caesar's benevo-
lent disposition, and of the reluctance with
which he entered into the civil war, observes,
•• How long did he pause upon the bi'ink of
the Rubicon !" How came he to the brink
of that river ! How dared he cross it ! Shall
private men respect the boundaries of private
property, and shall a man pay no respect to
•the boundaries of his country's rights ? How
dared he cross that river ! Oh ! but he paused
upon the brink ! He should have perished
upon the brink, ere he had crossed it ! Why
did he pause ? Why does a man's heart
palpitate, when he is on the poiat of com-
mitting an unlawful deed '/ Why does the
very murderer, his victim sleeping before him,
and his glai-ing eye taking the measure of the
blow, strike wide of the mortal part ? B ecause
of conscience ! 'Twas that made Caesar pause
upon the brink of the Rubicon. Compassion !
What compassion ? The compassion of an
assassin, that fe^ls a momentary shudder, as
his weapon begins to cut ! Caesar paused
upon the brink of the Rubicon ! What was
the Rubicon? The boundary of Caesar's
province. From what did it separate his
i)rovince 1 From his country. Was that
counti7 a desert ? No ; it was cultivated and
iijrtile ; rich and populous ! Its sons were
men of genius, spirit, and generosity! Its
daughters were lovely, susceptible, and chaste !
Friendship* was its inhabitant! Love was
its inhabitant! Domestic affection was its
inhabitant! Liberty was its inhabitant ! A.11
bounded by the stream of the Rubicon!
What Vas Caesar, that stood upon the brink
of that stream? A traitor, bringing war and
pestilence into the heart of that country ! No
wonder that he paused ! No wonder, if, his
imagination wrought upon by his censcience,
he had beheld blood, instead of water ; and
heard groans, instead of murmurs ! No wonder,
if some gorgon horror had turned him into
stone upon the spot! But, no! he cried,
" The die is cast !" He plunged ! he crossed !
and Rome was free no more !
Again. It has been observed, " How often
did he attempt a reconciliation with Pompey,
and offer temis of accommodation !" Would
gentlemen pass tricks ujimi us for honest
actions l Examine the fact. Caisar keeps
his army on foot; because Pompey does so
What entitles either of them to keep his army
on foot ? The commission of his country. By
that authority they levied their amiies ; by
that authority they should disband them.
Had Caisar that authority to keep his army
on foot? No. Had Pompey? Yes. What
right, then, had Caesar to keep his army on
foot, because Pompey did so? His army!
It was the army of his countiy enrolled by the
orders of his country ; maintained by the
treasure of his country; lighting under the
banners of his country; seduced by hie
flatteries, his calumnies, and his bribes, to
espouse the fortunes of a traitor ! Sir. he
never sincei-ely sought an accommodation.
Had he wished* to accomplish such an object,
he would have adopted such measures as
were likely to obtain it. He would have
obeyed the order of the senate ; disbanded
his troops ; laid down his command ; and
appeared in Pi.ome a private citizen. Such
conduct would have procured him more dignity,
more fame, more glory, than a thousand
sceptres ; he would not have come to parley
with the trumpet, and the standard; the
spear, and the buckler ; he would have proved
himself to have been great in virtue !
Upon the same principle, his clemency must
go for nothing. Clemency! To attribute
clemency to a man, is to imply that he has a
right to be severe ; a right to punish. Caesar
had no right to punish. His clemency ! it
was the clemency of an outlaw, a pirate, a
robber, who strips his prey, but then abstains
from slaying him !
You were also told, that he paid the most
sci-upulous respect to the laws. He paid the
most scrupulous respect to the laws ! he set
his foot upon them; and, in that prostrate
condition, mocked them with respect !
But, if you would form a just estimate of
Caesar's arms, look to his triumphs, after the
suiTender of Utica — TItica, more honored in
being the grave of Cato, than Rome, in having
been the cradle of CsEsar !
You will read, sir, that Caesar triumphed
four times. First, for his victory over the
Gauls; secondly, over Eg^-pt; thirdly, over
Pharnaces ; lastly, over Juba, the friend of
Cato. His first, second, and third triumphs
were, we are told, magnilicent. Before him,
marched the princes and noble foreigners of
the countries he had conquered ; his soldiers,
crowned with laurels, followed him ; and the
whole city attended with acclamations. This
was well ! the conqueror should be honored.
His fourth triumph approaches — as magnili-
cent as the former ones. It does not want its
royal captive, its soldiers crowned with
laurels, or its flushed conqueror, to grace it ;
nor is it less honored by the multitude of its
spectators ; but they send up no shout of
exultation; they heave loud sighs; their
cheeks are frecjuently wiped ; their eyes are
fixed upon one object, that engrosses all their
senses, their thoughts, their aHection.s. Jt is
the statue of Cato ! carried before the victor's
chariot! It represents him. rending open his
wound, and tearing- ( ut his bowels ; as he did
in Utica, when Roman liberty wa? no more J
AND DIALOGUES.
^3S
Now, ask if Cuesar's aim was the welfare
pf his couutiy ? Now doubt if be was a man
is;^overned by a selfish ambition ! Now, question
whether he usurped, for the mere sake of
usurping ! He is noi content to triumph over
the Gauls, the Egyptians, and Pharnaces ; he
must triumph over his own countrymen ! He
is not content to cause the status of Scipio
and Petreius to be carried before him ; he
must be graced by that of Cato ! He is not
content with the simple effigy of Calo ; he
must exhibit that of his suicide ! He is not
Eatiatied to insult ihe Romans with triumphing
over the death of liberty ; they must gaze
upon the representation of her expiring
agotiies, and mark the writhings of her last,
fatal struggle !
Mr. Chairman, I confidently anticipate the
triumph of our cause.
F. W. Sir, with great reluctance, I present
myself to your notice, at this late hour. We
have proved, that your patience is abundant ;
we cannot presume that it is inexhaustible.
I shall exercise it for only a few moments.
Were our cause to be judged by the approba-
tioa which our opponents have received, it
would appear to be lost. But that is far
from being the case, Mr. Chairman. The
approbation they receive, is unaccompanied
by conviction. It is a tribute — and a merited
one — to their eloquence, and has not any
refetence to the justice of the part they take.
Our cause is not lost — is not in danger — does
not apprehend danger. We are as strong as
ever ; as able for the contest, and as confident
of victory. We fight under the banners of
C.-esar ; and Caesar never met an open enemy,
without subduing him.
We grant that Cuesar was a usurper ; but
we insist, that the circumstances of the times
justified his usurpation. We insist, that he
became a usurper for the good of his country ;
for the salvation of the republic ; for the
preservation of its very existence ! What
must have been the state of Roman liberty,
when such men as Marius and Sylla could
become usurpers? Monsters, against whose
domination nature and religion reclaimed !
Gentlemen talk very prettily about the
criminalitv of usurpation. They know it is a
popular tlieme. All men are tenacious of
their property ; and the gentlemen think, that
if they can cairy the feelings of their auditors
along with them, in this respect, they may be
certain of success in every other. We have
not any objection to their flattering themselves
with such fancies ; but the cause of justice
shall not be sacrificed to their gratification;
surely, those gentlemen must be ignorant of
the state of the republic, in those times;
surely, they have never heard, or read, that
massacre was the common attendant of public
elections ; that the candidates brought their
money, openly, to the place of election, and
distributed it among the heads of the different
factions; that those factions employed force
and violence, in favor of the persons who paid
them; and that scarce any office was dis-
posed of, without being disputed, sword in
hand, and without costing the lives of many
citizens !
A gentleman rery justly said, that the love
of country is the firat, the second, and the last
principle of a virtuous mind. Now, sir, it
appears that the Roman people sold their
country ! its offices ; its honors ; its liberty ;
sold them to the highest bidder, as they would
sell their wares, a sheep, or the quarter of an
ox ; and that, after they had struck the
bargain, they threw themselves into it, and
fought manfully for the purchaser! Cicero
and Cato lived in these times. Cicero, that
saved Rome from the conspiracy of Cataline.
Cato, who would not survive the liberty of his
country. The latter attempted to stop the
progress of the corruption; but his efforts
were fruitless. He could neither restrain its
progress, nor mitigate its virulence. Thus,
sir, the independence of the republic was
virtually lost, before Caesar became a usurper;
and, therefore, to say that Caesar destroyed
the independence, or liberty of his country,
is to assert that he destroyed a nonentity.
It was happily remarked, that the power
of interfering with the tribunes, was fatal to
the Roman people.. Yes, sir, it was fatal.
The tribunes ought to have been independent
of the people, from the moment of their
entering on their office, to that of their laying
it down. You were told, the people had a
right to the direction of their own affairs.
Yes, sir; they had a right. We do not
dispute that. But it was a right, by the
abandonment of which, they would have* been
gainers. It was a fatal right, by grasping?
which they lost every thing. It was an
inconsistent right, for they stood as much in
need of being protected from themselves, as
of being protected from the nobility. Why
does any man put his affairs jnto the hands of
another, but because he cannot manage them
so well himself? If. he cannot manage them
so well himself, why should he interfere with
the person, to whose conduct he intrusts
them? Because he has a right! I know he
has ; but it is an unfortunate right, for it
leaves it in his power to ruin himself, in spite
of good counsel and friendship !
Gentlemen talk of what are called the people,
as if they were the most enlightened part of
the community! Are they the guardians of
learning? or of the arts? or of the sciences''
Do we select counsellors from them? orjudges?
or legislators? Do we inquire among them
for rhetoricians? logicians? or philosophers?
or, rather, do we not conaider them as little
cultivated in mind ? little regulated by judg-
ment ? much inflamed by prejudice ? greatly
su.bject to caprice? chiefly governed by
pa.s'sion ! Of course, sir, I speak of what are
generally called the people, the crowd, the
mass of the community. But you ask me for
a proof of the bad effects, that resulted to the
Roman people, from the liberty they possessed,
of legislating directly lor themselves. Look,
sir, to the proceedings of the forum ! What
they did, they undid ; what they erected,
they threw down ; they enacted laws, and
they repealed them; they elected patriots,
and they betrayed them; they humbled
tyrants, and they exalted them! You will
1 find, that the great converted the undde
;<S4
READINGS, RECITATIONS,
power, which the people possessed, into the
means of subjugating the people. If they
feared a popular leader, it was only necessary
to spread, by their emissaries, a suspicion of
his integrity, or set the engine of con-uption
to work, upon that frailest of all fortifications,
popular stability; and thus, sir, they carried
their point, humbled tlieir honest adversaries,
and laughed in the face of the wisest and
most salutary laws.
Mr. Chairman, I think that the times in
which Cffisar lived, called for, and sanctioned,
tjis usurpation. I think his object was, to
extinguish the jealousies of party; to put a
stop to the miseries that resulted fr^m them ;
and 10 unite his countrymen. I think the
divided fttate of the Roman people exposed
them to the danger of a fbi-eign yoke ; from
which they could be preserved, only by
rcct iving a domestic one. I think that Caesar
was a great man ; and I conclude my trial of
your patience, with the reply made to Brutus
by Statilius, who had once determined to die
in Utica with Cato; and by Favonius, an
esteemed philosopher of those times. Those
men were sounded by Brutus, after he had
entered into the conspiracy for murdering
CfBsar. The former said, he "would i-ather
patiently suffer the oppressions of an arbitrary
master, than the cruelties and disorders which
generally attend civil dissensions." The
latter declared, that, in his opinion, "a civil
war was worse than the most unjust tyranny."
J. G. Mr. Chairman, as the opener of this
debate, I am entitled to reply ; but it is a
privilege by which I shall not profit. I leave
our cause to the fate it merits. But, allow
me to i-emark that, how much soever we
may disagree in our opinion of Cajsar's
character, there is a subject upon which we
cannot have the slightest difference of senti-
ments : namely, that your patience, indulgence,
and impartiality, have been great, and claim
our gratitude.
[The Dialogues having F. F. D. affixed, are original.
and copy-righted, and taken, by express contract,
(and for a lacRe pecuniary consideration,) from an
excellent wor^, entitled, " Familiar Dialogues and
Popular Discussions, for Exhibition in Schools and
Academies of either Sex, and for the Amusement
of Social Parties :" prepared and edited by William
IJ. FoWLE, E.sq., who has had much experience in
getting up books for educational purposes. The
author of this work received express permission to
select such Dialogues as he pleased, at a stipulated
price. He has done so ; and, from the specimens
here given, he is justified in recommending these
" Familiar Dialogues " to parents and teachers, as
worthy of introduction into our schools, not only
on account of their good qualities, but of their neat
execution : and the price is only 37 cents. ]
751. THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE.— OBIOINAL.
Mrs. Vbstry, the Minister's Wife. Mrs. Blunt,
the Deacon's Wife. Mrs. Brief, the Lawyer's Wife.
Mrs. Pill, the Doctor's \Vife. Mss. Squash, a
Farmer's \Viffe. Mrs. Lug, a Widow Lady, r.ather
deaf. Miss Prim, an ancient Maiden, once a School-
Mistress. Miss Snap, a satirical young Lady. Miss
Fairman, the Candidate for the Village School.
[All pi cserU but Mixs Fairman.]
Mrs. Vesfri/. Ladies, we a"e all assembled,
aiid rhe yoting lady who has applied for the
village school is in the next room. Shall J
invite her in ?
Mrs. Blunt. Is she handsome ? I have no
idee of employing any beauty, to be running
after the boys when she should be teaching
the children,
Mrs. Vestry. She makes no pretensions to
any other beauty than that of the mind, I
believe.
Mrs. Blu7it. Let her come in, then.
[Mrs. V. introduces Miss Fairman to Mrs.
Brief, who takes her by the hand, and
says,]
Mrs. Brief. Allow me to introduce you to
Mrs. Pill, the lady of our physician — to Mre.
Blunt, the wife of our worthy deacon
Mrs. Blunt. And as well entitled to be
called lady as the best of you, let me tell
you ! Wife ! forsooth !
Mrs. Brief I plead not guilty, as we
lawyers say, of any intentional disrespect.
[She then goes on introducing Miss Fairman.]
This is Miss Prim, who may be called a fellow-
laborer with you in the field of education.
Miss Prim. No longer so, 1 desire to be
thankful ! I left the profession before every
body entered it.
Miss Snap. You left it when your pupils
left you, I have been told; but it was so long
ag<% I do not remember the circumstajices.
Miss Prim to Misis Snap. A few more
years would be of infinite service to some
folks.
Mrs. Brief. Miss Fairman, this is Miss
Siiiip, whom you will find a ready assistant in
cutting such twigs as you may not be able Ui
bend. [She lets go Mi.'is Fairman, whose hand
Mrs. Vestry takes, and says,]
Mrs. Vestry. Let me introduce you, Miss,
to Mrs. Squash, the wife of one of our richest
parishioners; and Mrs. Lug, who is rather
hard of hearing, but whom you will find
zealously interested in the cause of education.
Mrs. Blunt. You had better take cheas,
ladies, and set down while the examination
goes on. [All sit.] Young woman, come here.
I warn you that yoA will have a severe
examination ; for we ladies have complained
so much of former schoolma'ams, that the men
have made us a committee to examhie appli-
cants, and suit ourselves ; and we are going
to do the thing thoroughly. Pray, what's your
name, young woman ?
Miss Fairman. Susan Fairman, madam.
Mrs. Blunt. How old are you ?
Miss Prim: I object to that question, as
an improper one. I would not tell my age to
any one.
Miss Snap. The young lady may not have
the same objection.
Miss Fairman. I shall be eighteeu in a
few days.
Mrs. Lug. [Holdi7ig her hand up to her ear
as a deaf person does.] Did you say you were
eighty years old; Miss ?
Afj.'-s Fairinan. No, madam ; only eighfec?*.
Mrs. Squash. Why, you have hardly left
off" tires f Pray, can you make a pu nkin
pie?
Miss Snap. If she can't, I dare say cha
can make one>of squash.
AND DIALOGUES.
335
Mrs, Squash. 1 should like to have my
questions answered b the g-al herself.
Miss Fairman. Madam, 1 never made a
pie of the kind you name.
Mrs. Squash. A pretty farmer's wife you'd
make!
J\[iss Fairman. Madam, I applied for a
Bchool, and not for a husband.
Mrs. Lug. [Holding her hand to her ear.]
What! does she w^ant a husband! Why,
tliere's Jonathan Squash, jest old enough
fur her.
Mrs. Vestry. Ladies, let us not wander
from the purpose of our meeting. Miss Fair-
man, will you be good enough to inform the
committee where you were educated, and the
extent of your studies.
Mrs. Blunt. Ay, ay; where were you
educated 1 what do you know ? Come, I'll
question you, myself. In what state were you
born into the world ?
Miss Fairman. In Massachusetts, madam.
Mrs. Blunt, In Massafiddlestick !
Miss Snap. Mrs. Blunt expected you
would say you were born in a state of sin
and misery. She is a sound divine, but no
geographer.
Mrs. Vestry. Please to inform us. Miss
Fairman, of such particulars as we may need
to aid us in our judgment.
Miss Fairman, I have had a good school
education, ladies, but pretend to nothing more
titan is necessary to quaUfy me to fceach the
common branches in a common village school,
which is all I understand yours lo be.
Mtss Prim. That will never do for Smart-
vlller'we must have something more than
comraon. In my day, no teacher with such
pretensions would have dared to apply for a
Ecnool. Have you ever studied algebra?
Miss Fairman. Never I did not know
that it was taught in a common village
Bchool.
Miss Prim. It is n*t ; bat it is tke basis
of a good education. No lady should be
ignorant of algebra.
Mrs. Lug. What ! don't the gal know
there is such a thing as a zebra 1 [Holding
her hand up tocher ear.]
Miss Snap. This knowledge would be of
more use to her than algebra. Pray, Miss
Prim, did you ever study algebra yourself?
Miss Prim. Yes ; I spent two weeks upon
tlie delightful science, and almost made myself
mistress of it.
Mrs. Pill. Did you ever make use of it
afterwards ?
Miss Prim. 1 came to examine, but not to
be catechized, madam.
Miss Snap. When a stocking was minus
a foot, did your algebra ever make it plus ?
Mrs. Lug. What! does the gal blush?
Well, I like to see young folks blush.
Mrs. Pill. Pray, Miss Fairman, have you
ever learned Latin ?
Miss Fairman, No, madam ; my father did
not think it so important for females as their
own language ; and he never encouraged the
Btady of it by his daughters. ,
Mrs Pill. He was a dolt. Why, Latin,
miBE, is the basis of every learned profession ;
and my husband, Dr. Pill, says he could not
prescribe, without it.
Mrs. Squash: The more is the pity ; they
only use Latin to hide the pison names of
their nasty drugs. My husband once took it
into his head, that every good farmer must
know Latin, that he might know the lar?ied
names of vegetables ; and so every single tree
was called an Arbor after that; and every
squash, an Iguana-falciforma-peripatetica, or
some other such nonsense. For my part,
I hope to hear a squash called a squash as
long as I bear the name.
Mrs. Vestry. Ladies, let us not forget the
object of our meeting. Miss Fairman, may I
ask at what school you were educated ?
Miss Fairman. At th« Female Monitorial
School, madam, in Boston.
Mrs. Lug. What school is that? A tor?/
school! that will never do, miss; we are ail
wigs here.
Mrs. Squash. I really believe the gal is a
Jackson-man in disguise.
Miss Fairman. Ladies, you mistake, the
nature as well as the name of the school. It
is called monitorial, because the elder pupils,
who assist the teacher, are called monitors.
Misi Prim. Ay, ay; this is one of the
new-fangled notions that have made instruc-
tion so vulgar an employment, that I cannot
endure it. When children take up the ferule,
it is time for us [dratcing herself up] to lay it
down.
Mrs, Blunt. You ^on't intend to introduce
any such notions here, miss ?
Mias Fairman. I hoped, madam, that a
judicious use of monitorg would not be
objected to.
Mrs. Squash, What! do you mean to set
other children to teach my darters ?
Mis^ Fairman. I should like to employ
the more advanced pupils, whosever children
they may be, in instructing those who know
less than themselves.
Mrs. Bfief. Then Mrs. Cowyard's brats
may be set to teach our children, Mrs. Vestry !
Mrs. Vestry. I have no objectidn to that,
if her children know more than ours. My
husband says we should always be willing to
receive instruction from any source, however
huKjble.
Miss Prim. I dare say, Mr. Vestry would
even allow that children are competent to
teach children. Preposterous idea !
Mrs. Vestry. I know he would allow it;
for I have often heard him say, that men are
only children of a l&rger growth ; and there
was no more difference between his attain-
ments and those of his parishioners, than there
is between some children -and others. He
considers himself as a monitor amongst his .
brethren.
Mrs. Brief. If he is only a monitor, pray
who is our teacher ? or have not we any f
Mrs. Vestry. He is accustomed 1 1 call the
Saviour the great Teacher. But I think wf
had better ascertain how the young lady has
been instnicted, and what she has learned,
before we condemn her system utterly.
Mrs. Pill I should like to ask her one
question Pray, miss, if one of your pupils
335
READINGS, RECITATIONS,
should cut her finger badly, what would
you do?
Miss -Snap. [Aside to Miss Fairman.]
Tell her you would send for her husband,
1):. Pill, and you will make her your friend
for ever.
Miss Fairman. I should probably send her
iitnne, madam.
Mrs. Blunt. Come, come, let me put her a
serious question. Young woman, how many
cnnman-de-ments are there ?
Miss Fairman. Ten were given by Moses,
madam.
Mrs. Lng. How many did she say ?
Miss Snap. J!en.
Mr.i. Lug. Ay, ay ; that's right; the gal's
rii^ht for once.
Mrs. Blunt. Now tell me how much of the
Primer you know by heart. What comes
i:ext arter "The cat doth play, And after
si ay."
Miss Snap. [Aside to 3Iiss F.] Tell her,
" Whales in the sea. Great fish they be."
Miss Fairman. I must confess my ignorance,
madam.
Mrs. Blunt. Young woman, T don't know
what my husband. Deacon Blunt, would say,
to find you so ignorant of the first principles
(if religion.
. Mi'ss Fairman. Madam, I would respect-
fully remark, that I have been laught to draw
the principles of my religion from the Bible,
and not from the Primer.
Mrs. Blunt. Yes, that is one of Mr. Vestry's
notions ; but every body learned the Primer
when I was a gal. I could say it backwards
as well ^s, forruds.
Miss Prim. Will ihe young la-Ay be good
enough to inform the committee whether she
has studied botany ?
Miss Fairman. I have, madam.
Miss Prim. Did you study the philosophical
part of the science, which treats of the loves
and the langi^age of plants ?
Mih Fairman. No, madam, I have only
studied their structure and uses.
Miss Prim. I supposed you had neglected
the only ethereal part of the science. This
comes of your new-fangled system, I suppose.
Miss Fairman. No, indeed, madam. Nou-
sonse can be taught Ijy the monitorial plan,
as well as by any other. The subjects taught
depend upon the teacher, and not upon the
system.
Mrs. Blunt. I have seen enough of the gal.
She will never do for me. She don't even
know her Primer. [She dashes out.]
Miss Snap. "The eagle's flight Is out of
sight."
Mrs. Brief. Mr. Brief will never suflfer his
children to be taught by Mrs. Cowyard's
brats. [Exit.]
Mixs Snap. "Out, out, Brief ca.nd\e I"
Mrs. Pill. I cannot swallow her ignorance
of Latin. [Exit.]
Miss Snap, Because she could not swallow
your pills, I suppose.
Mrs. Squash. I cannot vote for a miss so
youug that she cannot make a pimkin pie.
I th'iiiirht, at first, she might do for my son
Jonaiiian. [Aside.] [Exit.]
Miss Snap. So, because She can't cook a
punkin, she is not allowed to become a
Squash !
Miss Prim. I must withhold my apprO'
bation from one who has no soul for the lovea
and language of flowers, and who has never
studied algebra.
Miss Snap. And whose charms being plus,
would render yours a negative quantity.
Miss Prim. My children — I mean my
neighbor's, for I desire to be thankful that I
have none of the nasty things — shall never
go to a monitorial school with my consent.
Monitorial, indeed ! [Exit.]
Mrs. Lug. Who .did she say was dend?
Miss Snap. Your tones, I suppose.
Mrs. Lug. Well, I am sorry for them
I had rather they had repented; but they
sha'n't get foothold in our village, while I am
on the committee. Good bye. [Exit.]
Miss Snap. A good riddance upon them
all ! Now, Miss Fairman, let me congi-atulata
you upon escaping from such patrons.
Mrs. Vestry. Give me your hand, my dear.
You have borne the trial modestly and
patiently. My husband has been applied to
for a preceptress of an academy, and I am
sure, that, after he has heard the result of
this meeting, be will confer the situation
upon my young friend. Come, let us find
him. (r. f. d.)
752. CITT FINISHING.— ORIGINAL.
Miss Puff. How vulgar you will appear in
the city, Miss Homespun ! It is a pity that
you have not the advantage of a quarter's
instruction in the city, as I have had.
Miss Hoinespun. I have no fears on my
own account. I shall make no pretensions to
superior refinement, and, therefore, shall not
risk any failure.
Miss Puff. That will not do, my dear, in
the city. If one has not a certain jinnissy
^uar, she will be considered as savage as
if she had beer^ brought up on a dissolute
oiland.
Miss Homespun. It may be so; but such
treatment would only lead me to pity tli^m,
md not to undervalue myself. I do not
believe that unassuming manners, and unpre-
tending conversation, are in so much dangei
of being insulted.
Miss Pvff. I shall endeavor to spare you
as much as I can ; but one who has always
been in the country, can have no superstition
how much she is exposed to be quizzed by
the knowing ones of the city. iMy quarter's
education did the business for me.
Miss Hoitiespvn. You almost alarm me,
Miss Puft"; but I will not believe, until I see,
that the superior education of the city ladies
unfits them for making a proper discriminatiao
between plain sense and nonsense. I expect
a lady from the city to spend a few days
with me.
Miss Puff. When is she a coming ?
Miss Hoviesjmn. That may be she at the
door,
Miss Puff. Well, now, my dear, be careful
and do not expose yourself. Put a little o*
my odickalone on your dress.
AND DIALOGUES.
337
Miss Homespun. I never use any per-
fumery, Miss Puff, and have been accustomed to
tliiuk that perfect neatness needs no such aids.
Miss FvJ/'. Oh, my dear, no person of
fashion would think of using less than a point
a day.
Miss Homespun. I shall make it a point to
avoid such folly, even if it costs me eternal
hanishment from the city.
Mtss FuS'. Your obstinacy will bring down
some trer/ienduous "mortification upon your
head.
Miss Homespun. I will risk it. But there
ciiuies my city friend; I shall hope to profit
by her advice, before I visit the city.
'Miss Fi'Jf'. My dear, there is nothing like
spending a whole quarter at some city
seminary, if you would not have your country
au's preceptible.
Miss Homespun. It is too late for me to
go to school again, and therefore I shall be
riuitented to observe what I may, without
exposing my ignoi-ance.
Miss Pujf. You may as well expect to
make a mulf out of a leg of bnacon.
Miss Homespun. It is not such an impossi-
bility, I trust.
Miss Pujf'. My dear, your disposition is so
ingenious and candid, that you will be the
dupe of every one you meet. What a pity
that you had not gone one quarter with me to
that city seminary ! It would have taught
you the right use of language, at least; for, as
I said before, you can have no supeisiition
how precise tlie city ladies are in this respect.
Now, while I should be conversing fluently
with them, you would be standing mute as a
sf.at7dc. But your friend is coming; I shall
retire.
Miss Homespu-n. You need not withdraw.
Mi>(S Prijf- Yes, my dear, I do not wish to
afford your friend any opportunity for compari-
son, considering how poor a chance you have
had ; for you know tlie proverb says, " com-
parisons m-Q odorous." You must have courage,
now, and make some pretty remarks on the
season, the fodage of the trees, and otiier
things that go to constitute pastural fehcity.
Now, do, my dear, take my advice. Good
bye; farewell; adieu!
Miss Homespun. Poor girl! she means
well ; but if she would make a convert of
me, she will be disappointed. True gentihty,
and real civilization, cannot approve of such
ridiculous notions as she has adopted. I shall
r.ot use more than half a point of Cologne
water, if the city belles do banish me to a
dissolute oiland. (f. f. d.)
■J 53. THE GK»IRON.— THE CAPTAIN, PATRICK, AND
THE FRENCHMAN.
Patrick. Well, captain, whereabouts in
the wide world are we ? Is it Roosia,
Proosia, or the Jarmant oceant?
Captain. Tut, you fool ; it's France.
Patrick. Tare an ouns ! do you tell me so?
and how do yoru know it's France, captain
dear ?
Captain. Because we were on the coast
cf the Bay of Biscay, when the vessel was
wrecked. BRONSON 23
Patrick. Throth, I waa thinkin' so myselt
And now, captain jewel, it is I that wishea
we had a gridiron.
Captain. Why, Patrick, what puts the
notion of a gridiron into your head ?
Patrick. Becase I'bi starving with hunger,
captain dear.
Captain. Surely you do not intend to eat
a gridiron, do you ?
Patrick. Ate a gridiron! bad luck to it!
no. But if we had a gridiron, we could dress
a beef- stake.
Captain. Yes ; but where's the beef-steak,
Patrick ?
Patrick. Sure, couldn't wo cut it ofif the
^ork?
Captain. I never thought of that. You are
a clever fellow, Patrick. {Laughing.)
Patrick. There's many a thrue word said
in a joke, captain. And now, if you will go
and get the bit of pork that we saved from
the rack, I'll go to the house there beyant,
and ax some of them to lind me the loan of a
gridiron.
Patrick. But, Patrick, this is France, and
they are all foreigners here.
Patrick. Well, and how do you know but
I am as good a furriner myself as any o'
them ?
Captain. "What do you mean, Patrick t
Patrick. Parley voo frongsay ?
Captain. Oh, you understand French,
then, is it?
PatHck. Throth, you may say that, captaia
dear.
Captain. Well, Patrick, success to you.
Be civil to the foreigners, and I will be back
with the pork in a minute. {He goes out.]
Patrick Ay, sure enough I'll be civil to
them ; for the Frinch are always mightj'
p'lite intirely, and I'll show them I know
what good manners is. Indade, and here
comes munseer himself, quite convaynient.
[As the Frenchman enters, Patrick takes off
his hat, and, making a low bote, says,] God
save you, sir, and al«l your children. I beg
your pardon for the liberty I take, but it's only
being in disthress in regard of ateing, that I
make bowld to trouble ye ; and if ye could
lind me the loan of a gridiron, I'd be intirely
obleeged to ye.
Frenchman. \Staring at him.] Comment!
Patrick. Indade its thrue for you. I'm
fathered to paces, and God knows I look
quare enough; but its by rason of the storm,
that dhruv us ashore jist here, and were all
starvin'.
Frenchman. Je m'y t [prono^inced
je meet.]
Patrick. Oh ! not at all ! by no manes !
we have plenty of mate ourselves, and we'll
dhress it, if you'd be plased jist to lind us
the loan of a gi-idiron, sir. [Alaking a low
bow.]
Frenchman. [ Staring at him, but not under
standing a word.] *
Patrick. I beg pardon, sir; but may be
I'm undher a mistake, but I thought I wofl in
France, sir. Au't vou all furriners here?
Parley voo frongsay ?
Ji'renchmau. Oui, monsieur.
338
READINGS, RECITATIONS,
Patrick. Thep, would yoa lind me the loan [
of a gridiron, if yim plase ? [ The Frenchman
stares more than ever, as if anxious to under-
stand.] I know it's a liberty I take, sir;
but it's only in the regard of bein' cast away ;
and if you plase, sir, parley voo frongsay 1
Frenchman. Oui, monsieur, oui.
Patrick. , Then would you lind me the loan
of a gridiron, sir, and you'll obleege me.
Frenchman. Monsieur, pardon, mousienr —
PcUiick. [Angrily.] By my sowl, if it
was you was in disthress, and if it was to
owld Ireland you came, it's not only the
gridiron they'd give you, if you axed it, but
something to put on it too, and a dhrop of
dhrink into the bargain. Can't you understand
your own language ? [ Very slowly,] Parley
— voo — frongsay — munseer ?
Frenchman. Oui, monsieur; oui, monsieur,
mais
Patrick. Then lind me the loan of a grid-
iron, I say, and bad scram to you.
Frenchman. [Bowi?ig and scraping.] Mon-
sieur, je ne I'entend
Patrick, Phoo! the divil sweep yourself
and your long tongs ! I don't want a tongs
at all at all. Can't you listen to rason ?
Frenchman. Oui, oui, monsieur ; certaine-
meut, mais
Patrick. Then lind me the loan of a
gridiron, and howld your prate. {The French-
man shakes his head, as if to say he did not
understand ; hut Patrick, thinking he meant
it as a refusal, says, in a passion,] Bad
cess to the likes o' you! Throth, if you were
in my counthry, it's not thata-way they'd use
you. The curse o' the crows on you, you
owld sinner! — The divil another word I'll say
to you. [ 7%,e Frenchman puts his hand on his
heart, and, tries to express compassion in his
countenance.] Well, I'll give you one chance
more, you owld thafe ! Are you a Christhian
at all at all? Are you a furriner, that all the
world calls so p'lite ? Bad luck to you ! do
you understand your mother tongue 1 Parley
voo frongsay? {Very loud.] Parley voo
frongsay ?
Frenchman. Oui, monsieur, oui, oui.
Patrick. Then, thunder and turf! will you
lind me the loan of a gridiron ? [ The French-
man shakes his head, as if he did not
understand ; and Pat says, vehemently,] The
corse of the hungry be on you, you owld
negarly villain ! the back of my hand and the
sowl of my fut to you ! May you want a
gridiron yourself, yet ! and wherever I go,
it's high and low, rich and poor, shall hear
of it, and be hanged to you ! (f. f. d.)
754.
IRISH COUIITESY.— STRANGER AND
O'CALLAGHAN.
Stranger. I have lost my waj, good
Mend. Can you assist me in finding it ?
O'Callaghan. Assist you in finding it,
is't? Ay, by my faith and troth, and that I
will, if it was to the world's end, and
farther too.
Stranger. I wish to return, by the shortest
route, to the Black Rock.
O' Callagha?i. Indade, and yon will, so
fiase yourlionor's honor — and O'Callaghan's
own self will show you the way, and then yor
can't miss it, you know.
Stra?iffer. 1 would not give you so mucL
trouble, Mr. O'Callaghan.
O'Collaghan. It is never a trouble, so
plase your honor, for an Irishman to do his
duty. {Boioing.]
Stranger. Whither do you travel, friend ?
O'Callaghan. To Dublin, so plase year
honor. Sure, all the world knows that Judy
O'Flannaghan will be mamed to-morrow,
God willing, to Pat Ryan ; and Pat, you
know, is my own foster-brother — because
why? — we had but one nurse hetwane us, and
that was my own mother; but she died one
day — the Lord rest \\qx swate soul! — and left
me an orphan ; for my father married again,
and his new wife was the divil's own child,
and did nothing but hate me from morning
till night. Och! why did not I die before
I was born to see that day ? for, by St.
Patrick, the woman's heart was as cold as a
hailstone.
Stranger. But what reason could she have
for treating you so unmercifully ?
O' Callaghan. Ah, your honor, and sure
enough, there are always rasons as plenty as
potatoes, for being hard-he arted. And I was
no bigger than a dumpling at the time, so i
could iiot help myself, and my father did not
care to help me ; and so I hopped the twig,
and parted old Nick's darling. Och ! may the
divil find her wherever she goes ! But here
I am, alive and lapeing, and going to see Pat
married ; and faith, to do him justice, he's a.i
honest lad as any within ten miles of us, and
no disparagement neither; and I love Pat,
and I love all his family— ay, by my sou-l
do I, every mother's skin of them — and by the
same token, I have travelled many a long
mile to be present at his wedding.
Stranger. Your miles in Ireland are much
longer than ours, I believe.
O'Callaghan Indade, and you may helave
that, your honor — because why ? — St. Patrick
measured them in his coach, you know
Och! by the powers! the time has been — bi:!t
'tis no matter — the divil a copper 7>ow belongs
to the family. But, as I was saying, the day
has been — ay, by my troth, and the iiiglit,
too — when the O'Callaghans — good luck tc
them!— held their heads up as high as the
best; and though I have not a rod of land
belonging to me, but what I hire, I love my
country, and would halve my last potatoe with
every poor cratur that has none.
Stranger. Pray, how does the bride
appear ?
O'Callaghan. Och! by my soul, your
honor, she's a nate article ; and then she
will be rigged out as gay as a lark, and as
fine as k pacock — because why? — she has a
great lady for her godmother--long life and
success to her! — who has given Judy two
milch cows, and five pounds in hard monp,y
And Pat has taken as dacent apartments as
any in Dublin — a nate, comely parlor, as yoad
wish to see, just six fate under ground, with
a nice, beautiful ladther to go down — and al!
so complate, and gentale, and comfortable, ae
a body may say
AND DIALOGUES.
o39
Stranger. Nothing like comfort, Mr.
O'Callaghan.
O'Callaghan. Faith, and you may say
that, your honor. [Rubbing his hands.]
Comfort is comfort, says I to Mrs, O'Callaghan,
wlifcu we are all sated so cleverly around a
great big- turf fire, as merry as grigs, with the
dear little grunters snoring so sicalely in the
corner, defying wind and weather, with a dry
thatch, and a sound conscience to go to slave
H^^on
Stranger. A good conscience makes a
soft pillow.
O'Callaghan. Och ! jewel, sure it is not
the best beds that makes the best slapers;
for there's Cathleen and myself can slope Uke
two great big tops ; and our bed is none
of the softest — because why 1 — we slope on
the ground, and have no bed' at all at all.
Stranger. It is a pity, my honest fellow,
that you should ever want one. There,
\2:iving hint a guinea.] Good bye, Mr.
O'Callaghan.
O' Catlaghan. I'll drink your honor's health,
tliat I will ! and may God and the blessed
Virgin bless you and yours, as long as grass
grows and water runs ! (f. f. d.)
755. PEDANTRY
Digit, a mathematical Pedant. Sesquipedalia,
a Linguist and Ptiilosopher. Teill, a musical
Pedant. Drone, a Servant.
Digit. Is your master at home, sir ?
Drone. [ Speaking very slowly.] Can't say ;
s'pose he is; indeed, I'm sufe he is, or was
just now.
Digit. Why, I could solve an equation,
while you are answering a question of five
\^ords — I mean if the unknown terms were
all ou one side of the equation. Can I see
him?
Drone. Very likely, sir. I will inform him
that Mr.
Digit. Digit, Digit.
Drone. Oh, Mr. Digy-Digy wishes to see
him. [Exit Drone.] '
Digit. [Alone.] That fellow is certainly a
negative quantity. He is minus common
sense. If this Mr. Morrell is the man I take
him to be, he cannot bat patronize my talents.
Should he not, I don't know how I shall obtain
a new coat. I have worn this ever since I
began to write my theory of sines, and my
elbows have so often formed tangents with
the surface of my table, that a new coat is
very necessary. But here comes Mr. Morrell.
\Enter Sesquipedalia.'] Sir, [bowing low,]
1 ara your most mathematical servant. I am
sorry, sir, to give you this trouble ; but an
affair of consequence — [p^ilHng the rags over
his elbows] — an affair of consequence, as your
servant informed you
Sesquipedulia. Servns non est mihi, domine ;
that is, I have no servant, sir. I presume you
have erred in your calculation ; and
Digit. No, sir. The calculations I am
about to present you, are founded on the
most correct theorems of Euclid. You may
examine them, if you please. They are con-
tained in this small manuscript. [Producing
0 folio.]
Sesquipedalia. Sir, you have bestowed a
degree of interruption upon my observations.
I was about, or, according to the Latins.
futurus sum, to give you a little information
concerning the luminary who appears to have
deceived your vision. My name, sir, is Tullius
Maro Titus Crispus Sesquipedalia, by pro-
fession a linguist and philosopher. The most
abstruse points in physics or metaphysics,
to me, are as transparent as ether. I have
come to this house for the purpose of obtaining
the patronage of a gentleman who befriends
all the literati. Now, sir, perhaps I have
produced conviction in mente tua ; that is, in
your mind, that your calculation was erroneous.
Digit. Yes, sir, your person was mistaken ;
but my calculations, I maintain, are correct, to
the tenth place of a circulating decimal.
Sesquipedalia. But, what is the subject
of your manuscript ? Have you discussed the
infinite divisibility of matter ?
Digit. No. sir, we cannot reckon infinity ;
and 1 have nothing to do with subjects that
cannot be reckoned.
Sesquipedalia. Why, I can reckon about
it. ^ I reckon it is divisible ad infinitum. But
perhaps your work is upon the materiality of
light ; and if so, which side of the question do
you espouse ?
Digit. Oh, sir, I think it quite immaterial.
Sesquipedalia. What! light immaterial!
Do you say light is immaterial ?
Digit. No, I say it is quite immaterial
which side of the question I espouse. I have
nothing to do with it. And, besides, I am a
bachelor, and do not mean to espouse any thing
at present.
Sesquipedalia. Do you write upon the
attraction of cohesion ? You know matter has
the properties of attraction and repulsion.
Digit. I care nothing about matter, so I
can find enouo-h for mathematical demon-
stration.
Sesquipedalia. I cannot conceive what
you have written upon, then. Oh, it must be
the centripetal and centrifugal motions.
Digit. [Peevishly.] No, no. I wish Mi.
Morrell would come. Sir, I have no motion)?
but such as I can make with my pencil upon
ray slate, thus, [figuring upon fits hand:]
Six, minus four, plus two, equal eight, minus
six^ plus two. There, those are my motions.
Sesquipedalia Oh, I perceive you grovel
in the depths of arithmetic ! I suppose you
never soared into the regions of philosophy.
You never thought of the vacuum which has
so long filled the heads of philosophers ?
Digit. Vac7ium\ [Putting his hand to his
forehead.] Let me think.
Sesquipedalia. Ha ! what! hjave you got it
sub manu ; that is, under your hand ! Ha !
ha! ha!
Digit. Eh! under my hand? what do you
mean, sir? that my head is a vacuum?
Would you insult me, sir ? insult Archimedes
Digit ? Why, sir, I'll cipher you into infinite
divisibility. I'll set you on an upright cone.
I'll give you a centrifugal motion out of the
window, sir ! I'll tear you up by the roots
and scatter your solid contents to the winds-
SU-!
340
READINGS, RECITATIONS,
Sesquipedalia. Da vemam ; that is, pardon
me. It was merely a lapsus lingum ; that
13
Digit. Well, sir, I am not fond of lapsus
linguces at all, sir. However, if you did not
mean to offend, I accept your apology. I wish
Mr. Morrell would come.
Sesquipedalia. But, sir, is your work upon
mathematics ?
Digit. Yes, sir. In this manuscript I have
endeavored to elucidate the squaring of the
circle.
Sesqjitpedalia. Bat, sir, a square circle is
a contradiction in terms. You cannot make
one.
Digit. I perceive you are a novice in this
sublime science. The object is, to find a
square which shall be equal to a given circle,
which I have done, by a rule drawn from the
radii of the circle and the diagonal of the
sqaare. And, by my rule, the area of the
square will equal the area of the circle.
Sesquipedalia. Your terms are to me
incomprehensible. Diagonal is derived from
the Greek — di-a and go-ne, that is, " through
the comer." But I don't see what it has to
do with a circle ; for, if I understand aright,
a circle, like a sphere, has no corners.
Digit. You appear to be very ignorant of
the science of numbers. Your life must be
very insipidly spent in poring over philosophy
and the dead languages. You never tasted,
as I have, the pleasure arising from the
investigation of an insoluble problem, or the
discovery of a new rule in quadratic equa-
tions.
Sesquipedalia. Po ! po ! \Turns round in
disgust, and hits Di^it with his cane.l
i)igit. Oh, you villain !
Sesquipedalia. I wish, sir
Digit. And so do I wish, sir, that that
cane was raised to the fourth power, and laid
over your head as many times as there are
units in a thousand. Oh ! oh !
Sesquipedalia. Did my cane come in
contact with the sphere of repulsion around
your shin? I must confess, sir [Enter
'Trill.] Oh, here is Mr. Morrell. Salve,
Jomiiui ! sir, your most obedient.
Trili. Which of you, gentlemen, is Mr.
Morrell ?
Sesquipedalia. Oh, neither, sir. I took
you for that gentleman.
Trill. No, sir, I am a teacher of music.
Flute, harp, viol, violin, violoncello,* organ, or
any thing of the kind, any instrament you can
mention. I have just been displaying my
powers at a concert, and come recommended
to the patronage of Mr. Morrell.
Sesquipedalia. For the same purpose are
that gentleman and myself here.
Digit. {Still rubbing his shin.\ Oh! oh!
Trill. Has the gentleman the gout ? I have
heard of its being cured by music. Shall I
sing you a tune ? Hem ! Hem ! Faw
Digit. No, no, I want none of your tunes.
I''d make that philosopher sing though, and
dance too, if he hadn't made ix.vul gar fraction
of my leg.
Sesquipedalia. In teritate; tiiat Js. in
truth, it happened fm-ti ; that is, by chance.
Trill. [Talking to himself.] If B be flat.
me is in E.
Digit. Ay, sir, this is only an integral part
of your conduct, ever since you came into thia
house. You have continued to multiply yout
insults in the abstract ratio of a geometrical
progression, and at last have proceeded to
violence. The dignity of Archimedes Digit
never experienced such a reductioji descend-
ing, before.
Trill. [To himself .] Twice faw, sol, laic,
and then comes me again.
Digit. If Mr. Morrell does not admit me
soon, I'll leave the house, while my head is
on my shoulders.
Tnll. Gentlemen, you neither keep time
nor chord. But if you can sing, we may carry
a trio before we go.
Sesquipedalia. Can you sing an ode of
Horace or Anacreon. I should like to hear
one of them.
Di^it. I had rather hear you sing a demon-
stration of the forty-seventh proposition, first
book.
I'lill. I never heard of those composers,
sir ; where do they belong ?
Sesquipedalia. They did belong to Italy
and Greece.
Tnll Ah! Italy! there are our best
masters — Correlli, Morrelli, and Faseli. Can
you favor me with their compositions?
Sesquipedalia. Oh, yes, if you have a taste
that way, I can furnish you with them, and
with Virgil, Sallust, Cicero, Caesar, Q,uintilian ;
and I have an old Greek Lexicon that I can
spare.
Trill. Ad libitum, my dear sir; they will
make a handsome addition to my musical
library.
Digit. But, sir, what pretensions have you
to the patronage of Mr, Moirell? 1 don't
believe you can square the circle.
Sesqiiipedalia. Nor prove the infinite
divisibility of matter.
Trill. Pretensions, sir! I have gained a
victory over the great Tantamarrarra, the new
opera singer, who pretended to vie with me.
'Twas in the symphony of Handel's Oratorio
of Saul, where, you know, every thing depends
upon the tempo giuslo, and where the jrrinw
should j)roceed in smorzando, and the seconds
in agitato. But he was on the third leger line,
I was an octave below, when, with a sudden
appog^iatura, I rose to D in alt., and con-
quered him.
[Enter Drone.]
Drone. My master says how he will wait
on you, gentlemen.
Digit. What is your name, sir ?
Drone. Drone, at your service.
Digit. No, no; you need not drone at my
service. A very applicable name, however.
Sesquipedalia. Drone? That is derived
from the Greek draon, flying or moving
swiftly.
Trill. He rather seems to move in andanti
measure ; that is, to the tune of Old Hundred
Drone. Very likely, gentlemen.
•Pronounced ve-o-lon-chel-o.
AND DIALOGUES.
341
Digit, Well, as I came first, I will enter
first.
Sesquipedalia. Right. You shall be the
antecedent, I the subsequent, and Mr. Triil
the consequent.
Trill. Right. I was always a man of
consequence. Faw, sol,law; Faw, sol, &c. &c.
[iSin^^iKS as he goes out.] (f. f. d.)
756. PRECISEN'ESS.— MR. AND MBS. QUIDDLE.
Mr. Quiddle. My dear, notwithstanding all
i have said, Molly has boiled one potatoe
more than I directed to-day.
Mrs. Quiddle. Mr, duiddle should have
attended to this great coiicern himself.
Mr. Quiddle. No, my dear, it is your duty
to do so ; and though it paius me to complain
of any neglect of yours, a sense of duty
compels me to say, that the last quarter of a
pound of tea has disappeared much too
rapidly. There were twenty-five thimblefuls,
aud we have made tea but twenty-four times,
by my memorandum.
Mrs. Quiddle. Indeed, Mr. duiddle, you
calculate very closely. Perhaps Molly's thimble
is larger than yours ; but 1 do not think the
matter worth a moment's consideration.
Mr. Quiddle. Aye, there lies your error.
No man can be exact in great things who does
not attend to trifles. Atoms constitute icai-lds,
my dear, and give a form to them. And, now
I think of it, you gave Joseph seven spoonfuls
of soup to-day, when, you know, I never allow
him but six.
Mrs. Quiddle. He was very hungry, and
one spoonful could not hurt him.
Mr. Quiddle. That is a fatal mistake, my
dear.
Mrs. Quiddle. Why, how do you know so
exactly how many spoonfuls our boy can
contain ?
Mr. Quiddle. My father never allowed his
children but six, or six and a half, at the
utmost.
Mrs, Quiddle. And your stomach is to
regulate Joseph's ! Well, poor boy ! I do not
blame him for disliking you.
Mr. Quiddle. The welfare oi my child must
be consulted, even if at the expense of his
affection. Now, I do not love to find fault,
but 1 observed that he did not change
his shoes this morning, I never wore the
same shoe on one foot two days in succes-
sion, in my life ; it runs them down to the
heel.
Mrs. Quiddle. I fear that your precision
will so disgust Joseph, that he will rush to the
ether extreme ; for I have often noticed, that
children who are denied all reasonable indul-
gences are apt to become licentious.
Mr. Quiddle. Joseph must be looked after.
I intend, immediately, to send him to aixother
school.
Mrs. Quiddle. Why so, my dear ? I thought
Mr. B. was an excellent teacher.
Mr. Quiddle. He may be so, but he is not
particular enough for our Joseph. Why, I
understand, he allows his pupils a recess of
Uu minutes, and even plays with them himself!
My master allowed hxxt.' five minutes' recess,
and would as soon have died as stoop U:> play
with us. Besides, I think he doe« iiot shape
the tail of his G's as I should.
Mrs. Quiddle. Perhaps, if you were to
mention these important objections to Mr. B.,
he would obviate them at once. For my part,
I wiah the recess was twice as long. As to
the letter G, I did not know that its tail had
any precise length.
Mr. Quiddle. You have much to learn
Mrs. duiddle. By the way, I notice<i, to-day,
that Joseph called you mother, and you diil
not reprimand him.
Mrs. Quiddle. Reprimand him !
Mr. Q7tiddle. Such familiarity will lessen,
if not destroy, your authority over him. If he
were to call m^ father, I should chastise him.
Mrs. Quiddle. Poor boy ! there is no fear
of his being chastised, then ; for he does not
feel towards you as if you were his father.
Mr. Quiddle. 1 like to preserve a whole
some distance, that he may pay me proper
respect.
Mrs. Quiddle. The respect of fear cannot
be relied on ; and such overnicety
Mr. Quiddle. Do you know that, to what
you call my overnicety, I owe all my health
and wealth ?
Mrs. Quiddle. I know, that, to preserve
your health, you have sacrificed the happiness,
and to accumulate your wealth, you have
forfeited the respect, of all around you.
Mr. Quiddle. Can it be that you are
serious ?
Mrs. Quiddle. I never was more so. 1
have told you the truth, at the risk of your
displeasure.
Mr. Quiddle. Well, well — ^if it is so bad as
that, I must alter my conduct. I will do so
from this moment. [Stoops and picks up a
2)in ] There, this is the fifth pin, besides a
headless one, that I have picked up to-day !
But, as I was saying, 1 intend to reform. Oh,
if you send Joseph to the shop, lell him not to
give fourpencehalf penny for six cents; for
you know, my dear, it is six cents and 4
quarter.— J certainly must walch my conduct.
But wbere is dinner/ It is more than a
minute after the time. My dear, do see to it.—
There is another pin ! Well, it is amazing to
mehowcareless some folks are !» Mrs. duiddle,
tell Mol'y to bring her thimble to me, that I
may see whether it holds more than mine! —
I must think of what you told me.
(F. F. D.)
757.
THE VILLAGE SCHOOL.
CHARACTERS.
Mr3. Weatherbox, the Teacher. Susanna, an
Orphan that she has taken to bring up. Pupils —
Catharine IIich, Lucy IIeart, Maria Small, Sarah
Ross, Abba Mix, Isabel Fox, Mary Spare, Jane
Smith, Fanny Mills, Martha Wells ; other smaller
Scholars, also.
[ The scene represents a school-room, with desks'
benclies, 4"C. The scholars are talking
together, and waiting for the teacher's
arrival.] *
Catharine. I guess, Susanna, your ugly
old aunt is taking a nap after dinner, she
makes it so late. Had she something unoom- '
monly nice for dinner ?
342
READINGS, RECITATIONS.
Susanna. She had a chicken, I believe ;
but she gave me a long task, and told me to
stay here till I had done it.
Catharine. She did that to prevent your
having any of the chicken — a stingy old thing!
Susanna. I cannot believe that she would
be so seltish and unjust.
Lucy, Why, I am sure it is just of a piece
with all her conduct towards you. She never
gives you any thing fit to wear ; and much as
ever she alters her old, cast-off rags, when she
turns them over to you.
Susanna. But she took me, when no one
else in the world would have done so; and I
hope to get a tolerable education under her
care, although she is not always so kind to
me as I try to deserve.
Lucy. You are too good by half, Susanna;
and I dare say now, you are half starved,
while that selhsh old creature is so full she
can do nothing but sleep. Here, take this
apple. I have had my dinner, and don't
want it.
Susanna. I'thank you, Lucy; but my aunt
told me I must not eat any thing till I had
done my task .
Lucy. You must take it, my dear girl, or I
shall be affronted. Your aunt only meant,
that you must not eat any food that cost her
any thing.
Susanna. Well, I vnll eat it ; for I am
really faint.
Catharine. There she comes! I see her
old cap. Look out, girls ! Run to your seats,
or you'll get it.
[ The scholars all run, and sit as if afraid.]
[Enter Mrs. Weather box, fanning' Jierself, and
looking very cross.]
Mrs. Weatherbox. Susanna, how dare you
eat that apple?
Susanna. I did not think you would object,
ma'am; it was a present from one of the
scliciars.
Ni\<. Weatherbox. Present, indeed! I should
like to see how a present tastes. It does
cue's heart good to have a present now-a-
days ; but the time was, when I had a
present every day. [To Susanna.] Your
apple is forfeited, miss. [She takes it away,
and begins to eat it Iterself] Resume your
seat, miss. Let the first class in reading
come up. [She unlocks the drawer of Iter
table, while six stand up, three on each side
of Iter.
Mrs. Weatherbox. Maria Small, begin at
the 45th page, " On the Beauties of Nature."
Maria. [Reading very sloioly and blunder-
ingly.] " Altbough-the-moon-we-behold-is-an-
O. P. Q,. body-like-our-earth."
Mrs. Weatherbox. [Gaping.] What sort
of a body did you call it ?
Maria. O. P. Q,., ma'am.
Mrs. Weatherbox. Opaque, you mean.
The vs^ord means dark ; and, dear me, how
dark the room is ! [ She gapes agai7i.] I guess
my specs want wiping. Go on with your
reading. [She wipes her spectacles.]
Maria. " Althougti the moon we behold is
an opaque body, still its surface is rendered
visible to us, by the reflection of the sun's
' light."
[Mrs. Weatherbox 'i head begins to fall, as if
she was sleepy. Catharine gives a sign ti.
Maria to leave off reading, and she IwrselJ
begins, but only makes a humming noise—'
Um, um, um, um, &c. Mrs. Weatherbox, in
the mean time, lets her book fall from one
hand, and tlie apple from tlte other, and her
head falls on her shoulder.]
Lucy. [Going close up, and looking to see
if she is actually asleep.] Hush, girls ! let her
get well asleep before you stir.
[Some move about on tiptoe, and all whisper.]
SaraJt,. I mean to rummage the old lady's
drawer, and see what she has stolen from the
scholars. [She opens the table drawer and all
the scholars crowd round. Sarah says,] Here's
your cup and ball, Lucy. Now take it, and
hide it. Jane Smith, here is your picture-
book. She has been reading it first, to see
whether it is a suitable book for you to read.
Mary Spare, here is your cake, that she was
afraid would hurt you. Little girls' stomachs,
like ours, cannot bear any rich food, you
know ; and so she eats it for us !
Lucy. Here is her old snuff-box. Why is
not snuff as good as pepper and mustard, that
she loves so dearly? [She sprinkles some
snuff on the apple, and lays it on the table,
and says,] There, Susanna, she shall pay for
robbing you, if she eats any more of her
plunder.
Abba. Here is the fool's cap. Come, girls,
let's see if it becomes ma'am as well as it
does the rest of us. [She puts it upon Mrs.
Weatherbox' s liead. She then do-ubles her fist
in the old lady's face, and says,] Eh! you
ugly old thing ! I'd put a pipe in your mouth,
if it wouldn't wake you up !
[Isabel Fox puts o?i the old lady's spectacles
and, calling two or three very small girlf
around her, pretends to keep school, mimick-
ing the old lady.]
Cathariiie. On, here is her precious memo
randum-book ! Come, girls, now for a treat !
They say she writes all her secrets here.
Let's see. Here is a memorandum of what
she intends to say at mother's party, to-iiight.
I have heard that she always studies, before-
hand, some smart speeches. Now let's see.
Susanna. Miss Catharine, I beg yoa not
to read that book. It is dishonorable to read
any writing that is not intended to be seen.
Catharine. She has read my billets a
hundred times; and tit for tat, I say.
Siisar^na. Let me entreat you to put back
the memorandum-book.
Cathatim. Not I, indeed ! It shall be read
in committfte of the whole. So form a circle,
all hands of you, and hold your tongues. Come,
Susanna, you must join us,
Susanna. Excuse me; I am unwilling to
do any thing while ray aunt is asleep, that I
would not attempt if she were nwake.
Lucy. You are altogether too scrupulous,
Suzy, dear. Do not try to make us believe
you'feel any great respect for such a cross old
crone as this.
[ The old lady moves one arm, and Sarah
Ross says,]
Sarah. Hush! she is waking. Run fci
your lives.
AND DIALOGUES.
343
[All scamper to their seals, Int she does not
wake, and Cathanne calls them around her
agaiu]
Catharine. Come, girls, let's have the treat.
Come, Suzy, you must hear it too.
Snsan7ia. I really cunnot join in what I
do not approve. Do, pray, give me the book,
and let me put it back.
Catharine. No, no, not till we have had a
taste of it. She expects "to astonish the
natives" at our house to-night, and I am
determined, beforehand, to know what she is
to say. Now, Susanna, do not carry your
honor so far as to wake your aunt, and betray
us all as soon as we begin. There she sits, for
a'l the world like the Sleeping Beauty in the
Woods. [Making a face at her.]
Susanna. What have you seen in me,
Catharine, to lead you to suspect that I could
be mean enough to betray you ?
Catharine. Well, my dear girl, stand and
watch her, then, and give us a hint if she
moves. Now for it ! [Reads.] " Memoran-
dums for Mrs. Rich's tea-party. To stir my
tea a long time, that I may say to my next
neighbor, 'I like to have all the composite
pai-ls of my beverage both saturated and
coagulated.'"
"To fan myself, that I may say, 'How
sweetly the zephyrs of Boreas temper the
heat of Phoebus!""
" To tell the story of the man who ran his
head against a shop-shade, and said, half-
ftunned by the blow, ' What is that V ' That
is a conjunction,' said a school-boy, who was
passing."
" To speak French as often as I can, not
forgetting to mention the eclaw of Mrs. Rich's
carriage ; to allude to the fox-patc of Colonel
Trip, and the na-vette of Miss Catharine. If
no one leads me to the table, to say, ' i^hakun
pou-er soy.' "
Susamca. Hush! hush! she is waking !
{Mrs. Weatherbox begins to move a little,
and Cathanne shuts the book, and says to
Susanna,]
Catharine. Pray, pray, put it into the
drawer instantly. Run all, for your lives, to
your seats.
[One little girl stumbles over a cricket, and
makes so much noise, that Mrs. Weatherbox
awakes. The six readers stand in their
•places. Mrs. Weatherbox starts up, 7~ubs
her eyes, and says,]
Mrs. Weatherbox. What's that noise ?
Dear me ! I was beginning to lose myself.
Maria, my dear, finish the sentence you were
reading.
Catharine. 1 hope, ma'am, you will give
us some merits for keeping so still while you
were taking your nap.
Mrs. Weatherbox. Nap ! nap ! Who says
I have been taking a nap? I have heard
every word that has been read. Come,
girls, go on with your reading. Let me see —
where was the place? Where are my spec-
tacles ?
Isabel. Here, ma'am. I was afraid they
would fall on the floor, and so I held them till
you waked up.
Mrs. Weatfierbox. Waked up, you minx!
What do you mean? I have been no more
asleep than you have.
Isabel. Then how did you lose your spec-
tacles, ma'am without knowing it ?
Mrs. Weatherbox. I mark Miss Fox for
impertinence. Go on with your reading,
Maria. [Maria reads, and while she is doing
so, Mrs. WeatJierbox bites the apple, and begins
to make faces and spit SJie then says,]
What's this? Snuff? snuff? snuft^ on my
apple ? Who put snuff on my apple ?
Lucy. Who could do so, ma'am, and yov
all the time awake, and looking on ?
Catharine. Perhaps the apple touched
your snuff-box, ma'am. Poor Susan did not
have a chance to see whether it tasted of
snuff" before you took it away from her.
Mrs. Weatfierbox. 1 mark Miss Rich for
talking unnecessarily. Go on with your read-
ing, Maria. [Maria reads a few coords, ana
Mrs. Weatherbox opens iter drawer, and, seeirig
tfte confusion, says,] My stars ! who has
dared to touch my drawer ! Somebody, I see,
has been here ! Where is my memorandum
book? Has any one dared to touch it'*
Susanna, where is my memorandum-book?
[Susanna hides her face in her work, but docs
not ansiver. Mrs. Weatherbox rises, seizea
her by the arm, and says,] Now look me lull
in the face, and say you did not take that
memorandum-book out of my drawer ! Speak
out, speak loud !
Susanna. I did not, I did not, indeed !
Mrs. Weatherbox. I do not believe you,
and shall make bold to search you. [Shi
thrusts Iter hands into Susanna's pocket, and
drakes out the 7nemorandum-book, and holds ii
up, saying, [You did not take it, hey ? You
did not take it ? What do you say now ?
Susanna. [Sobhiiig.] I did not take it
from the drawer, ma'am.
Mrs. Weatherbox. Then you know who
did. So tell me this instant. [Susanna does
not answer.] I know, then, you took it
yourself; it is exactly like you.
Susanna. Oh, aunt ! it is not like me to
do such a thing.
Mrs. Weatherbox. Not another word ! 1
shall believe you did it, till you can prove your
innocence by pointing out the culprit. But I
am certain it was yourself, and I shall punish
you accordingly. I suppose you have taken
care to read every word of it?
Susa?ina. I really did not read one line
of it. ,
Mrs. Weatherbox. You did not read iti
Then why did you steal it ? I'll punish you
to your heart's content. You shall be shut up
in this room for a week, and shall have only
bread and water, and a short allowance of
even that; and you shall sew on that hard
linen from morning till night, I promise you.
Girls, you may all go home; school is dis-
missed.
[ The girls go out. Susanna sits and sobs as
she vjorks.]
Mrs. Weatleerbox. There, now do not stir
till I come back ! Leave oft" crying, and mind
your sewing, I shall not see you till morning
Susanna, Aunt, I assure you that I am
innocent
344
READINGS, RECITATIONS,
Mrs Weatherbox. A pretty stoi-y! Hold
your tongue, and mind your work. {She goes
out.]
[Catharine enters on tiptoe.']
Catharine. My deai* Susan, I wish you to
gc home with me.
Susanna. My aunt has forbidden me to
stir from this room, till she returns to-morrow
morning. I am so faint now that I can hardly
sit .up,
Cathariite. Do you not think such treatment
cruel and unjust?
Susanna. I do.
Catharine. And yet you submit to it.
Susanna. I have no home but this.
Catharine. I will lend you one, for one
night, at least. My dear girl, you shall suffer
no more for my wickedness. It is my offence
that you are to be punished for, and 1 am
determined to undergo the penalty myself
Now put my shawl and bonnet on yourself,
and go home, and tell my parents that I have
changed beds with you lor one night. Leave
me here, and return in the morning,
Stisanna. You are not used to suffering,
and I am used to nothing else.
Catharine. I am determined, and you must
submit. There — don't speak. [Putting on
her things. There — go and enjoy, for one
night, at least, a happy home.
Susanna. What do you intend to do?
Catharine. No matter. Leave it to me.
Go now, or your aunt may return and prevent
you.
[Susanna goes out.]
{Catharine sits at work, with her head down.
Mrs. Weatherbox enters ]
Mrs. Weatherbox. I forgot to say, that no
one will be permitted to speak to you for a
week ; and I shall take the precaution to lock
the door, and keep the key myself What
did Catharine Rich have to say to you ? I met
her as I came in.
Catharine. [Without raising her head.]
She came to say, that you were too cruel to
punish me, when she was the guilty one. She
threatens to tell her father, and ask him to
adopt me, and take us both from your school.
She invited me to run home with her now.
Mrs. Weatherbox. Why didn't yo» go?
Catharine. I thought she would do the
en-and best,
Mrs. Weatherbox. Highty-tighty ! [Seizing
her arm, and twitching her up on her feet.]
Catharine. Touch me, if you dare, madam !
Your persecuted prisoner has escaped.
Mrs. Weatherbox. Catharine Rich! What
does this mean, miss ?
Catharine. It means, madam, that I could
not bear to see your innocent victim suffering
for me; and I have persuaded her to take
shelter with my parents, and leave me to be
punished, if you dare to touch me. / took the
memorandum-book from your drawer, when
you were asleep, sound asleep; in consequence
m" eating your own portion of chicken and hers
also. She took it from me to restore it to you ;
but you awoke before she had an opportunity
to do so. The generous girl preferred to suffer,
rather than to expose me. I know the respect
which is due from pupils to their teachers;
but, madam, ^?ip^7s Lave ri|,his, and teachers
must respect them, if they wish to be respected.
Susanna is beyond your reach, and I am ia
your power. P'unish me, if you think I deserve
it, for anticipating the wit you intended to let
me share freely at my mother's tea-party.
The memorandum will do yet ; for I have not
repeated the conjunction story, nor the French,
to any soul living.
Mrs. Weatherbox. Go home, miss, and tell
Susanna to come back immediately.
Catharine. Say you pardon her, then.
Mrs. Weatherbox. I do.
Catharine. Say you will love and treat
her well, as she deserves, poor girl !
Mrs. Weatherbox. I will. I am too much
mortified to be angry ; and, for the first time
in my life, I am ready to confess to my pupils
that I am in the wrong. Oh, how much
happiness I have lost in the foolish attempt to
make my pupils believe that my judgment
and conduct were always right! JMy dear
girl, you have set me a lesson to-day, that
will never be forgotten. [Looking at the
audience.] It is singular, that taking a nap
should open my eyes so wide,
758. the debating club.
The President, Mb. Bunker, Me. King, Mr. Bull,
Mr. Vernon, Mr. Slowmatch, Mr. Steamer, Mr.
Bbandywine, Mr. York, Mons. Bonjour, Me, Mit-
timus, Mr. Slack, Mr. Eairside, Secretary.
[The President and Secretary sitting at atable,
and the other members seated araimd.}
President. Gentlemen, the ordinary busi-
ness of the club having been performed, the
next business in order will be the regular
debate. If you will give your attention,
gentlemen, the Secretary will read from the
records the question to be discussed.
Secretary. [Reads.] " The subject pro
posed for discussion, at the next meeting, is,
' Which was the greater man, Washington or
Lafayette ?' On the side of Washington^
Messrs. Bunker, King, Bull, Vernon, Slow-
match, and Steamer, were appointed ; and, on
the other side, Messrs. Brandywine, York,
Fairside, Bonjour, Mittimus, and Slack. It
was also voted, that the next meeting should
be holden at — — Hall, that the numerous
friends of the members might hear the dis-
cussion without inconvenience.
Attest, John Scrip, Secretary."
President. You have heard the record,
gentlemen; and, if no objection is made, tlie
regular discussion of the proposed question
will commence.
Mr. Slack. Mr. President !
President. Mr. Slack, gentlemen.
Mr. Slack. [Very rapidly.] Mr. President
— I rise, sir, to say that, as every" member,
probably, has a desire to say something upon
the subject to be discussed this evening, and
some folks have not any too much control over
their tongues, it will be but fair that no
member be allowed to speak more than five
minutes at one time. I have no fear but what
I Khali get my share of the time ; but I speak
for the sake of others, sir, ^yho may not be so
fortunate ; those, sir. who like the lame man
at Bethesda, wish to get into tiic troubled
AND DIALOGUES.
345
water, but are so long making their prepara-
tions, sir, that somebody always gets in before
tliem. I disapprove, sir, of monopolizing the
wliole time and attention of the Society ; and
1 trust, sir, my motives for making this sugges-
tion will not be misunderstood.
President. Do you make a motion to that
ellect, sir ?
Mr. Slack. I do, sir ; for it appears to me,
fiir, that the sin of modern times, sir, is the
propensity to talk, sir, when men have nothing
lo .say, sir, and an unwillingness to leave off,
sir, when one has done. I am a friend to
equal rights, sir — and I wish to give every
man an opportunity to exercise his tongue,
if he has any disposition to do so, sir.
Mr. Steamer. Mr. President — I lise to ask
if there is any question before the meeting ?
President. Does any one second the motion
of Mr. Slack?
Mr. Sloiomatch. {Drawling very slowly.']
1 will second his motion, Mr. President;
tiiough iive minutes will hardly allow me
time to hurry over all the ground 1 had marked
oat for myself on this occasion. I will second
the motion, however, Mr. President.
President. Gentlemen, it has been moved
and seconded, that no gentleman be allowed
to speak upon the question
Mr. Slack. No, sir ; no, sir ; I did not move
that they he not allowed to speak upon the
question, but
Ptendent. It is moved and seconded that
no gentleman be allowed to speak more than
live minutes •
Mr. Slack. Upon the question, sir — not
more than five minutes upon the question.
President. If the gentleman will give me
one minute, I will put the question so as to
suit him. Gentlemen, if it be your minds that
no member shall be allowed to speak more
than hve minutes upon the question before
us
Mr. Slack. Beg pardon, sir ; not upon the
question before us — which is a question of
order merely — but upon the question proposed
for discussion this evening. Excuse me, sir ;
but it is best to go straight forward, and not
get into a tangle, sir, as they do in Congi-ess
President. Gentlemen who are in favor
of allowing only five minutes to every
speaker
Mr. Slack. Five minutes to each speaker,
sir — at one time, sir.
Presiderit. Gentlemen, you heard the motion
of the gentleman as he made it ; and if it be
your minds to sustain it, you will please to
hold up your hands. [All hands up.] It is a
vote, gentlemen.
Mr. Bunker. Will the Secretary be good
enough to read, again, the subject under
discussion this evening ?
Secretary. "Was Washington, or Lafayette,
the greater man 1"
Mr. Bmiker. Mr. President !
President. Mr. Bunker, gentlemen.
Mr. Bunker. Mr. President — I ri.se, sir, to
express my astonishment, that any body should
propose such a question for the consideration
of an American. What, sir! are we called on
to institute a comparison between the great
Washingt<n and his pupil, sir? the man that
owed all the greatness he possessed to his
master ? I should as soon think of instituting a
comparison between the sun aud moon, sir —
between the body that warms, enlightens, and
guides the earth, and that inferior orb, which
moves, sir, as it is compelled, and, shedding no
warmth in its beams, is dependent upon the
sun for even the cold light it dispenses. Sir, I
can hardly treat the comparison seriously; for,
much as 1 have admired the romantic heroism
of the young Frenchman, it never before
entered into my head, that he was a rival of .
Washington — that any American could be
willing, for a moment, to allow that a foreigner
could be as dear to him as his own beloved
Washington.
Mons. Bonjour. Ma foi. Monsieur le Presi-
dent ; the kes-ti-on is not who de gentilhomme
shall love, but who is de most grand homme.
1 hope de gentilhomme will stick himself to
the kes-ti-on.
Mr. Bunker. I had nearly done, Mr. Presi-
dent. I cannot think that any American will
attempt to institute a comparison between the
immortal Washington, and any other man that
ever lived.
Mr. Brandywine. Mr. President !
President. Mr. Brandywine, gentlemen.
Mr. Brandywine. Sir, the gentleman has,
very unceremoniously, assumed the very point
in dispute. He has allowed his feelings, I
fear, sir, to warp his judgment in this matter.
He is at liberty, sir, to love Washington
better than any other man He is justified in
feeling under greater obligation to him than
to any other man; but, sir, in considering the
question before us, it is the duty of every
disputant to divest himself of all partialities
of every sort, however patriotic aud amiable
they may appear, and dispassionately to view
the claims of the two great men in question
It is true, sir, that Lafayette was the puj/il
of Washington; but this is the first time, sir,
that I ever heard that a pupil must, neces-
sarily, all his life long, be inferior to his master
Washington himself once had a master, sir,
but the probability is, that he excelled him.
The gentleman, sir, compares his favorite to
the sun; he does right to do so, sir; but he
should recollect that there are more suns than
one. It is not for the inhabitants of our
system, who are warmed and cheered by our
sun, sir, to say that the glorious suns of other
systems are inferior, sir, and only moons.
The gentleman thinks, sir, that no American
will venture to assert the claim of Lafayette
to equal rank with Washington ; bat, sir,
I am an American, and a countrj-man of
Washii>gton — and I am not ashamed to
acknowledge the claims, the equal claims,
of Lafayette, to the love and homage of the
world. The gentleman may think of me as
he pleases, sir, for this avowal ; but, sir,
neither his contempt for me, nor his love
for Washington, will prove the position he
assumes. I wait, sir, to hear something
besides bare assertion, unsupported,, as in
tbis case, by reason, fact,- or argument.
Mr. Kinsr. Mr. President !
President. Mr. King. gfentlemeJi.
346
•READINGS, RECITATIONS,
Mr. King. 1 rejoice, Mr. President, tliat it
fell to my lot to be upon the Washington side
of this argument ; for, sir. I should have been
sorely puzzled for any thing like an argument
on the other side. To me, sir, the bright
and pre-eminent points of our Washington's
character are so numerous, that it would be
"ain to attempt a display of them all. I shall,
therefore, sir, just mention one of them, to
afford gentlemen on the other side an oppor-
tunity to concentrate their remarks upon a
single point, and thus see the striking contrast
w liich the two characters exhibit. Where,
sir, in the wide range of history, can you iind
a parallel to the disinterestedness of Wash-
aigtx)n? At an early age, he became a
favorite of the provincial goverinnent; and, at
the outbreak of the revolution, the way to
preferment lay in his adherence to the mother
country ; but, sir, he did not hesitate in his
choice — he rejected the royal ofters, and
embraced a cause which promised him no
other elevation than the scatibld. Besides,
sir, he was wealthy — and, the moment he
became a rebel, he forfeited his all, should he
fail of success. Nay, more, sir, he knew that,
in accepting the command of the American
forces, he must become an exile from the wife
of his bosom and the home of his affection.
But, sir, he did not hesitate — he left all. Nay,
sir, he refused to accept any compensation for
his own untiring services and sufferings in a
seven yeai's' war; but he never forgot to urge
the claims of his suffering fellow-soldiers.
Sir, the event was fortunate, and sanctioned
these sacrifices; but, where else shall we
look for such en instance of devoted patriotism
and disinterestedness ? Surely not, sir, in the
conduct of him who left his country, and
estate, and family, secure in Europe, and
only risked his person in the contest — a risk
that was shared by the meanest soldier, I
shall wait, sir, to hear what our opponents
have to say upon this point, before 1 proceed
to other traits of character as brilliant, as
unique, and as undisputed as this.
Mr. York. Mr. President !
President. Mr. York, gentlemen.
Mr. York. 1 am unused to debate, Mr.
President ; but, as I intended to say a few
words this evening, I bad thought the best
time to do so would be, when the argument
of our opponents was most weak and untenable
This time has arrived, sir ; the arguments of
the gentleman who has just taken iiis seat are
of this character; and I will ask your attention
one moment, while I endeavor to maintain
the position, that, in our revolutionary war,
Lafayette showed more disinterestedness than
Washington. The gentleman says, sir, that,
in embracing the cause of the colonies, his
hero relinquished all the honors and emolu-
ments which awaited him as the favorite of
the royal governor. Sir, it is a well known
fact, that Washington had been slighted by
the British government ; he had been made
subordinate to a foreign general, who had
rejected his advice, and sneered at the
provincial officers. But, sir, admitting tl^^it
ao such prejudice against the provincials
existed, it is by no means certain, that the
rank of colonel, or even general, ur,der the
king, was superior to that of commander-in-
chief of all the American forces — an appoint-
ment which almost involved the control of the
whole nation. But, allowing, for the sake ot
argument, that a sacrifice iras made, who
does not see that the sacrifices of Lafayette
were, in every respect, greater ? Did Wash-
ington risk ascending the scaffold as a rebel?
so did the foreigner who aided and abetted
the rebels. Did Washington abandon tl.e
doubtful chance of promotion under a pie
judiced monarch? so did Lafaj-ette abandiui
the certain promotion which awaited him al
the court of a monai'ch, who had alrea<ly
singled him out for special favors. Did
Washington risk the loss of all his propert}'
by joining his coantrymen ? Lafayette brou;-4:t
more with him than Washington ever owned.
Did Washington fight to preserve his oirn
property from confiscation? Lafayette fouulit
to save the property of others. Did Wa!5h-
ington accept a command which separated
him from his wife and family, for a few
hundred miles, and for a part of the year ?
so did Lafayette leave a young wife, a beloved
family, and a devoted countiy, to be separated,
not for months, but for years ; not for hundreds,
but for thousands of miles — with hardly a hope
of any communication, even by letter. Did
Washington refuse compensation for his
services? Lafayette did more; he poured out
his ti.easures like water, that he neither hoped
nor cared to gather up again. When informed
that the Americans were in want of every
thing, and could not x'romise him any pay, he
fitted out a vessel of war, and loaded her, on
his own account. When he arrived, and found
his regiment naked and destitute, he equipped
them at his own expense. I think, sir, that
the gentlemen on the other side of the question
must seek some other foundation than disin-
terestedness, on which to build the superior
claims of Washington.
Mr. Bull. Mr. President!
Presid.ent, Mr. Bull, gentlemen,
Mr, Bull. Sir, I did not mean to take any
part in this discussion, because any thing I
might say against the claims of the French
intermeddler, might be attributed to the
national prejudice which has always existed
between France and my native England.
Mons. Bo7ijour. Pardon, monsieur ! I will,
shall, shall, will not myself sit down and hear
de vil nom intermeddel applique to de sacred
nom of Lafayette. No, sare, if mon compatriot
was one intermeddel, den evare fren of man
is intermeddel. No, sare! I vill not excuse
de prcjujes of one ennemi mortel. I hate
evare ting dat look like Jean Bull ; evare
ting, sare T toujours, toujours, nevare.
Preside7it. Mr. Bull will see the propriety
of abstaining from the use of offensive epithets,
where the national feelings are so sensi-
tive.
Mr. Bull. I merely meant to remark, sir.
that it has always been my opinion, that if
the Americans had rebelled against any other
nation than the English, who are the heredi-
tary enemies of France, it would have been
long, indeed, sir, before the disinterested
AND DIALOGUES.
84?
Lafayette would have taken the trouble to
cross' the AM antic.
Mr. Fai'/side. Mr. President ! In reply
rresuient. Mr. Fairside, gentlemen.
Mr. Fairside. In answer to the gentleman
last up, I would remark, sir, that there is
everj' reason to believe, that Lafayette loved
the cause of human liberty for itself alone ;
and the gentleman has no reason to suppose,
that the chivalric youth would not have gone
to Mexico as readily as to the British pro-
vinces, had the seeds of liberty first taken
root in the dominions of Old Spain. He saw,
sir. that Liberty, in Europe, was prostrated,
and the iron foot of Tyranny upon her neck ;
he saw, sir, that the struggle must begin
elsewhere, that the iirst blow must be struck
by intelligent and determined men. His noble
heart caught, instinctively, at the effort of
our fathers ; he knew that they had been
cradled on the rock of Plymouth, sir, and
his prophetic eye saw the influence that
a successful struggle must exert upon the
destiny of man, not only here and in Europe,
but throughout the world, sir ; and he lent his
sonl, his arm, his wealth, to the holy purpose.
He was superior to prejudice, sir, even the
hereditary prejudice of his country.
Mr. Bull. Still, Mr. President, it might be
maintained, that Lafayette was not entitled
to much credit on the score of disinterestedness,
since he received from your government full
pay for all he advanced in its service.
Mr. Fairside. Allow me, sir, to say, in
reply to this new charge, that when Lafayette
offered his treasures, or rather brought them,
he brought them to those unable to repay
him ; he asked for no scctirity — he never, sir,
asked for any return. His glorious re appear-
ance in this country, after the lapse of half a
century, revived the slumbering gi'atitude of
those he had helped to redeem; and they did
him an act of justice, sir, as honorable to
themselves as unexpected and unasked for by
him. I think, sir, this grateful expression
of American feeling towards a benefactor,
can never be fairly construed into an impeach-
ment of his perfect disinterestedness.
Mr. Vernon. Mr. President !
President. Mr. Vernon, gentlemen
Mr. Vernon. The opposition, sir, have given
us a glowing description of the liberality of
their favorite ; but, sir. they have overlooked
the fact, that, when Washington joined the
rebels, their cause was desperate. Lafayette
did not come over until the Declaration of
Independence had raised the provinces to the
rank of a nation, and relieved the rebels from
the fear of an ignominious death. He does
not recollect, sir, that the Americans had
given proofs of skill and desperate bravery,
oa which Lafayette could rely for ultimate
success. Was not the French hero, in this
respect, an eleventh hour man, sir, who
expected as much honor as those who had
home the burden and heat of the day? I
pause for a reply.
Mr. Mittimus. Mr. President!
President. Mr. Mittimus, gentlemen.
Mr. Mittimus. With your permission, sir,
I wtU just state what I bslieve to be an
historical fact, in answer to the gentleman
just up. It is unfair, sir, to reckon the
services of Lafayette from the time of hig
arrival in America, for it is well known, that,
long before this, he had intended to come, but
had been prevented by his king. Every
stratagem was tried, to elude the vigilance
of his friends, and of the officers of govern-
ment ; and, while these efforts were making,
the American commissioners at Paris thought
it their duty to inform him, that they had just
received information of the defeat of the
American forces, and the almost utter hope-
lessness of their cause. This only made him
more anxious to depart; and, when they
ingenuously confessed to him that they had
no vessel, and no means to furnish one, for
his passage to America, he purchased and
eqiiipped one himself, and eluded the vigilance
of his government. Call you such a man an
eleventh hour man? Sir, 1 call him the friend
in need. But, sir, while on this point, iel
me ask, where was \'Vashington while our
patriots were bleeding on the plains of Lex-
ington, and on the heights of Charlestown?
On his faiTn, sir, I believe, waiting to hear
from the north.
Mr. Vernon. {Hastily ] I rise, Mr. Presi-
dent, to say, that it was not the practice of
Washington to intrude himself upon the notice
of his countrymen ; he uniformly obeyed the
dictates of his innate modesty, and never,
I repeat it, sir, never intruded his sei-vices
till they were called for. When the voice
of his countiy called him to command her
armies, he instantly obeyed her call.
Mr. Mittimus. This is too bad, Mr. Presi-
dent, altogether too bad. What ! sir, are we
to be told that the noble souls who, uninvited,
opposed their bosoms to the bayonets of
Britain, are to be called intruders? What,
sir, would have been our fate, if a few such
men as Warren, Putnam, Stark, and Prescott,
had not intruded themselves into the little
redoubt on Bunker's Hill, which was so certain
to become their tomb ? Intruders ! Sir, had
I been one of that glorious band of intruders,
I would not have thanked any monarch in
Christendom for the highest honors in his
gift; that v^'as honor enough for one hfe. Sir,
the gentleman is welcome to all the merit he
claims for the modesty of his hero. I prefer
that spirit which saw that the first blow was
the great one on which the hopes of liberty
and the country depended ; and which, without
asking what modesty and the courtesies of
society required, rushed to the contest, and
set a glorious example of self-devotion.
Mr. Steamer. Mr. President !
Pi-esident. Mr. Steamer, gentlemen.
Mr. Steamer. I rise, sir, to express my
astonishment at the course of this debate.
Can it be, sir, that we have so long mistaken
the character of Washington, and have trans-
feiTed to him the honor and glory -svhich
belonged to his young friend ? It has hitherto
been the opinion of our countrj-men, that they
owed the establishment of their liberties and
independence to the cool judgment, unflinching
valor, and perseverance of him whom tliey
have delighted to call the Father o( his
34:8
READINGS, RECITATIONS.
country. But now, sir, we are told, that we
owe all this to a yonng man, who was hardly
mentioned at that trying period, and who
himself would have shrunk from the assump-
tion of any such honors. Let us, for a moment,
look at the relative merit of these heroes,
as wai-riors of the revolution. 1 would not
detract, sir, from the value of Lafayette's
services ; but I would ask, sir, what could the
services of a subordinate officer be, when
compared with those of the commander-in-
chief? The siege of Boston was raised, the
unparalleled retreat from Long Island effected,
the saving victory of Trenton gained, before
Lafayette arrived. On no occasion did
Lafayette command any considerable body
of troops, or perform any independent exploit.
It was Washington who planned and executed
the finishing stroke at Yorktown; it was he
who was consulted by Congi'ess ; it was his
name that was the bond of union ; it was he
who controlled the suffering and almost rebel-
lious army. What should we say, sir, if an
attempt were made to snatch from Wellington
the honors of Waterloo, and pfece them upon
the brow of some gallant commander of a
gallant detachment ? Sir, I would do justice
to the gallant Frenchman, but I should be
unwilling to name him by the side of General
Washington.
Mons. Bonjour. Ma foi ! de gentilhomme
3ncore, again, forgets de kestion. Dis is not
who was de grand great man in de revolution
of '75, but who was de plus grand man all his
life forevare. Washington did command de
littell army of the revolution wis all de skill
necessaire ; but Lafayette did command de
grand arm^e of France. At de age of terly-
tree he was at de head of de garde nationelle,
more of four million men, more dan de whole
toute population of Amerique atde revolution.
One of tree major-general of France, he defeat
de invading armies of de allies at Philippeville,
Mauberge, Florennes. Ma foi ! de whole army
American not enough to cook one dinnare
for de grand arm^e of France. I dono dat
Washington could not command de grand
armee, mais, but he never try. I no say any
ting gains Washington, but I defend my own
compatriot. I no speak de English langue,
mais, but you will pardon mon amour-patrie,
what you call
President. Patriotism.
Mons. Bonjour. Oui ; I tank you ; de gentil-
wien will pardon my patriotism. [Striking his
bosom several times.]
Mr. Steamer. It may be allowed, Mr. Presi-
dent, that Lafayette was called to command
larger armies than ever were raised in
America; but, sir, it may admit of question,
whether it did not require more skill to
manage the smaller armies of our revolution,
destitute, as they were, of every thing, and
opposed, as they were, to the veteran troops
of England, than to manage the larger armies
which were collected to repel the invaders of
France. I have seen the commander of a
frigate unable to manage a small vessel when
the navigation was dangerous, and indebted
{br his life and the safety of the vessel to the
skipper of a fishing-boat. The times, sir.
called for a peculiar man, and Washingtofj
was sent, sir, and fulfilled his difficult mission
to the astonishment of all who knew the
difficulties he had to surmount, and the little
reliance he could place upon others. Besides,
he was a self-taught general, but Lafayette
had the full benefit of all his experience
Mons. Bonjozir. Oui, certainement, dat is
juste. W^ashington was de man for de time,
and BO was Lafayette for de oder time. Dat
is juste, parfaitement juste.
Mi: Bunker. There is another point of
view, Mr. President, in which 1 think the
peculiar greatness of Washington was dis-
played. I refer to his coolness and linnness
in the trj'ing scenes of the revolution. No
danger, however appaUing, ever shook the
equanimity of his mind. When beset by
enemies within and without the camp, he
never betrayed any want of firmness or self-
possession. He was always the same steady,
cautious, undaunted friend of liberty ; and
probably to this quality, more than to any
other single trait of character, we owe the
successful termination of a contest at first so
desperate and hopeless.
Mons. Bonjour. I am ver sorry to oppose
de gentilhomme encore, mais, but, he mus
allow de same vertu to my compatriot. Did
not he persevere to come to dis contree ? Did
he not stay till de war was fin-ee? Did he
not oppose Louis Seize to his face, demand
de constitution, and den defend de king agains
de mob of two tree hundred tousand? Did
he not oppose de Jacobin toujours, toujours, at
de risk of his tete, what you call [Putting
his Jinger across his throat.] Did he not
refuse to do homage to Napoleon, because he
have betray de cause of hberte ? Did he not
command Napoleon to abdiquer de trone t
Did he not reject de overtures of Louis
Dixhuit? Did he not rule la France in de
tree days ? and did he not place Louis Philippe
on de trone? Did he not condemn him for
not keep his word? Was he not toujours,
toiyours homme collect, patriote, ferme, immo-
bile? Why, den, you no give him de same
honor? hey! Ma foi! c'est injuste cela.
Mr, Bunker. It is growing late, Mr. Presi-
dent; but there is one other point in the
character of Washington which seems to me
to raise him above all competition. I refer to
his well-regulated ambition. When at the
head of an army, with a divided and destitute
nation at his feet, instead of imitating the
examples of Cassar and Napoleon, he meekly
laid down his power, and retired to his fann.
When called, by the unanimous voice of the
nation, to preside over its councils, he directed
them all for the public good. He knew no
selfish feelings, he favored no party, he sought
for no spoils, he laid no plans for permanent
power, he left the care of a successor to tlie
people; and when, as president, he might
have continued to hold the supreme power, he
again gave it back unstained, and retired to
private life. 1 search in vain, sir, for a similar
instance of moderation in the history of our
race ; and if we must concede that Lafayette
comes up to him in some other respects, I
trust our opponents will allow, that, in thie
AND DIALOGUES.
349
godlike quality, Washington stands alone,
alone and unapproached.
Mr, York. I should be happy to oblige the
geutleman, bat I must contend, that, in this
respect also, the pupil has equalled his
master. He might have obtained high rank
in this his adopted country, but he resigned
all, and went to his own oppressed land.
When Louis XVI. was driven from Paris,
Lafayette was at the head of the national
guards, and held the destiny of France ; but,
in tlie name of four million soldiers, he took
the oath to the constitution. Having organized
this enormous body of troops, he refused to
command them, and retired to his farm.
When afterwards marshal of France, the
country was torn by infamous factions, but he
would not make use of military coercion, He
resigned, and in his civil capacity opposed
the Jacobins. When Napoleon was proposed
as consul for life, he voted against him, and
retired to private life. When the Bourbons
were restored, and courted him, he remained
at La Grange. He refused to see Napoleon,
who had come to offer him rank and power.
He even refused to be king, at the late
revolution, and recommended Louis Philippe;
and when that monarch failed to keep his
word, Lafayette rebuked him for it, and
retired to his estates. I do not say that this
self-denial and moderation surpass that of
'V\'ashington ; but, as the offers were more
brilliant, their rejection must certainly give
Lafayette a claim to be considered equal, in
in this respect, even to Washington.
Mons. Bonjour. Egal, <^gal; certainement
dgal. 1 love Washington, but I am de com-
fiatriot of Lafayette, and voila le tri-color
[poiiUing to his ribbon] that 1 wear as the
memoire of him.
3Ir. Slowmatch. Mr. President, I am half
inclined to think, sir, that we are no nearer
coming to a decision now, than we were at
the commencement of this debate. I think
it has been satisfactorily proved, that both
Washington and Lafayette were great men.
Yet it cannot be questioned, I think, that
Lafayette owed much of his greatness to
Washington ; for the familiar intercourse of
so young a man with such a mind as Wash-
insrton's, must have assimilated the young
mind to its matured exemplar. We may
safely grant to Lafayette an equal share of
disinterestedness, of military skill, of firmness,
and well-restrained ambition, and yet we may
fairly consider Washington the greater man.
For, sir, the fact exists, that Washington,
without a model, made himself what he
became; but it will ever I'emain to be proved,
that Lafayette, had he been in Washington's
place, would have set such a godlike example.
One point, however, in the character of
Washington, remains untouched; and I will
allude to it, not to provoke further discussion,
but because 1 think the character, admirable
as it has been made to appear, must be imper-
fect without this crowning trait, I allude to
the moral sublimity, or, if you prefer, the
religious bearing of his character. There
seemed to be, in all his conduct, a deep
feeling of accountability to God, an unshaken
confidence in his overruling providence, an
unalterable conviction, that the cause of troth
and justice must finally triumph. I do not
say, sir, that Lafayette was swayed by inferior
motives ; but I think it beyond controversy,
that this religious feeling formed the basis
of our Washington's character, and gave a
subHmity to it, which, if Lafayette possessed,
the circumstances of his life never so fully
developed. Such is my respect, my love, sir,
for both of the great names before us, that I
very reluctantly see them placed in oppositioi\,
even for a friendly discussion. I trust, how-
ever, that the present review of their services
will only serve to increase our gratitude to
them, and to Him who raised them up for our
political salvation.
President. Gentlemen, the hour of adjourn-
ment has arrived ; and, much as 1 regret the
necessity of terminating this interesting debate,
the constitution imperiously requires that the
discussion should be arrested. I intended,
gentlemen, to have thrown my mite into the
great treasury of Washington's praise, but
the remarks of the reverend gentleman who
addressed you last, are so fair a summary of
the debate, that I forego my intention with
less reluctance. Are you ready for the question
of adjournment?
Mr. Slack. I move, sir, that, before the
meeting be adjourned, the sense of the
meeting be taken upon the question.
Mom. Bonjour. 1 will be de gentilman's
second.
President. If it be your minds, gentlemen,
that the opinion of this meeting upon the
subject of debate be now expressed in the
usual way, you will please to make it mani-
fest. [All hands ujj.]
President. It is a vote, gentlemen. Such
of you, and of our respected audience, as are
of opinion that Lafayette was, on the whole,
a greater man than Washington, will please
to signify it by holding up your hands.
[Mo7is. Bonjour stands up alone, and says^
Mons. Boyijour. Je le crois. Monsieur le
President, je le crois, je le crois! Vive le
grand Lafayette!
President. Those who are of opinion that
Washington was, on the whole, the greater
man, will please to signify it.
[All hands up, and some cry out, All up I
All up!]
Mr. Bunker. I move you, sir, that we
give three cheers to the united memories of
the great Lafayette and the great Washing-
ton.
Mons. Bonjour. Ma foi ! I shall tree cheer
bote de grands hommes wid hall my art.
Vive le grand Washington! vive le grand
Lafayette ! [ I'hen all give three cheers.]
Mr. Slack. I now move, sir, that thta
meeting be adjourned.
Mr. King. I second the motion.
President. If it be your minds now to
adjourn to the time and place appointed ui
the constitution, you will please to signify it.
[All up.]
President. [Looking at the audience.] 1 ther
declare this meeting to be adjourned.
(F, F. D.)
350
READINGS, HE CITATIONS,
759. F£PIGR£Z.
Mary AUNT Bettv, why are you always
mending that old picture ?
Aunt Betty. Old picture, miss! and pray
who told you to call it an old picture ?
Mary. Pray, aunt, is it not an old picture?
I am sure it looks ragged enough to bo old.
Annt Betty. And pray, niece, is it not ten
times more valuable on that account? I wish
I could ever make you entertain a proper
respect for your family.
Mary. Do I not respect the ie,^ that
remain of them, and yourself among the rest?
But what has that old — what shall I call it? —
to do with our family ?
Aant Betty. It is our family coat of arms
— the only document whicii remains to estab-
lish the nobility and purity of our blood.
Mary. What is purity of blood, aunt?
I am sure I overheard Mrs. Pimpleton eay
vour complexion was almost orange, and she
believed it arose from some i«»purity of the
blood.
Aunt Betty. Tut, tut, you hussy! I am
sure my complexion will not suffer by a
comparison with any of the Pimpleton race.
\Tosung up her head.] But that is neither
here nor there : it matters not what the com-
plexion is, or the present state of the blood,
jtrovided the source is pure Do people drink
the less water because it filtrates through
clav?
Mcry. But what is pure and noble blood,
aunt?
Aunt Betty. Blood, my dear, which has
proceeded from some great and celebrated
man, through the veins of many generations,
without any mixture with vulgar blood.
Mary. Then whom did we proceed from,
aunt Betty?
Aunt Betty. From Sir Gregory McGrinceil,
who lived in the time of Elizabeth, and
left sons a dozen, from the youngest of
whom, James McGrinceil, gentleman, we are
descended.
Mary. What does a gentleman mean,
aunt?
Aunt Betty. It means one who has too
high a sense of his ancestry, to engage in
any of what are vulgarly called the usefvJ.
employments'.
Mary. It must mean a lazy man, then,
I should think. Was he not extremely poor,
aunt ?
Aunt Betty. Poor? What is poverty in
the scale of nobility? It is the glory of our
house, that th^ have always preferred honor-
able poverty to disgraceful industry.
Mary. Why, aunt, every body does not
think as you do. I heard the parson's wife
say you would be a better Christian, and
serve your Maker more faithlully, by doing
something profitable, than by spending your
time in idleness, and depending upon the
Church for support.
Aunt Betty. She had better mind her own
business, and not slander her parishioners.
Mighty well, indeed ! if the descendant of Sir
Gregory McGrinceil is to be taught her duty
to her ancestors by the daugliter of a plough-
man, and the wife of a country parson!
Mary. I am sure she is very good
woman, and my mother considers her a
pattern of humility.
Aunt Betty. Di'd she display her humility
in walking before me a»- the deacon's funeral ?
Answer me that.
Mary. She had not the arrangement of the
procession, aunt.
Aunt Betty. She ought to have known her
place, however. I shall take care how I go
to any more vulgar funerals to be insulted,
I promise you.
Mary. I cannot see \vhat should make us
better than our neighbors, for my mother once
told me that your grandfather was only a
hostler.
Aunt Betty. Your mother takes a great
deal of pains to expose the dark spots in our
escutcheon. But did she ever tell you, that,
when my grandfather was engaged in that
profession, it was customary for gentlemen to
be their own grooms ? No, I'll warrant not.
Mary. Then there is no disgrace in any
employment, if it be only fashionable ?
Aunt Betty. None at all, my dear,; for
Count Rumford was a cook, and Sir Isaac
Newton a spectacle-maker.
Mary. But of what use is our noble blood
in this country, aunt, where merit alone is
respected ?
Au7it Betty. Merit, indeed ! and what have
we to do with merit? It is well enough for
those of vulgar origin to possess merit ; the
well-born do not need it.
Mary. Kow did our great ancestor obtain
his title, then ?
Aunt Betty. Oh, to be sure, the founder
of a family must do something to deserve his
title.
Mary. What did Sir Gregory do ?
Au7it Betty. Do ! why he painted so flatter-
ing a likeness of Clueen Elizabeth, that she
knighted him immediately.
Mary. Then he was a painter by trade ?
Au7it Betty. By trade! The minx will
drive me distracted. Be it known to you,
miss, we have never had a tradesman in our
family, and I trust I never shall live to see
it so degraded. Painting was merely Sir
Gregory's profession.
Mary. I hope I shall learn, in time, to
make the proper distinctions ; but I fear it
will be difficult, for my mother always taught
me to allow no other distinction than that of
personal worth, and, I must confess, I do not
see the propriety of any other.
Aunt Betty. No, and I presume you never
will, while your mother entertains her preserit
low ideas of meritori<-us iyidustry, as siie
pleases to call the occupation of those who
are mean enough to work for their living.
I did hope to make you seiisible of the dignity
of your descent; but I now find I mnst look
elsewhere for an heir to my invaluable legacy
— this precious, precious coat of arms,
(F. F. D.)
760. THE ENGLISH TRAVELLER.
Traveller. Do You belong to this hoas*
friend ?
Landlord. No, it belongs to rae, I guess.
AND DIALOGUES.
J51
^7 'he Traveller takes out his memorandum-
book, and, in a low voice, reads what loe
writes.]
Traveller. " Mem. Yankee landlords do not
belong to their houses." [Aloud.] You seem
young for a landlord: may I ask how old
you are ?
Landlord. Yes, if you'd like to know.'
Traveller. Hem ! [Disconcerted.] Are you
a native, sir?
Landlord. No, sir; there are no natives
hereabouts.
Traveller. " Mem. None of the inhabitants
.natives; erg'y, all foreigners." [Aloud.] Where
were you born, sir ?
Landlord. Do you know where Marble-
oead is?
Traveller. Yes.
Landlord. "Well, I was not born there.
Traveller. Why did you ask the question,
then ?
Landlord Because my daddy was.
Traveller. But you were born somewhere.
iMudlord. That's true ; but as father moved
up country afore the townships were marked
oat, my case is somewhat like the Indian's,
wiio was born at Nantucket, Cape Cod, and
all along shore.
Traveller. Were you brought up in this
place, sir?
Landlord. No ; I was raised in Varmount
till mother died, and then, as father was good
for nothing after that, I pulled up stakes and
went to sea a bit.
Traveller. "Mem. Yankees, instead of
putting up grave-stones, pull up stakes, and
go to sea, when a parent dies." [Aloud.] You
did not follow the sea long, for you have not
the air of a mariner.
Landlord. Why, you see, I had a leetle
knack at the coopering business ; wad larning
that them folks that carry it on in the West
Indies die oft' fast, I calculated I should stand
a chance to get a handsome living there.
Traveller, And so you turned sailor to get
there ?
Landlord. Not exactly; for I agreed to
work my passage by cooking for the crew,
and tending the dumb critters.
Traveller. Dumb critters ! Of what was
your lading composed ?
Landlord. A leetle of every thing — horses»
hogs, hoop-poles, and Hingham boxes ; boards,
ingyons, soap, candles, and ile.
"''Frnveller. "Mem. Soap, candles, and ile,
called dumb critters by the Yankees." [Aloud.]
Did you arrive there safely?
landlord. No, I guess we didn't.
Traveller. Why not ?
Landlord. We had a fair wind, and sailed
a pretty piece, I tell you ; but, jest afore we
reached the eend of our vige, some pirates
overhauled us, and stole all our molasses, rum,
and gingerbread.
Traveller, Is that all they did to you ?
Landlord. No, they ordered us on board
their vessel, and promised us some black-
Gtrap.
Traveller. "Mem. Pirates catch Yankees
with a black strap." [Aloud.] Did you accept
the invitation '
Landlord. No, I guess we didn't. And so
they threalcLed to fire into us.
Traveller. What did your captain do ?
Landlord. " Fire, and be darned !" says he,
"but you'd better not spill the deacon's iZe,
I tell you "
Traveller. And so you ran off, did you ?
Landlard., No ; we sailed off a small piece.
But the captain said it was a tarnal shame to
let them steal our necessaries ; and so he right
about, and peppered 'em, I tell you.
Traveller. " Mem. Yankees pepper pirates
when they meet them." [Aloud.] Did you
take them ?
Landlord. Yes; and my shear built this
house.
Traveller. "Mem. Yankees build houses
with shears.""
Landlord. It's an ill wind that blows
nowhere, as the saying is. And now, may
I make so bold as to ask whose name I shall
enter in my books?
Traveller. Mine.
Landlord. Hem! If it's not an impertinent
question, may I ask which way you are
ti'avelling?
Traveller. Home.
Landlord. Faith! have not I as good a
right to catechize you as you had to catechize
me ?
Traveller. Yes. "Mem. Yankees the most
inquisitive people in the world — impertinent,
and unwilling to communicate information to
travellers." [Aloud.] Well, sir, if you have
accommodations fit for a gentleman, I will put
up with you.
Landlord. They have always suited gentle-
men, but I can't say how you'W like 'em.
Traveller. There is a tolerable prospect
from this window. What hill is that, yonder?
Landlord. Bunker Hill, sir.
Traveller. Pretty hill ! If I had my instru-
ments here, I should like to take it.
Landlord. You had better not try. It
required three thousand instruments to take
it in '75.
Traveller. "Mem, A common Yankee hill
cannot be drawn without three thousand
instruments." [Alond?^ Faith! Landlord,
your Yankee draughtsmen must be great
bunglers. But come, sir, give me breakfast,
for I must be going ; there is nothing else in
this vicinity worthy the notice of a traveller.
(F. F. D.)
761. PHRENOLOGY. — A DISCUSSION.
Mr. Fairplat, President. Mk. Scriven, Secretary.
Speakers— Mr. Straightway, Mr. Harden, Mr.
Craney. Mr. Stifflip, Mr. Occiput, Da. LrrTLKHEAD,
Dr. Suture, Dea. Slender, Kev. Mr. Greatsoul,
Mr. Fearful, Mr. Wittee, Mr. Convolute, Dr.
Powwow, Dr. Begarre, Dr. Sneakeb, Me. Lancet,
Squire Sponge, Rev. Dr. Noddle.
[ The members are seen talking together in
groups ; and. at laxt, the Secretary raps en
the table, and says,]
Gentlemen — The hour has arrived wheh
this meeting should be called to order; and,
as the president and vice president are both
absent, it v^ ill be necessary for you to appoint
a president pro tern. Will you please to
nominate.
352
READINGS, RECITATIONS,
[Different members nominate Dr. Bump, Deacon
t^lender, Captain Gniff, Squire Screw, Mr.
Fairplay.\
Secretary. Gentlemen, I canght the name
of Mr. Fairplay. If it be your minds that he
preside, this evening, over your deliberations,
you will please to signify it.
[AU hold up hands, and the Secretary says^
Secretary. It is a vote. Mr. Fairplay, will
you have the goodness to take the chair ?
\Mr. Fairplay advances to the chair, takes off
his hat and cloak, and, before sitting, ad-
dresses the society, who are all seated, thus,]
Mr. Fairplay. Gentlemen — When I am
honored in this way, I make it a point to
accept, and to perform the duty to the best of
my ability. Should I fail to give satisfaction,
h will not only prove my incapacity to preside,
aut yours to make a proper selection of a
presiding officer. I have no doubt, however,
that your debate will be conducted with so
much courtesy as to render my duty pleasant
and easy. If you will give your attention, the
secretary will read the subject of discussion
appointed for this evening.
Secretary. The question is, " Is phrenology
entitled to the rank of a science ?" [He then
repeats it in a loud and distinct voiced
President. Gentlemen, the subject is before
you, asd you are invited to express your
opinions upon it.
Mr. Straightway. Mr. President !
President. Mr. Straightway, gentlemen.
Mr. Straightway. It appears to me, sir,
that the question lacks precision, inasmuch as
it is vei*y uncertain what definition it attaches
to the word science. Johnson, sir, tells us
that science is "knowledge." Gibbon says
it is synonymous with " speculation." I would
propose, therefore, sir, that, before we proceed
any farther, we ascertain in what sense the
word science is to be understood,
President. The chairman of the committee
who proposed the question, is present, and
will be good enough to answer the gentleman's
inquiiy.
Mr. Harden. Sir, the committee were
aware that the term science is often loosely
applied to knowledge of all sorts ; but they
believed that there was a stricter sense in
which it should be used ; and in behalf of the
committee, I would propose that the definition
of science shall be, " certain knowledge —
knowledge founded on facts."
Mi: Craney. Mr. President !
President. Mr. Craney, gentlemen.
Mr. Craney. The definition, sir, that the
gentleman has given, is certainly very strict;
but I shall not object to it, if we be required
to prove no more than can be proved of the
other sciences. To open the debate, therefore,
sir, I assert, that phrenology is a science,
fcmnded on facts, and as certain as any human
knowledge. It is founded on facts, sir, inas-
much as most of the important discoveries in
anatomy are the basis of it ; and its truths are
demonstrable to the senses. It is certain, sir,
in so far as its principles, if understood, may
be applied to estimate the mental power by
the size, and form, and other peculiarities of
the head. I think, sir, no one will behold enough
to deny, that Doctors Gall and Spurzheim were
skilful anatomists, and that they examined
the structure of the brain, of the nerves, and
of the skull, more carefully than any other
had done ; and this, surely, did not disqualify
them for judging of the uses of the brain and
nerves. It is customary for quacks and
impostors, sir, to start with less knowledge
than those who are called regular prac-
titioners ; but they started, sir, with more.
And if their opponents, whom I may also call
their enemies, have since confessed that their
discoveries in anatomy are real and impor-
tant, we have reason to bope, sir, that they
will, ere long, be also compelled to confess,
that the application of their facts to the
illustration of mind, is only foolish, because it
is above the comprehension of fools.
Mr. Stiffiip. Mr. President !
Presideiit. Mr. Stifflip, gentlemen.
Mr. Stiffiip. I rise, sir, to reply to the
gentleman last up ; and I shall endeavor to do
so eflectually in a few words. I acknowledge,
sir, that the researches of Gall and Spurzheim
threw some light upon the structure and
operations of the brains and nerves. But, sir,
this acknowledgment may be made, without
any obligation to follow them into the mazes
whither they wandered, after they left the
sure basis of facts, to soar into the regions of
fancy, I may believe, sir, in the number,
and magnitude, and movements of the planets,
as taught by astrologers ; but, sir, I am no*
obliged to believe all their nonsense about
the influence of these bodies upon the destiny
of men. While Gall and Spurzheim confined
themselves to anatomy, they did well; but
when they began to speculate upon the mind,
they went beyond their depth, and could not
expect any reasonable man to follow them.
I never will believe, sir, that the flights of^ho
almost infinite mind depend upon the size and
operations of the brain. Why, sir, some
animals that have no brain, astonish us by
their performances. How will the gentlemen
in the affirmative get over this fatal objec-
tion?
Mr. Occiput. Mr. President!
President. Mr. Occiput, gentlemen.
Mr. Occiput. The gentleman asks, sir, how
we shall get over his fatal objection. As the
Indian got over the rainbow, sir, by getting
under it. When the gentleman asserts, sir,
that some animals without brain astonish us
by their performances, does he mean tliot
they perform any intellectual operation?
like those perfomied by man? No, sir; no.
Their performances are confined to eatin;:;,
continuing their species, and dying. The
gentleman must know, sir, that the lower
animals, to which he alludes, are not, as he
asserted, witi^out brain. But, sir, their brain,
like the god of some of our own species, is in
their stomachs. I believe no animal has yet
been found, sir, without a nervous system,
and bundles or knots of nerves, which, though
not in the head, are the seat of what intelii-
gence they possess. If the gentleman will
bring us a human being without any brains
in iiis skull, and yet possessing as mricl:
intelligence as if his skull was large and full
AND DIALOGUES.
353
men we mast confess that phrenology is all
a lie.
Dr. Littlehead. {In a squeaking voice.']
Mr. President !
President. Dr. Littlehead, gentlemen.
Dr. Littlehead. I should like to ask, Mr.
President, whether the gentleman will pretend,
as some have done, that the intellect depends
upon the size of the cranium, and, of course,
upon that of the cerebrum and cerebellum.
Mr. Occiput. We do pretend so, Mr. Presi-
dent.
Dr. Littlehead. Then, Mr. President, I must
protest against any such preposterous method
of measuring the illimitable intellect. Sir,
I maintain, myself apart, sir, that I have seen
8s many smart men with small heads as with
large ones, sir. And whence have we the
proverb,
" A great head and little wit,
A little head and full of it,"
if it be not a fact, sir, that a great liead is no
evidence of intellectual superiority? Sir, I
proiest, with all the intellectual power I
possess, against the injustice and folly of the
gentleman's position.
Dr. Suture. Mr. President!
Presideyit, Dr. Suture, gentlemen.
Dr. Suture. I rise, sir, to calm the fears
of the gentleman last up, by assurin»g him, that,
although a large head is generally an index
of powerful intellect, and a small one of inferior
capacity, still there are exceptions to the
general rule, and I pray the gentleman to
consider himself as one of them. The fact is,
air, there are three sorts of large heads — the
diseased head, which is often monstrous, even
in children; the large head, whose chief bulk
is behind the ears, in which the animal
propensities predominate; and the large head,
whose chief bulk is above and before the ears,
in which the intellect predominates. I might
add, that there are several kinds of little
heads, but I do not wish to be personal.
I will remark, however, that sometimes a
sn^all head is connected with great nervous
trntability; and, in such cases, the little head
in sometimes a match for a large head that is
attached to a sluggish body ; but this, as I said
I efore, is an exception.
Deacon Slender. Mr. President !
President. Deacon Slender, gentlemen.
Deacon Slender. [Inanasal, draiclingtone.']
Mr. President, we live in strange times, sir.
s^^hen I was a boy, sir, we larnt every thing
♦rom the Bible, and the Bible threw light upon
every kind of knowledge. But now. sir, it
seems as if the chief object of science was to
prove that the Bible is wrong, and that it is
'\)ntradicted by science and by facts. I want
to know, sir, what we are coming to; for,
if the effect of larning is to destroy the Bible,
I shall vote against laying any more taxes to
support public schools.
Mr. Greatsoul. Mr. President !
President. Rev. Mr. Greatsoul, gentlemen.
Mr. Greatsoul. I rarely take any part in
your debates, Mr. President; but the inquiry
of my worthy friend, just up, induces me to
make a remark upon an erroV which, 1 fear, is
too prevalent among maiiy whose hearts are
BRONSUN. 23
right, but whose fears are wrong. He seems
to think, sir, that the sciences, and especially
some new sciences of our day, have a tendency
to destroy the authority of the Scriptures.
Now, sir, I will venture the remark, that the
system of religion taught us in the Bible
derives much of its beauty from the illustra-
tions of science, and depends upon science
for some of its strongest points of defence.
Natural science cannot alter the revelation
of God to man — a revelation of spiritual truths
to the spirit. It has happened, to be sure
that the discoveries of science have been
thought not to agree with some statements
in the Scriptures ; but, sir, these statements
relate to physical facts, to which the Bible
only alludes as the prevailing belief of the
day. There is no treatise upon geology,
geography, astronomy, or metaphysics, in the
Bible; nor does the Bible pretend to teach
these sciences, or any other. It leaves them
where it found them. Now, sir, I am no
phrenologist ; but I am prepared to say, tliat
if this science is founded upon facts, and is-
true, it must aid the cause of revelation; for
it must enlarge the human mind, and enable
it better to understand those truths which,
while they are lowered to the comprehension
of the simplest mind, are able, alsO, to stretch
to its utmost reach the intellect of angels.
I hope my worthy neighbor will cease to look,
with fear, upon the progress of any science ;
for, if it is of man, it will come to naught
without his assistance; but, if it is true, or,
what is the same thing, if it is of God, man
cannot overthrow it.
Mr. Fearful. Mr. President!
President. Mr. Fearful, gentlemen.
Mr. Fearful. [He has his hat on.] I hope
I shall be excused, sir, for wearing my hat,
but I have no idea of having my head inspected,
sir, and turned to ridicule, for the amusement
of this audience. Not that I believe, sir, that
the professors of this pretended science can
tell my character any better from the outside
of my head, than they can from the outside
of my hat; but they have a habit, sir, of
ridiculing the person whose arguments tiiey
cannot answer, and I am not to be ridiculed,
sir, by them.
Mr. Wittee. Does the gentleman mean
sir, that we may not exercise our Yankee
privilege o( guessing what is conceafed under
his hat?
Mr. Fearful. The gentleman may guess
sir, for it is all guess-work ; and I dare sa\
sir, that if he judges of my character by the
bumps of my hat, he will come as near to the
truth as they generally do.
Mr. Wittee. I guess, then, sir, the gentle
man has a small head, and is ashamed of it
His hat is pretty large at the ears, where it
should not be, and very small at the top, where
the nobler faculties lie. His hat will not save
him, sir.
Mr. Fearful. [ Taking off his hat with some
velcemence.] Sir, I have as good a head as
the gentleman himself, sir.
Mr. Wittee. 1 dare say he has, sir. I only •
made my remarks to see if his self-esteem
would let him keep his hat on, und^ the
864
READINGS, RECITATIONS,
imputation that his head was a diminative
head. 1 knew he could not do it, sir, if there
is aiiy truth in phrenology, any more than the
crow of old could help singing, when old
Reynard flattered her.
Mr. Fearful. I rose, at first, sir, to remark,
that phrenology can never be true, because
the Creator would never so expose our
characters, that others could read them on our
heads. This would subvert the whole system
of society, sir; for those who were gifted
would despise their less fortunate neighbors,
and those who were marked with criminal
propensities, would not dare to show their
heads. This is the remark I wished to make,
sir; and I assert, that no man can know what
is in man, except from his actions.
Mr. Convolute. Mr. President !
President. Mr. Convolute, gentlemen.
Mr. Convolute. The gentleman's remarks,
sir, prove too much, in my opinion; but, at
any rate, they are founded in error. He
pretends, sir, that the Creator has never given
us any other means of judging of minds than
the outward actions ; and he goes so far as to
say, that it would be unjust lor the Deity to
do so. Now, sir, I would ask the gentleman,
if he cannot often form a correct judgment of
men froiA their personal appearance, their gait,
and especially from their features ? I would
ask, if he cannot tell a proud man by his
hauteur, a sycophant by his cringing, an
liumble man by his modesty, a cautious man
1 y his stealthy step ? I would ask whether
lie does not form a judgment of every man he
meets, whether right or wrong, from his face ?
Now, is he always deceived? No, I think
hot. Then the Creator does sometimes enable
him to judge of his neighbor's character.
];oes this subvert the whole system of society,
as the gentleman asserts it would, sir? Does
tliis induce the gentleman to look down upon
liis less gifted neighbor? or does it prevent
wicked men from showing their faces in
public? No, sir; no such thing. I shall not
hesitate to maintain, sir, that if the bumps
indicated the true character, they would prove
a safeguard to society ; for the hypocrite may
disguise his features, and even his actions,
but he cannot raise, and sink, and alter the
bumps at pleasure. He must show what he
is, and men will fix his rank accordingly.
Rogues, sir, would be very likely to keep
their hats on; and the worthy Cluakers,
finding themselves in such company, would
be very likely to take theirs off.
Dr. Powwow. Mr. President !
President. Dr. Powwow, gentlemen.
Dr. Powwow. The concluding remark of
the gentleman last up, sir, seems to me to
furnish one of the strongest arguments against
the truth of phrenology ; for, sir, if the features
sometimes betray the mind, they do not always
do so: but if the bumps invariably expose the
mind, I think the Creator could not have been
more unjust, than to give one man bumps, or
organs, that would lead him to virtue, and
another organs that would infallibly lead him
to vice and ruin. I should like to know,
sir, how the gentleman can get over this
ebjection ?
Dr. Begarre. Monsieur ie PresideuM
President. Dr. Begarre. gentlemen.
Dr. Begarre. Monsieur ie President, I me
up get; rise to respond to de gentilhommo
who has just himself seated down. Ma foi !
Monsieur ie President, what for why he tiiik
our science nobel do make men coquin.«,
rogues, any more as de old system. Eef 1 n
fine out by de cranium, and he by de actions.
dat one man is grand rogue, I no keep de man
so, any no more dan he. He tink de Creattia
to de man have give one ver bad mind, and^
ma foi ! I tink so too. Eh bien, well now, he
tink de man wid de mind unfortunate caj/
himself reform, make bettare. Ma foi ! I tink
BO too. Mais, but de gentilhomme say you lix
de bump so de man bad must be man bal
toujours, always. Now, Monsieur Ie President,
how de bump come on de head ? Because 'ie
faculty of de mind want him to work wiz
If de faculty work hard, great deal, wiz him.
he grow large, he grow strong, like de litteli
boy when he work, eat like any ting, till liy
grow great man, grand homme. Den, if dti
oder good bonnes faculties say to de bad
faculty, "You mus reforin, you mus work net
any more;" den he mus stop to grow, and one
dese day he grow litteli encore, again.
Dr. Powwmo. Does the gentleman mean,
that when his heetell boy has become a great
man, if he leaves off working, he will become
a leetell boy again ?
Dr. Begarre. Oui, monsieur, I mean Hal
de organ will grow weak, feebell, as de littei!
gargon, boy, what you call. De exercise of
de faculty make de organ bump strong, and
de non exercise of him make him weak ag'gen
£ hope de gentilmens, all two of dem, under
stand dat de bump no fix de faculty, but de
faculty fix de bump, or unfix him, as he please.
I sensible. Monsieur Ie President, dat I no
speak de langue Anglaise prepare, and 1
demand pardon. 1 tank you. I myself sit
down.
Mr. Wittee. Mr. Presid^ent, I rise to ask
if we are not departing from the quesiion
before us ? The question is, " Is phrenolog}
entitled to the rank of a science?" But we
are speculating upon other subjects
President. If we are inquiring as to thr-
truth of fact«, and the certainty of knowledge
we can hardly avoid discussing all the inci-
dental questions to which phrenology l.ar
given rise. But as our time has nearly
expired, I hope the gentlemen will confii.e
themselves, as strictly as possible, to the
question.
Dr, Sneaker. Mr. President !
President. Dr. Sneaker, gentlemen.
Dr. Sneaker, I rise, sir, to remark, that.
in my opinion, nothing can be more absurd
than for the friends of phrenology to pretejid
that there is any thing certain in any of their
speculations. Go to one professor, and ho
will te!l you that you are a rogue ; and go to
another, and he will tell you that you are
a fool. If any thing could be told by the
bumps, as bumps never deceive, like features,
there could not be such a discrepancy. 1
have had all sorts of things said about my
head.
AND DIALOGUES.
355
Mr. Lancet. Mr. President !
President. Mr. Lancet, gentlemen.
Mr. Lancet. I rise, Mr. President, to ask
tl.e gentleman last up, if it is any more absurd
to believe in phrenology, because its professors
«i lifer in regard to particular cases, than to
believe that medicine is a science, when
doctors so generally disagree, that nothing is
certain in medicine, except that the patient
must die ? The gentleman says that some pro-
fessors have told him that he was a rogue, and
others that he was a fool ; I would ask, Mr.
President, if it is impossible for both to be right?
Squire Sponge. Mr. President !
President. Squire Sponge, gentlemen.
Sqmre Sponge. The gentleman seems to
tiiink that the science of medicine is uncertain,
and really something must be conceded to him
uii this point ; but, for a moment, I should like
to contrast the uncertainty of phrenology with
the established principles of my profession.
The great principles of law, sir, are so well
settled, that no one can be in doubt about
them ; and, until phrenology attains to some-
thing like the same stability, it must lay aside
ail pretensions to the rank of a science.
Dr. Begarre. Monsieur le President, I stand
myself up again, to say to the gentilhomme up
at last, that if phrenologie was no more certan'
dan his law, I should be much sorry. Ma foil
Monsieur le President, you cut off de head of
your frin, and de lawyer tell you all juste, all
prepare. Eh bien, you go wid your head cut
(itF no, your frin go wid his head cut off
to de Oder lawyare, and he say de ting is
injuste. De one lawyare show to you de case,
de decision, ten, live, dozan, all /or you. Den
de oder lawyare, he have five, ten, dozan
tuzzer way. Eh bien, well den, de juge say
all two ways parfaitement juste, and de juree
dey no gree. Voila ! what you call certainty?
Ma foi ! dare is netting certan', but dat both
partees will be sheeted out of all de I'argent,
what you call sponge. It must be allow dat
de law is certainement one grand science.
1 have hear dat dey throw de Salem vish in
de vautare, and if he swim, he vish, certan',
and he have de body squeeze out of his
breath ; but if he himself drown under de
vautare, he have de consolation to learn dat
he is no vish. Monsieur le President, de
vish is de man who go to de law; if he
swim, he is ruin ; if he no swim, [shrugging
his shoulders,] den dat is all.
Dr. Noddie. I must confess, Mr. Presi-
dent
President. The Rev. Dr. Noddle, gentlemen.
Dr. Noddle. I must confess, Mr. President,
that the charge of uncertainty lies, with some
force, against the two sciences of law and
medicine ; but will the friends of phrenology
hazard a comparison of their science with that
of theology, that sure word of prophecy, as
unerring as it is eternal and unchangeable.
T think the gentlemen in the affirmative must
concede that their science has no claims to
certainty, compared -yvith those of theology.
Dr. Begarre. Ah, Monsieur le Ministere,
I am great much sorry to myself oppose to
you. Mais, but, I cannot bold on to my tongue,
W'hen you make comparaison between teologie
and my science. Certan' ! Ah ! ma foi ! what
you call certan' ? Monsieur le President,
pardon' ; what sex you are ?
President. Sex !
Dr. Begarre. Oui, what religion party yow
belong ?
President, Oh ! I am an Episcopalian.
Dr. Begarre, Eh bien. [^Speaking to Dr.
Noddle.} Et vous. Monsieur le Docteur Nod
deik?
Dr. Noddle. It is well known that I am a
Presbyterian.
Dr. Begarre. Eh bien. [Looking at Dr
Poicu'ow.] Et vous, Monsieur le Docteur
Powwow ?
Dr. Powwow. I am a Baptist, I suppose.
Dr. Begarre. Tres bien. Et vous. Monsieur
le Reverend Greatsol, what sex you follow?
Mr. Greatsoul, I am called a Methodist.
Dr. Begarre. Enough. [Shrugging his
shoulders.] Pardon'. You have prove de
certainty of de science of tdologie. Ma foil
dere is netting certan' but dat you all diffare
now, nevare, all time. I vill not spokes no
more.
President. Gentlemen, the hour to which
your debate is limited by the by-laws, has
elapsed, and the debate must be arrested. Is
it your mind that the question be. put in the
usual manner ? If so, please to manifest it.
[All hold up hands.]
President It is a vote. Such, then, as are
of opinion that phrenology ia entitled to the
rank of a science, will please to hold up their
hands. [Some hold up.]
President. Such as are otherwise minded.
[Sonie hold up.]
President. The question is decided in the
affirmative.
Jl^ Several cr 7/ out, Doubted! Doubted!]
President. The decision is doubted, gentle-
men. Will you be good enough
Mr. Straightway. Mr. President, 1 would
ask, whether the decision of this question
here, will settle the question even here. I move
that the meeting be adjourned.
Dr. Begarre. I will be his second.
President. It is moved and seconded, that
this meeting be adjourned. If this be your
mind, gentlemen, you will please to signify it.
[All hands up.]
President. The meeting, then, is adjourned.
(f, f. d.)
762.
I'LL TRY ; OR, YANKEE MARKSMAN.
Lord Percy, -with his regiment, firing at a target
on Boston Common. Jonathan, an awkward lookit g
country boy, that had outgrown his jacket an-l
trousers.
Percy. Now, my boys, for a trial of your
skill ! Imagine the mark to be a Yankee ; and
here is a guinea for whoever hits his heart.
[Jonathayi draws near to see the trial; and
ivhen the first soldier fires, and misses, he
slaps his hand on his thigh, and laughs
immoderately. Lord Percy notices him,.
When the second soldier fires, and misses,
Jonathan throws up his old hat, and laughs
again.]
Percy, f Very crossly.] Why do you laagb,
fellow ?
356
READINGS, RECITATIONS.
Jonathan. To think how safe the Yankees
are, if you must know.
Percy. Why, do you think you could shoot
better ?
Jonathan. I don't know ; I could try
Percy. Give him a gun, soldier, and you
may return the fellow's laugh.
Jonathan. {Takes the gun, and looks at
every part of it carefully, and then saysA It
u on't bust, will it ? Father's gun don't4fcine
like this, but I guess it's a better gun.
Percy. Why ? Why do you guess so ?
Jonathan. 'Cause I know what that'll deu,
and I have some doubts about this-ere. But
look o' here ! You called that-air mark a
^ ankee ; and I won't fire at a Yankee.
Percy. Well, call it a British regular, if
you please ; only fire.
Jonathan. Well, a reg'lar it is, then Now
for freedom, as father says. [He raises the
gn7i, and fires. \ There, I guess that-air red
coat has got a hole in it ! , [ Turning to the
aohliers.] Why don't you laugh now, as that-
air fellow said you might [Pointing to Percy.]
Percy. You awkward rascal, that was an
accident. Do you think you could hit the
mark again ?
Jonathan. He ! I don't know ; I can try.
Percy. Give him another gun, soldiers ;
and take care that the clown does not slioot
you. I should not fear to stand before the
mark myself.
Jonathan. I guess you'd better not.
Percy. Why ? Do you think you could
hit me?
Jonathan. I don't know ; I could try.
Percy. Fire away, then.
{Jonathan fires, and again hits the mark.]
Jonathan. Ha, ha, ha! How father would
kugh to see me shooting at half-gun-shpt !
Percy. Why, you rascal, do you think you
could hit the mark at twice that distance ?
Jonathan. He! I don't know; I'm not
afeard to try.
Percy. Give him another gun, soldiers, and
place the mark farther off.
{Jonathan fires again, and hits as before.]
Jonathan. There, I guess that-air reg'lar
is as dead as the pirate that father says the
judge hangs till he is dead, dead, dead, three
times dead ; and that is one more death than
Scripter tells on.
Percy. There, fellow, is a guinea for you.
Jonathan. Is it a good one ? [Ringing it.]
Percy. Good? Yes. Now begone !
Jonathan. I should like to stay, and see
them fellows kill some more Yankees.
Percy. {Aside.] The fellow is more rogue
than fool. {To Jonathan.] Sirrah, what is
your name ?
Jonathan. Jonathan.
Percy. Jonathan what ?
Jonathan. Wot'll you give to know ?
Percy. What is your father's name '!
Jonathan. He was named arter me.
Percy. You lying rogue, how could that be,
if you are his son ?
'Jonathan. Why, you see, his name was
George, and he was afeard they'd think he
was called arter Kwig George, and so the
Gin'ral Court altered it to Joe.
PerrA/. Do you think your father can shoot
as well as you do ?
Jonathan. 1 don't know; but I guess he
wouldn't be afeard to try.
Percy. Where did you learn your skill ?
Jonathan. Oh, father larnt me, when 1
wasn't knee high to a woodchuck.
Percy. Why did he teach you so young?
Jonathan. 'Cause, he said,*I might have to
shoot red-coats, one of these days.
Percy. Ah ! Pray, my boy, do all tho
farmers in your town shoot as well as you do ?
Jonathan. Yes, and better, teu.
Percy. Would they like to shoot at red-
coats, as you call them ?
Jonathan. I've heerd 'em say they'd liko
to try.
Percy. Come, my good fellow, while you
are well off, you had better join us, and figh»
for your king; for we shall hang every Yankee
we catch.
Jonathan. I guess you won't catch any.
Percy. Well, we can try, as you say ; and
since we have caught you, we will hang^you
for a traitor.
Jonathan. No you won't. You paid me
yourself for killing them three red-coats ; so I
guess you won't hang me for that.
Percy. No, my good fellow, I like you toe
well. I am sorry that my duty to my king
obliges me to injure men who show, in ever>
thought and action, that they are true English-
men. You may go free ; but the next time
you see my troops firing at a mark for exercise,
you must not be so uncivil as to laugh at them,
when they miss. What say you ?
Jonathan. I don't know whether I can
help it.
Percy. Well, you can try, can't you ?
Jonathan I s'pose I can ; for Deacon
Simple tried to milk his geese, but his wife
didn't make no more butter for his trying
I guess.
Percy. Begone ! or I shall have to put you
under guard. Officer, give him a pass to
Charlestown; but never let him come among
our troops again. His example is a bad
one. " (f. f. d.)
763. DRESS AND ASSURANCE.
George. How are you, Dick ? Why, what's
the matter, boy 1 Whose sins are you lament-
ing now ?
Richard. Yours, George. I cannot but
tremble for you, when I consider what must
be the inevitable consequence of your present
line of conduct.
George. Pshaw, Dick I Now don't, mj
good fellow, distress yourself on my account,
for I am determined to enjoy life, and I should
be sorry to have my enjoyment the sourct;
of pain to an old friend.
Richard. What do you mean by enjoy
ment ?
George. Enjoyment! Why, plenty of all
the good things of this world, and a comfort-
able sit down, now and then, with one's
friends.
Richard. But, do you not recollect that
your resources are by no means equal to youi
dress, and other extraordinary expenses I
AND DIALOGUES.
357
George. We bloods look to our dress for
resources, and not to our resources for dress,
as you do.
Richard. Can you do this'bonestly ?
George. Hon-est-ly ! [Drawling it out.']
We have no such word in our vocabulary.
Richard. So it would seem. But, tell me,
how do you contrive to keep up such an
appearance of wealth and fashion, when I can
barely subsist ? What is the chief requisite ?
George. Assurance, my dear. Lay in a
good stock of assurance, and you have a mine
at your disposal. •
Richard. But will assurance clothe me ?
George, Yes, and feed you, too. Hark ye,
Dick. If your clothes are worn out, or uufash-
ioiiatile, go to a tailor, and order a suit of the
best cloth, to be sent to your lodgings. Say
nothing about the price, mind you — say noticing
about that. None but the rulgar, who intend
to pay, ever say any thing about the price.
Richard. Well, but must not I pay for
them?
George. Pay for them ? No, man. When
Pricklouse calls for his money, order another
suit. Try this expedient till he refuses to
work for you, then swear at him for a trouble-
some puppy, and forbid him your house.
Richard. Clothes, however, are not all I
shall need.
. George. That's true, Dick. But they will
procure every thing else. What's a man
without clothes? A smooth shilling, that
hardly passes for what it really weighs, while
every body gives currency to one fresh from
the mint. Clothes, Dick, are a sine qua non
with us bloods.
Ricliard. How so? Every body appears
to laugh at your fashionable trim, and to
wonder how you dare appear so ridiculous.
George. Yes ; and yet the same people do
us homage. No door is closed against a line
coat. Few tradesmen inquire how we came
by it; and where is the lady who does not
prefer it to an old, unfashionable one, let who
will be in it?
Richard. But still I should appear awkward
in uuupany.
George. Not if you have assurance. An
impudent fellow may do a thousand awkward
things, that would ruin a modest man. Nay,
Dick, we sometimes have our blunders
imitated. You recollect the story cf Lord
Spencer, who, losing the skirts of his coat
accidentally, had assurance enough to wear
what was left on his shoulders, and obtained
the honor of introducing the garment which
bears his name.
Richard. He was more successful than the
{oyi we read of in the fable, who, having lost
his tail, wished to persuade his brethren of the
inutility of that appendage.
Gearge. He was ashamed of his loss, Dick.
Depend upon it, that fox wanted assurance.
But my principles are gaining ground fast;
or how else can you account for the fact, that
men of threescore are turning fops, and most
of the rising generation attend to nothing but
dress. Time was, when the cloak and surtout
were the peculiar garb of manhood. Now no
Ley is without them.
Richard. You might add> that drinking and
tobacco, gaming and debt, were once the vices
of men ; but now every fashionable urchin can
drink his bottle, smoke his cigar, and bet like
a gamester. Of debts, I have nothing to add
to the description you have just given me.
George. You have omitted one accomplish'
ment, however. The lad of fashion must swear
a little. Nothing will show one's consequence
like a volley of oaths, now and then. But
dress is the remote cause of all this. I am
sorry to own it, but you seldom see a man
of sense who is a fop. When you dress a
calf's head, you must always take out the
brains.
Richard. But how do all these conso
quences proceed from dress?
George. I will tell you, since I have begun
to reveal our secrets. The time was, Dick,
when modesty was considered an accom-
plishment in children, and deference to their
superiors a duty. . But now, almost as soon as
they can walk, children are expected to get
rid of their modesty, and learn to disregard
the presence of their elders and superiors.
Richard. How does this affect their dress ?
George. The competition commences at
school ; and then, as the tuition will all be
lost without practice, and there is some fear
of the lad's relapsing into his former modesty,
he must be introduced into company, and
frequent balls and assemblies, where dress is
indispensable. And as, with a genteel coat.
and a thorough knowledge of the capacity
of his heels, he meets with a better reception
than real worth does in a plain garb, it is no
wonder that so many of our young men decorate
their persons, instead of adorning their minds,
and parade at the corners of our streets, ,
instead of attending to their business ot
studies.
Richard. But is not all this an argumei;t
against dress ?
George. Y es, Dick ; but what has argument
to do with fashion ? You might as well talk of
reason to the idiot, who is not a subject of it.
Richard. Do you ever consider what the
end of all this tolly must necessarily be?
George, Oh, no! Futurity is another word
we have nothing to do with. But I have made
my confessions, and have no idea of hearing a
lecture ujton them. So, good bye to you.
The first glass I drink, shall be to your health
and reformation.
Richard. You had better continue thirsty,
and promote your own. I thank you, how-
ever, for the hints you have given me ; and,
I trust, in future, I shall remain contented with
my obscurity, and no longer envy those whose
exterior is their only recommendation.
(F. F. D.)
764. THE DANDY.
Squire Gruff, who has been a Representative.
Mr. Ether, a City Barber, "showing off" in a
Country VUlage.
[Scene — The village bar-room.]
Ether. [Alicai/s drawling affectedly.] Old
Apocrypha! do you vegetate in this village
Grvff. Yes.
Ether. You don't say so I
Griif. Yes, I do.
358
READINGS, RECITATIONS,
Ether. I can't live out of the metropolis.
V'our sun tans me — tans me like a Hottentot —
indeed it does.
Gruff. It does not prevent your looking
isreen.
' Ether. Your air, too, stifles me ; and your
dust is altogether inconsietent with free respira-
tion— it is, indeed it is.
Gniff. You'll die one of these days.
Ether. You are disposed to be facetious,
friend. But I have found it impossible to live
iu America, since I visited Italy. Our houses
are beaver-dams, decidedly. I can't look at a
building here — I can't really.
Gruff. Have you seen the State House?
EtJuir. I called to see it one morning,
but
Gruff. Wasn't it at home 1
Ether. You are a very facetious gentle-
man— yoa are, upon my soul ; but I had rather
take a pilgrimage to Mecca, than climb up to
that cupola. I couldn't survive the fatigue —
1 couldn't, by Hercules!
Gruff. You had better go up, then, at once.
Ether. I w^ent up ten steps, and sank under
it — svi^ooned, absolutely svs^ooned ; and that
barbarian of a guide had no fan to lend me.
It is homicide, rank homJcide, by HercuJes !
Gruff. Are there no stairs in Italy ?
Ether. You are disposed to be facetious,
friend. But you never travelled — I'll bet a
balf sized ice-cream you haven't.
Gruff. I'll take the bet.
EtJier. You won't though, will you ? "Well,
I'm glad to meet with a traveller ; for there's
nothing here worth talking about. When one
lias been abroad, home is execrable — perfectly
hideotis, I assure you.
Gruff. Better stay away, then.
Ether. You are right, friend — decidedly
ii'_'ht. I wish the boiler of the steam-packet
tii.it transported me back, had collapsed —
u , un my soul, I do — even though my epidermis
Lad been damped by the steam.
Gruff. Can you swim ?
Ether. You are too facetious, old horse-
radish ? But it is relapsing into barbarism to
come home again — it is dying by inches — it is,
indeed it is.
Griff. How tall are you?
Ether. I shall evaporate in a consumption
in six weeks — I shall, indeed.
Gruff. You had better hang yourself.
Etlier. No, that would be vulgar — decidedly
vulgar — unmitigated vulgarity ! — it would, in-
deed. I would put my head into a bowl of
German cologne, if I thought I could keep it
under, .
Grnff. I'll hold it down for you.
Ether. Thank you kindly. I hate to trouble
a friend, in such an unpleasant business.
Gruff. No trouble. I've drowned a hundred
puppies in my day.
Ether. Do you mean to apply that offensive
appellation to me, sir?
Gruff. You appUed it— I didn't.
Ether. Oh, you didn't apply it. Well
apologized ; for I am averse to bloodshed —
decidedly averse to shedding blood, sir.
Gi-uff. Look here, young chap ! what is
four name ?
Ether. Name ! sir ? — name ! It is decidedly
impolite to ask a gentleman his name. I cannot
answer so impolite a question — upon my soul,
I cannot.
Gruff. Give me your card, then.
EtJter. Excuse me — I left the last perfumed
one at Miss Vanilla's, just before I had the
extraordinary happiness of meeting you,
Gruff. Give me one that is not perfumed.
Ether. Excuse me, my dear sir — you dis-
tress me exceedingly. I am not accustomed
tosuchpersonalities — decidedly unaccustomed
— altogether unused, I assure you.
Gnff. Is not your name Ether ?
Ether. Sir! you are disposed to be face
tious, sir — decidedly facetious, sir, upon my
honor. What could superinduce the unac-
countable liberty that you have taken, in
suspecting that my name may be eh '
what did you conjecture that it was ?
Giiiff. I've shaved at your shop.
Ether. Some stupendous conspiracy has
been formed to disturb my equanimity — il
has. indeed it has.
Gruff. You seem to be all in a lather.
Ether. 'Sdeath and gunpowder-tea ! why
do you persecute me in this decidedly unplea-
sant manner? Beware, sir! I may become
passionate — decidedly passionate, sir — and
then I cannot answer for the consequences! —
yes, sir, for the consequences! I may do a
deed that may be irrevocable, irremediable,
sir — unequivocally irreme'diable as death itself,
sir ! — I may indeed, sir !
Gruff. Young man, you had better go home
to your shop. You never saw any thing of
Italy, but the Naples soap you sell. If you
are ashamed of your business, let me tell you
that every honest trade is a respectable one ;
and, in my opinion, the plainest barber is, in
every respect, superior to an affected monkey
— decidedly superior — upon my soul, superior-
it is indeed, sir. — So, good bye to you.
{He goes out.}
Ether. Well, this is decidedly plain — upon
my soul, it is ; and, if it was not for one thins
more than another, I'd follow that old crabstick
— I would, decidedly — upon my honor, I would.
I deserve two immortalities — indeed I do —
for not becoming passionate, unrestrainedly
passionate, under such provocation. But 1
will punish him. I'll take him by the nose,
if he ever enters my shop again, and if I don't
lacerate his jugular for him, it will be because
I'm afraid to — indeed it will, it will indeed.
[He goes out, pulling up his dickey with a
determined air.] (f. f. d.)
765. THE FEMALE EXQUISITES.
Mrs. Kersey. Becky, her Daughter. Katy, her
Niece. Madge, the Servant (Jirl.
3Irs Kers^ey. Tell me what you have
done to the gentlemen who have just left the
house in such a rage ? Did 1 not request you
to receive them as your destined husbands?
Becky. How could we treat them civilly,
mother, when they offered themselves at the
first visit ?
Mrs. Kersey. And what was there improper
in that ?
Becky. Oh, horrible! If the affair were
AND DIALOGUES.
359
managed in this vulgar manner, a romance
would soon have an end.
Katy. Aunt, my cousin is perfectly right.
How can one receive people entirely unac-
quainted with the delicacies of gallantry?
I don't believe they ever heard of Tenderland,
and the sighs, and billet-doux, and sentimental
raptures, that are the peculiar growth of its
soil.
Becky. Does not their whole appearance
indicate this ? Come to make a formal visit,
amd^ expect to be admitted the first time !
Katy. And then, to wear a coat without
frogs, and hands without gloves ! Besides,
I noticed that their stocks were not in the
newest style*
Becky. And their vests were fully an inch
too long.
Mrs. Kersey. You are both crazy — Katy,
and you, Becky
Becky. Oh, for goodness' sake, mother,
do leave oft' calling us by these outlandish
names !
Mrs. Kersey. Outlandish names, miss ! are
they not your true and proper Christian
names !
Becky. Hefavens! how vulgar! What
astonishes me is, that you should ever have
had so intellectual a daughter as myself.
Who ever heard of Becky or Katy in refined
conversation ? and either name would be
enough to blast the finest romance that ever
was written.
Katy. It is true, aunt ; for it is distressing
to an ear of any delicacy to hear such words
pronounced. And the name of Seraphina
Chez'ubina, which my cousin has adopted, and
that of Celestina Azurelia, which I have
bestowed upon myself, have a grace which
even you must perceive.
Mrs. Kersey. Hear me — I have but one
word to say. I will hear of no other names
than were given you by your godfathers and
godmothers ; and as to the gentlemen, I know
their worth, and am resolved that you shall
marry them. I am tired of having you upon
my hands.
'Becky. Allow us to breathe awhile among
the fashionables of the city, where we have
hardly arrived. Give us time to weave the
web of our romance, and do not hasten the
catastrophe of our being with such unrefined
precipitation.
Mrs. Kersey. You are a finished pair of
fools,' and shall be married or go to the mad-
house immediately ! [Slie goes out.]
Katy. Mercy on us ! how completely
material your niother is! How dull is her
understanding ! and how dark her soul !
Becky. I can hardly persuade myself that
I am really her daughter, and I am persuaded
that some adventure will hereafter develope
a more illustrious parentage.
[Enter Madge.']
Madge. There is a man below, who says
his lady wishes to speak with you.
Becky. Dolt! Cannotyou deliver a message
with less vulgarity? You should say, "A
necessary evil wishes to be informed whether
it is your pleasure to be accessible."
Madge. I don't understand French, ma'am.
Becky. Impertinent ! How insupportable \
And who is his lady ?
Madge. He called her the Marchioness
duizzilla.
Becky. [ To Kat^.] Oh, my dear, a mar*
chioness ! — a marchioness ! It is, no doubt,
some intellectual lady, who has heard of our
arrival. Think of it — a marchioness ! my dear.
Katy. Let us adjust our dress, and sustain
the reputation which has preceded us. [ To
Madge.] Hun and bring us the counsellor of
the Graces.
Madge. Gracious, nia' am ! I don't know
what sort of a critter that is. You must talk
Christian, if you wish me to understand yo.u.
Katy. Bring us the mirror, then, ignora-
mus ! and take care that you do not sully
the glass by letting your ugly image pass
before it.
[Madge, going out, meets the Marchioness
entering, veiled.]
Madge. Madam, these are my mistresses.
Marchioness. L adies, you will be surprised,
no doubt, at the audacity of my visit, but your
reputation has brought it upon you. Merit
has such charms for me, that I break down all
barriers to get at it.
Becky. If you are in pursuit of merit, you
must not hunt for it on our domain.
Katy. If you find any merit here, ymi must
have brought it.
Becky. Madge !
Madge. Ma'am.
Becky. Approximate hither the sedentary
aids of conversational intercourse.
Madge. Ma'am!
Becky. Bring some chairs, dolt!
Katy. Come, madam, do not be inexorable
to that chair, which is stretching out its arms
to embrace you.
[ 2^he marchioness sits affectedly.]
Marchioness. Well,*ladies, what do you
think of the city. [Exit Madge.]
Becky. We have not yet had an oppor-
tunity of seeing its inefl'able attractions.
Marchioness. Leave that to me. I will
establish an academy of wits at your house,
and not a rhyme shall be made vt the city
without your knowledge. I sometimes scratch
a line or two myself, and you will find at least
two hundred songs of mine, as many sonnets,
four hundred epigrams, and more than a
thousand madrigals, to say nothing of enigmas,
charades, &c., running the rounds of the first
circles.
Becky. Only think, my dear — over a thou-
sand madrigals!
Katy. And in the first circles, too !
Marchio?iess. Hearing of your arrival, I
have come to do you the homage of presenting
you an impromptu that I made upon myself
yesterday. I am unequalled in impromptus.
Katy. An impromptu is the touchstone
of wit.
Marchioness. Listen, then.
Katy and Becky. We are all attention.
Marchioness. You will understand that 1
suppose a gentleman to make the verses upon
receiving a glance from my eyes.
Katy and Becky. What an ingenious
device !
360
READINGS, RECITATIONS,
Marchioness. Listen: — [Wilh much qffec-
taiion.]
" Ah ! ah ! suspicionless of smart,
And seeking in your charms relief,
Your eye, cataceous, stole my heart,
itop thief! stop thief! stop thief! stop thief!"
Katy. Oh, heavens! desist; it is too
exquisite.
Marchioness. Did you notice the commence-
ment— " Ah ! ah !" There is something fine
in that "Ah! ah!" — as if a man suddenly
thought of something — "Ah! ah!" Surprise
—"Ah! ah!"
Becky. Yes, I think the "Ah! ah!"
admirable.
Katy. I should rather have made that
"Ah! ah!" than Paradise Lost.
Marchioness. You have the true taste,
I see.
Katy and Becky. Our taste is not the
most corrupt.
Marchioness. But did you not also admire
"suspicionless of smart?" — innocent, you
Buderstand, as a sheep — not aware of danger;
and "seeking in your charms relief" —
expecting, you understand, that I should
smile him into life. " Your eye, cataceous :''
what do you think of the word cataceous ?
was it not well chosen?
Katy. Perfectly expressive
Becky. Cataceous, that is, slyly, like a cat.
I can almost see a feline quadruped watching
its prey.
Katy. Nothing could be more superinge-
niously conceived.
Marchioness. "Stole my heart" — robbed
me of it — carried it right away. " Stop tbief !
stop thief! stop thief!"
Becky. Oh, stop ! stop ! — let us breathe.
Marchioness. Would you not think a
man was crying after a robber to arrest
him?
Katy. There is a transcendental spirituality
in the idea.
Becky. Do repeat the "Ah! ah!"
Marchioness. "Ah! ah!"
Becky and Katy. Oh ! Oh !
Marchioness. " Suspicionless of smart."
Becky. " Suspicionless of smart."
[Looking at Katy.]
Katy. " Suspicionless of smart."
[Looking at Becky.]
Marchioness. " And seeking in your charms
relief.^'
Becky and Katy. Oh! "In your charms
relief!"
Marchioness. " Your eye, cataceous."
Becky. " Cataceous " — Oh !
Katy. Oh! "Cataceous."
Marchioness. " Stole my heart."
Becky. Stole his heart !
Katy. Stole his heart ! Oh ! I faint !
Marchioness. "Stop thief! stop thief ! stop
taief!"
Becky. Oh! "Stop thief! stop thief!"
Katy. "Stop thief! stop thief! stop
thief!"
All together. ''Stop thief! stop thief ! stop
thief!" [Enier Madge]
Madge. Stop thief ! What is the matter?
Who has boen robberl ?
Becky. Oh, how your material presence
brings us to earth again.
[Mrs. Kersey uncovers her face.]
Madge. Why, ma'am, what trick are you
playing the young ladips ?
Mrs. Kersey. 1 am only teaching the silly
exquisites, that some folks may make as
refined fools as some folks, and that afi"ectatioii
is not leai-ning. "Ah! ah! Cataceous! Stop
thief! stop thief! stop thief !"
Becky. I am impertarbably petrified.
Katy. And I indiscriminately confounded.
Mrs. Kersey. Becky Seraphina Cherubina,
and Katy Celestina Azurelia, my advice to
you is, to aim at nothing above common sense,
and not to suspect that all the wocld are I'ools,
because you happen to be so. (f. f. d.)
766. MAN IS BEST AS BE IS.
Mr. Howell and his two Sons, Manlitjs and
James.
Mr. Hoicell. [With a basket of apples.]
I will place this basket above the reach of my
boys, for the fruit is not yet quite ripe, and
prevention is not only easier than cure, but it
is our duty to keep temptations out of the
reach of young and old. [Replaces the basket
on some high place, and goes out just as his
sons enter.]
Manliu.t. What, in the name of wonder
did father have in that basket ?
James. Something rare, no doubt, with
which he intends to surprise us.
Manlius. What do you guess it was ?
James. I never guess, when I can be sure.
See, there is the basket! Let's have a look
at it.
Manlius. If father had wished us to aee it,
he would not have placed it so high.
James. Well, there's no harm in looking.
I guess I can reach it by jumping.
Manlius. I thought you never guessed,
when you could be certain. My advice is, to
let the basket alone till father comes.
James. I can't wait so long. [He tries to
jump, but falls far short of itA
Manlius. I snould guess that you will never
reach it so, if I were not certain that you
will not.
James. There are more ways than one to
market. [He takes a chair, and tries first
standing on the seat ; then, in endeavoring to
mount on the back, he overturns the chair, and
falls upon the floor.]
Manlius. I guess you have hurt yourself
now.
James. I don't giiess, for I am sure of it.
[He limps.] I wish I was a giant, and then I
could reach what I wanted without breaking
my neck.
Manlius. I guess it would hurt you more
to fall then, than it does now ; so what would
you gain by that ?
James. I should want neither ladder nor
pole, when cherries and apples were ripe.
Manlius. They never would ripen ; you
would knock them all off with your head.
James. I could walk through the streeta,
and look into all the chamber windows.
Manlius. You might see Tvhat people did
not wish you to see the re , but you would
AND DIALOGUES.
361
lose sight of many things that yoa now wish
to see nearer the ground.
James. 1 should not fear being run over by
carriages, for I would straddle so, [he straddles,]
and let them pass between my legs.
Manlius. You would not get as many rides
in them as you do now.
James. And if Master Whipwell struck
me, I could strike him back again with
interest.
Manlius. I have not heard you tell of any
good that you would do.
James. Oh, I should do a deal d[ good,
of course. I would protect you, you little
monkey !
Manlius. You had better not promise much
more, until you begin to grow.
James. Poh ! You are not so much bigger
than I. Stand up, my little gentleman. [ 'IViey
stand back to back, and Jam^s stands tiptoe.]
Manlius, [Feels, and atjirtt wonders at ike
little difference; theii looks at James's feet, and
sees the trick.] Ah, slyboots ! come, put down
your heels ; you don't grow six inches in a
minute. But I should like to know whether,
when you are a giant, you mean to have
every thing else as small as it is now ?
James. No ; I'd have every thing large in
proportion.
Manlius, Well done, James; you may as
well stay as you are.
James. I did not mean so, exactly. No,
I would have other things remain small.
Manlius. You would have to live out of
doors, then; for you could never squeeze into
any house. I guess Jack Frost would be your
most intimate acquaintance.
James. Well, what other objection, Mr.
Solomon ?
Manlius. If you were overheated, you could
not get under the shade of a pleasant tree, for
trees would be bushes to you.
James. I should build me a house on
purpose.
Manlius. You could take such long steps,
you would like to travel much, no doubt.
Japies. Yes, I should go from one end of
the world to the other.
Manlius. You would have to carry your
bouse with you, as the snail does. That would
be mighty pleasant. But there is another
important question. How would you be fed?
You would eat an ox or two at every meal.
James. Oh, I guess I should let the oxen
grow large, likewise.
Manlius. Our pasture would hardly give
such an ox a breakfast.
James. Well, I would have the pasture
enlarged, too.
Manlius. Then you would only need one
thing more.
James. What would that be ?
Manlius. To have the whole world made
larger.
James. Well, I guess, on the whole, that
man is best as he is.
Manlius. Yes ; and it is hardly worth while
to change the whole order of things, just to
6nd what is in lather's basket.
Jam.es. [Looking wishfully up at the basket,
and rubbing his leg, as he limps off.] May be
60; but I should like to Know what is in it,
nevertheless.
Manlius. Yon had better say it is full of
sour grapes, as the fox did, when he found
that his legs were shorter than his longings.
(f. f. d.)
767. VANITY PnNISHID.
Michael, a Country Boy, Son of a Tenant of
Valentine's Father.
Michael. Master Valentine, I have
gathered you a pretty nosegay, which I hope
you will accept.
Valentine. Nosegay ! pshaw ! I want none
of your nosegays.
Michael, It is true, they are only wild
flowers ; but I thought you would like to
know their names.
Valentine. I have no wish to learn the
names of weeds. You may carry them where
you found them,
Michael. Well, now, if I had known that
I should have saved myself the trouble of
gathering them. I determined not to go home
without carrying you something ; and, though
it was rather late, 1 stopped and gathered
them by moonlight, thinking they would please
you. •
Valentine. You talk of the moon ; do you
know bow big it is?
Michael. Big as a small cheese.
Valentine. Ignorant little clown! It is
half as big as the world. Here, can you read
this book ?
Michael. Is it in English?
Valentine. Telemaque in English! Ha,
ha, ha ! It is French, booby!
Michael. Let me look at it, if you please,
Valentine. Don't touch it with your dirty
hands! Where did you buy those tanned
leather gloves?
Michael. Gloves ! it is my skin, Master
Valentine. I have been working in the sun.
Valentine. It is hard enough to be cut into
shoe soles.
Michael. It is not hard from idleness,
Master Valentine. You know how to talk
better than I ; but I could beat you at hard
work ; and to be industrious, and tre^it every
body well, is about all I know how to do.
But it is late, and I must go. Good evening
to you. [He goes out.]
Valentine. I am ashamed to ask him to
show me the way home, though I am com-
pletely lost in these woods. I shall have
to stay here all night, and be eaten by
wild beasts. Oh dear! Oh dear ! Michael!
Michael! Michael! If he don't hear me,
I am lost. Michael ! here, come back !
Michael. [Entering.] What is the matter.
Master Valentine? Has any thing hurt
you?
Valentine. No ; I was thinking which way
I must steer to get out of these woods.
Michael. Don't your French help yoa ?
Valentine. No; French has nothing to do
with it. You know it has not.
Michael. Well, there's your great moon;
can't that help you?
Valentine How can that tell me the way
home ? Well, if you don't choose to tell me,
you needn't.
362
READINGS, RECITATIONS,
Michael. What will you give me to tell
yoU; Master Valentine ?
Valentbie. I will give you all my play-
things.
Michael. Will you take my nosegay, and
always keep it to remember the woods by?
Valentine. Michael, I am sorry I ill-treated
you, just now.
Michael. I suppose, if I should point out
the way with my ugly leather hands, you
would not take it.
Valentine. You need not twit me so, when
I am sorry.
Michael. Master Valentine, I am inclined
to think my cheese moon is of more service to
me than your monstrous half of the world that
you tell about. What is the value of your
knowledge, if it is of no use to you ? Which
way from home does this forest lie ?
Valentine. West, of course.
Michael, Well, there's the moon. Does
that rise in the east, or west?
Valentine. In the east. I see now what
you mean. If the forest lies west of home,
home lies east of the forest ; and towards the
moon is towards home, is it not 1
Michael. So my cheese tells me. Go
straight towards the moon, and you will strike
the main road in half a mile; and then, as
you know French, you can easily inquire the
way.
Valentine. You are too hard upon me,
Mrchael ; but I thank you, nevertheless.
Michael. And you will take the nosegay.
Master Valentine ?
Vale7iti7ie. To be sure I will, and will keep
it till I die, and tell how I came by it, if I am
ridiculed ever so much for it. I have lost my
way, to be sure, but I have found myself,
and have got a clew to the true value of
knowledge — Utility. (f. f. d.)
76S. TH£ TORTOISE.
Ma. ToLMAN and his Sons, Geobge and WrLUAM.
Mr. Tolman, Boys, what are you doing
with that tortoise 1
George. We are putting a coal on his back,
sir, to make him run out of his shell.
Mr. Tolman. Do you think he can do so ?
William. Certainly, father ; didn't you
know it? This is the way they get off the
shell, without breaking it, when they wish to
make combs.
Mr. Tolman. There must be some mistake,
You may depend upon it, the animal grows to
his shell.
George. Oh, no, father; he can run out
of it whenever he pleases.
Mr. Tolman. It seems he does not please
t" l«ave it, though you torture him.
William. How torture him, father ? There
is no feeling in his shell.
Mr. Tolman. Then there is no use in
putting a coal upon it. He will not mind
what he does not feel. You had better coax
him to go out.
George. He won't be coaxed, father ; and
yet his shell is as loose on him as my clothes.
Mr. Tolman. Well, George, lis across
these two chairs a minute, I'wislj to show
you an experiment.
George. la it in animal magnetism, father T
I should like to see an experiment dearly
[He lies down.] Tell me what 1 must do
now.
Mr. Tolman. Well, then, when I put this
hot coal on your back, you must run out of
your clothes.
George. Why, father, you know I can't,
unless I unbutton my jacket.
Mr. Tolman. Did you unbutton the jacket
of the poor tortoise? Hold still, now, till I
put the coal on.
George. Oh dear ; Oh dear ! You'll hurt
me, father.
Mr. Tolman. Oh, no — there is no feeling
in your clothes. I only wish to do to you as
you were doing to the tortoise.
William. Father, are you serious?
Mr. Tolman. I never was more so in
my life. If your cruelty did not arise from
ignorance, I should punish you for it. What
did you expect to do with this little shell, after
you had forced the poor animal to leave it ?
William. We meant to make a comb
of it.
Mr. Tolman. It is not the kind of shell
of which combs are made. It is of no use at
all. You should have ascertained this before
you applied the torture. We may have a
right to destroy animals for our benefit, and
perhaps to obtain our luxuries, but we have
no right to hurt them in idle sport.
George. What shall we do with the tortoise,
then ?
M]\ Tolman. What did I do with you,
when you objected to having the coal on your
back?
George. You let me go without finishing
your experiment.
Mr. Tolman. Well, I do not know that the
golden rule of doing as we would be done by,
is not as applicable to our treatment of animals
as to that of our fellow-creatures. It certainly
is always a safe rule, and I am glad I came in
time to teach it to you. (f. f. d.)
769. QUARTER DAT.
Characters.— Miss Carlton. Mrs. WoNDROua
and Child. Mrs. Saveall and two Children.
Mrs. Oldschool and Child. Mrs. Frivolous and
Child, Mrs. Covenant and Child. M.:is. Lovegood
and Child. Mrs. Plaixsat and Child. Mrs.
DooBLEREFiNED and Child. Mrs. Lofty and Child.
Mrs. Grumpy and Child. Mrs. Wilder and two
Children. Mrs. Kindly and two Children. Mrh
Fairplay and three Cliildren. Mrs. GooDnEART
and four Children. Mrs. Welcome and five Children.
Mrs. Lovely and six Children. Mrs Bountifui.
and seven Children.
[If the school be large enough, it is desirable to have
as many children as are mentioned above. But,
without difficulty, seven children, of different
sizes, would be sufficient for all the parts. If
there are not advanced pupils enough for all the
LADY parts, with a slight change of dress and an
exchange of bonnets, a few young ladies may
personate all the characters' or some of them
may be omitted.]
Miss Carlton. Well, this is my new
quarter-day, and on to-day depends the
question, whether my little school is to ba
abandoned for want of patronage, and my
orphan sisters deprived of this only hope of
AND DIALOGUES.
36i
flap port, or whether my sincere endeavors
are to be rewarded. 1 have advertised lor
applications to be made this morning, and
never did I feel more anxious to have a
moniing over. Hark ! there is the door-bell.
[Enter Mrs. Wondrous, leading in a very
small child.]
Mrs. Wondrous. Do I address Miss Carlton?
Miss Carlton. That is my name, madam.
Mrs. Wo7idrotis. Your school has been
highly recommended to me by some of my
friends, and I have concluded to place my
daughter under your care, if we can agree
upon the subject of her studies. Pray, what
do you teach, Miss Carlton ?
Miss Carlton. What is usually taught in
f rented schools, madam. How old is your
ittle girl ?
Mrs. Wondrous. She is only five ; but then
she is a child of remarkable capacity.
Miss Carlton. 1 should not think she studied
many branches at present, whatever she may
do hereafter.
Mrs. WoJidrons. Indeed she is not so
backward as you suppose. She has studied
botany, geometry, and astronomy; and her
teacher was preparing to put her into algebra,
when ill health obliged her to give up her
school.
Miss Carlton: Have you ever examined
her in these branches, madam?
Mrs. Wondrous. Oh, yes! Fraxinella, my
dear, tell the lady something of geometry and
astronomy. What is asti'onomy, my dear?
Ask her a question, Miss Carlton — any question
you please.
Miss Carlton. What planet do we inhabit,
my dear ?
Fraxinella. Hey 1
Miss Carlton. What do you live on, my
dear?
Fraxinella. On meat, ma'am. I didn't
Know that was what you meant.
Mrs. Wondrous. No, my dear; the lady
means. What do you stand on, my dear?
On what do you stand ?
Fraxinella. 1 was standing on one foot
then, mother.
Mrs. Wo7idrous. Fraxinella, dear, you have
forgotten your astronomy, the three days you
have staid at home. But do now say a line
or two of your last lesson to the lady — now do,
dear — that's an angel ! *
Fraxinella. "The equinoctial line is the
plane of the equator extended indefinitely,
until it approximates to the calyx or flower-
cup supports the corolla for the two sides
of a right-angled triangle are equal to the
hippopotamus !"
Mrs. Wondrous. There, Miss Carlton! I
told you she had it in her, only you did not
understand the best method of drawing it out.
I knew she would astonish you.
Miss Carlton. She does, indeed, madam.
You speak of the plane of the equator, my
dear. May I ask what is the meaning of the
word 2ilane 7
Fraxinella. Ugly, ma'am. I should think
every body knew that !
Miss Carlton. How many are three times
^ree, my dear?
Fraxinella. Thre e tim is three ?
Miss Carlton. Yes, how many are tkey 7
Fraxinella. I don't know. Mrs. Flare
never taught me that. She says every body
knows how to count.
Miss Carlton. She taught you to read and
spell, I suppose.
Mrs. Wondrous. No, I forbade that. I
wished to have the mind developed at once,
without having the intellect frittered away in
attention to such unimportant elements. Mrs.
Flare was a nonesuch — a real peek-no-farther.
I am afraid her loss will never be made up to
poor Fraxinella. ._^
Miss Carlton. I cannot agree t6 receive
your daughter, madam, if I am to pursue the
course you seem to approve Until the mind
is able to comprehend, I think the child should
be employed upon such things as require Uttle
or no intellectual ellbrt.
Mrs. Wondrous. I see your school will not
do for me. 1 was afraid that you only taught
the lower branches. Come, Fraxy, dear, let
us go. Good morning, Miss Carlton.
Miss Carlton. Good moniing, madam.
[The lady goes oiU.] Oh dear! I euppose
i am a fool, not to help the good lady to cheat
herself, and ruin her child; but' I cannot
forfeit all my self-respect witiiout a struggle.
[Enter Mrs. Saveall and two daughters]
Mrs. Saveall. Good morning. Miss Carlton,
I suppose.
Miss Carlton. Good morning, madam.
Mrs. Saveall. I have heard a good account
of your school, Miss Carlton; and, if we can
aeree upon the terms, I may send you my two
girls. Pray, what are your terms "?
Miss Carlton. How old are your daughters,
madam ?
Mrs. Saveall. Sarah, dear, how old are you 7
Sarah. Nine, mother.
Mrs. Saveall. And you, Jane ?
Jam. Seven, mother.
Miss Carlton. The price will be eight and
ten dollars a quarter,
Mrs. Saveall. Is that your lowest price?
Miss Carlton. I have but one price, madam.
Mrs. Saveall. What ! do you make no
allowance for my sending two?
Miss Carlton. No, madam, I have never
made any.
Mrs. Saveall. That will never answer.
My husband, Mr. Saveall, told me you ought
to make a discount of twenty per cent.
Miss Carlton. It is as hard to teach two
sisters as two strangers, madam.
Mrs. Saveall. Yes, but you have but one
bill to collect, and a parent who sends two
pupils patronizes your school more than she
who sends only one
Miss Carltoii. I hope to be faithful to every
pupil, madam ; and sometimes I think the
obligation is not all on the part of the teacher.
Mrs. Saveall. This will never do, miss.
Unless you conduct your school on more liberal
principles, you will never get any scholars.
I can get my children taught for much less
than you ask. Miss Slighter, their late teacher,
only charged them six dollars each.
Miss Carlton Why did you not keep your
children at her school ? ^
164
READINGS, RECITATIONS,
Mrs. Saveall. Why, Miss Slighter is a very
good sort of woman, bat Mr. Saveall thought
the children did not learn any thing under her
care, and we thought we would try a change.
But your terms are altogether too e;xtravagaut;
I must find a cheaper school.
Miss Carlton. If I were not interested,
I might remark, that the cheapest articles are
not apt to be the best, madam; but I cannot
reconcile it to my sense of right, to have two
prices for the same thing.
Mrs. Saveall. Very well, miss. I shall, no
doubt, find some person less scrupulous, and
I bid ya#i&' good morning. Come, girls, this
school wi^ never do for you. Every thing is
too narrow and contracted to suit your father's
liberal views. [She goes out.']
Miss Carlton. Oh dear ! Another loss, and
two at once ! Well, I am almost discouraged.
But here comes another patron.
[Enter Mrs. Oldschool artd daughter.]
Mrs. Oldschool. Have I the pleasure to
address Miss Carlton ?
jViss Carlton. My name is Carlton, madam.
Will you take a seat?
Airs. Oldschool. No, no, I thank you. I wish
to get a school for my only daughter, and
I have heard yours highly recommended. But
they tell me, that, though your pupils are well
instructed, you employ some pupils to teach
others. Is it so ?
Miss Carlton. It is, madam. I think every
child should be able to communicate to others
what she learns herself.
Mrs. Oldschool. Yes, but I do not wish to
pay a teacher for teaching my children, and
have them taught by other children.
Miss Carlton. It would be unfair to expect
you to do so, madam. But you err in supposing
that I perform any the loss labor, because
I employ my pupils as assistants. My whole
time is devoted to my pupils ; and, as much
of the instruction can be given by well-informed
pupils under my direction, I can give my
personal attention where it is most needed.
Mrs. Oldschool. This all sounds very well ;
but, after all, children cannot teach children
any thing.
Mis^^ Carlton. Do you mean, madam, that
one child cannot teach another that two and
two make four — that t-r-u-i-h spells truth —
that Boston is joined to Roxbury — or that the
name of a thing is a noun ?
Mrs. Oldschool. Perhaps it can; but, then,
children have no judgment, and cannot govern
children. I have seen enough of bad discipline ;
my children have been nearly ruined by shifting
schools.
Miss Carlton. Have they ever been taught
by monitors ?
Mrs. Oldschool. No, never.
Miss Carlton. Surely, you do not bring this
as an objection against monitorial schools !
Mrs. Oldschool. Why no but then,
in the nature of things, one child cannot be fit
to teach another; and if you do not give up
this notion, 1 must put my child elsewhere.
Miss Carlton. 1 cannot give it up until
convinced that it is erroneous ; nor could you
wish me to do so, I think.
M^s. Oldschool. Well, you may do as you
please, but I am too old-fashioned to adopt
any such new-fangled notions. So, good
morning. Come, Sophia, dear, bid the lady
good morning.
Miss Carlton. Good morning, miss. [ Tlcey
go out ]
[Enter Mrs. Frivolous and daughter.]
Mrs. Frivolous. Good morning. Miss Carl-
ton, I suppose. I have a little daughter that
I wish to place in your school. I understand
you teach all the light accomplishments. Who
is your teacher of dancing? I have sent my
daughter to every teacher that has opened a
school in Boston ; for I think that, if music and
dancing are attended to, every thing else
follows. Lucy, my dear, turn out your toes.
As I was saying, we give a ball once or twice
every wintei", and Mr. Frivolous carries the
children to every concert and ball that is
respectable.
Miss Carlton. Does not this interrupt their
other studies?
Mrs. Frivolous. Oh, yes but then ease
and grace must be acquired in youth, or never.
Lucy, dear, take your Jingers out of your
mouth ! As I was saying What was I
saying ? What was I sayii
Strange that
I should be so forgetful ! But not longer ago
than yesterday, 1 was telling Mr. Frivolous
about something, and right in the midst of the
story, I forgot what I was ^oing to say ; and
do what I could, I had to give it up. Lucy^
my dear, you forget to turn out your toes !
Miss Carlton. May I ask, madam, if you
child has never studied any thing but music
and dancing?
Mrs. Frivolous. Oh, yes ; she has studied
every thing. But then the poor girl sits up so
late every night, she cannot go to school till it
is nearly over; and she practises so much, that
she has nearly ruined her health, and has no
time to get her lessons. Lucy, dear, dou'i
stoop so. She has an ugly stoop in the
shoulders ; but Doctor Smooth says she will
outgrow it one of these days. Now, Lucy, my
darling, can't you just dance that hornpipe you
learned last?
Lucy. Mother, I don't know how, I have
forgotten the steps.
Mrs. Frivolous. My dear, you can't have
forgotten them so soon, after spending two
quarters in learning nothing else.
Miss Carlton. Don't urge the young lady.
I shall be happy, madam, to receive your
daughter, if you think fit to place her under
my care; but I can only promise her as much
instruction in music and dancing as can be
given without interruption to her more impor-
tant studies.
Mrs. Frivolous, No — she must study after
she has finished her education. We have
but one daughter, and we mean to spare
no expense in her education. You are toe
old-fashioned — excuse me — much too old-
fashioned, for my notion ; and Lucy, dear,
make one of your best courtesies to the lady,
[ The child does so] Good morning, miss.
Miss Carlton. Well, what c«/i come next?
I hardly know whether to laugh or cry at tho
ill success of my attempt to enlarge my school
But here is another applicant.
AND DIALOGUES.
366
\Enter Mrs. Covenant and daughter.']
Mrs. Covenant. Miss Carlton, I presume.
\Miss Carlton cojirtesies.]
Mrs. Covenant. I am anxious to give my
daughter a religious education, and hearing
your school well recommended for every tiling
else, I am induced to ask what religious
instruction is given in your school. Do you
teach your pupils how to pray?
Miss Carlton. No, madam, I leave them to
follow the teaching of Jesus. He, you know,
has told us how we ought to pray.
Mrs. Covenant. But don't you have public
prayers in the school ?
3fiss Carlton. No, madam. I advise the
children to pray in secret ; for T think few
other prayers are sincere and from the heart.
Mrs. Covenant. Do you give no Bible
lessons ?
Miss Carlton. We read the Scriptures,
madam.
Mrs. Covenant. Yes, but do they commit
verses to memory, so that they can quote
Scripture readily '(
Miss Carlton. No, madam. Those who
have the most Scripture in their mouths, do
not necessarily have the most piety in their
hearts. I explain to them the leading prin-
ciples of our religion upon all proper occasions,
and I am careful to set them a good example.
Mrs. Covenant. Then you have no set
religioas exercises ? ■ Your pupils must be
little better than heathen.
_ Miss Carlton. Most of them go to Sunday
schools, madam ; all go to Church ; and all
have parents, v/ho, no doubt, give them
religious instruction at home ; and I do all
that 1 can here to aid in the all-important
work.
Mrs. Covenant. This will not do. Miss
Carlton. The religious part of education must
supercede every thing else.
Child. Mother, does that lady put her
scholars down cellar, and slap 'em when they
don't say "Now I lay me" right, as you
did
Mrs Covenant. Hush! hush!
Child. Why, mother! you know you did,
and how you scolded me, when I told you I
didn't like to go to meeting without you.
You know, mother, you shook me, and made
me cry-
Mrs. Covenant. Hush! hold your tongue,
Susan! If I can't make you pious, it does
not follow that 1 should not require it of one
who professes to make teaching her business.
1 wish you good morning. Miss Carlton.
A school without set religious exercises must
be very imperfect. It will never do for my
ciiildren. [Exit.\
[Enter Mrs. Lovegood and daughter. ]
Mrs. Lovegood. Miss Carlton, I suppose.
Miss Carlton. Yes, madam. Will you take
that chair?
Mrs. Lovegood. No, I am obliged to you.
I called, Miss Carlton, to make some inquiries
about your school. 1 understand that you use
rewards, and encourage emulation in your
eohool.
Miss Carlton. I do, madam. I can not
jot on without some encouragement myself,
and I know not how I can reasonably expect
my pupils to do so.
Mrs. Lovegood. Excuse me, my dear, if I
say that you are behind the age. No teacher
can expect the patronage of intelligent parents,
if she cannot lure children to knowledge and
virtue for knowledge and virtue's sake.
I think the spirit of emulation the very spirit
of mischief, and I can never allow my child
to be placed where she is exposed to such
danger. My children obey me because they
love me ; and they yield a ready and cheerful
obedience, because they know that I only
require what is right, evidently right, and
best for them. Maria, my dear, don't go so
near that window — you may break it. Don't
strike the glass, my dear — you will surely
break it. Come here, my dear.
Maria. I won t !
Mrs. Lovegood. Why, Maria! my dear!
You don't say you won't to your mother ?
Maria. Yes, I do, though.
Mrs. Lovegood. My daughter, I am surprised
to hear such unbecoming remarks from yon,
when you know I love you so.
Mai-ia. Who cares for your love? [She
breaks the glass, and Mrs. Lovegood seizes and
shakes her^
Mrs. Lovegood. Why, you little, disobedient
hussy! what do you mean ? \ Slapping her.]
There! take that! and that! and that! — and
now see whether you will disobey me again.
Miss Carlton. Is this drawing by the cords
of love ?
Mrs. Lovegood. I am aware that you have
the advantage of me ; but I will shut her up
for a month but what I will make her obey
me. There ! go home ! Good morning, Miss
Carlton. I do not often get into such a
passion. Good morning.
[Enter Mrs. Plainsay and child]
Mrs. Plainsay. Miss Carlton ?
Miss Carlton. That is my name, madam.
Mrs. Plainsay. I have a dear child, that 1
am anxious to place under an affectionate
teacher; and I have heard so much of your
skill, that I am induced to ask what are the
general principles upon which you conduct
your school.
Miss Carlton. I endeavor to make my
pupils understand what they learn, and I
endeavor to teach them only what will be
useful to them.
Mrs. Plainsay. Yes, but how is your
government ? is it parental ?
Miss Carlton. I endeavor to exercise such
an authority as a judicious parent would
approve.
Mrs. Plainsay. A judicious parent ! Yea,
I understand the insinuation. I presume you
are unmarried, miss.
Miss Carlton. 1 am obliged to plead guilty,
madam.
Mrs. Plainsay. I thought so. ' I have
always maintained, that none but a parent
can undei stand the feelings of a parent, and
be prepared to treat children as they ought to
be treated. Pray, how old are you, miss^?
Miss Carlton. [Smiling.] About twenty-
eight, madam.
Mrs. Plainsay. You have not a moment to
366
READINGS, RECITATIONS,
lose, then. It is high time that you were
beginning to think upon a certain subject.
Miss Carlton. I had almost come to the
conclusion, that it was high time to leave off
thinking of it; for, you know, madam, it is in
vain for me to think of it alone.
Mrs. Flainsay. Then you had better give
up teaching. You may rely upon it, that you
will never be good for any thing while you
remain single. You can never enter into the
feelings of children, and exercise a parent's
forbearance towards their faults. My children
are so used to my indulgent care, that they
could never submit to any harsher authority.
This little dear
Child. I wish, mother, yoa would not always
dear me so before every body; for it makes
them think I am a little baby. You called me
a little devil, this morning, when 1 broke the
glass vase, though yoa know I did not mean
to do it.
Mrs. Flainsay. Hold your tongue, Mary !
How can you tell, before a stranger, what,
in a moment of surprise, I may have said to
you!
Child. Why, mother, it is not the first time
you have called me so ; and I have not
forgotten how you beat nie for it. I don't
believe this lady, or any other? would punish
a little girl so, when she was sorry, and did
not mean to do wrong.
A'liss Carlton. My dear, you must be in an
error. Your mother knows best how to feel
tor her children.
Mrs. Plainsay. I may not be all that a
mother should be. Miss Carlton; but this does
not weaken my position, that none hxit parents
are qualified to manage children. It is evident
that we shall never agree. Good morning,
miss. [ She takes her child's hand, and twitches
her along, saying to Iter,} Come along! you
saucy little minx ! I never begin a sentimental
flourish, but what you contrive to upset my
whole theory by your babbling.
Child. Well, mother, I thought you said
you always did right ; and I could not see any
harm in telling of it, if it u:as right.
Mrs. Plainsay. Hush, child ! Let me never
hear you speak in my presence again. I'll pay
you for exposing me. Come along ! [Exit.]
Miss Carlton. Well, I must get married,
too, whether or no! [Sighing.] I hope I
shall be resigned, should the time come. But
who is this?
[Enter Mrs, Dotiblerefined and daughter.]
Mrs. Donble^efiied. Good morning. Miss
Carlton, 1 suppose. What an exquisitely
beauchiful morning it is ! With your per-
mission, I will recline a moment. I have
been walking more than an eighth of a mile
— an utter impracticability, if I were not
determined to get rid of the importunity of
Mr. Double^efined, who thinks your school so
superlatively excellent, that our child must
participate in its advantages.
Miss Carlton. I am happy to learn that he
approves of my endeavors.
Mrs. Doublerejined. I see you have a stove
ui the room.
Miss Carlton. Yes, madam. We could not
warm so large a room with a grate.
Mrs. Doublerejined. A stove would present
an inshuperable objection. It so increases tho
caloric, and diminishes the hydrogeuic propor-
tions of the circumambient atmosphere, that I
should be inconsiderate to risk my offspring's
health. I consider a stove an incontrovertible
disqaalification.
Miss Carlton. I have heard no complaint
of its injurious effects upon any pupil.
Mrs. Doublerejined, You have no nerves,
my dear. I would not inhabit Paradise, it it
was heated by a stove. You have no cai-pet,
I see, on your floor.
Miss Carlton. No, madam. I think a carpet
in a work-shop would be out of place.
Mrs. Doublerejined. You are under a serious
misapprehension, my dear. Perfect neatness
is not incompatible with any employment
intrinsically accommodated to our sex. A
carpet prevents the introgression of vulgar
footsteps. I carpet every thing.
Daughter. Ma, I wish you'd carpet my
chamber ; my feet get so cold on the bare
floor.
Mrs. Doublerejined. My dear, when your
elders are engaged in conversation, you should
not interrupt them. Miss Carlton, you are
aware, no doubt, that where ideology, as the
phrenologists call that sublime aspiration of
the mind which stretches after transcen-
dental beauty — you are aware, that, when
this ethereal imagination characterizes the
individual, the mortal approximates to the
immortal, and happiness is perennial.
Miss Carlton, J should think such delicacy
of temperament would be an inlet to pain
rather than pleasure, I have hitherto taken
the world as my reason, and not as my
imagination, paints it.
Airs. Doublerejined. You are altogether too
unimaginative, my dear. I should be happy
to patronize your school, but, really, a stove
will be an inshuperable objection. Good
morning, my dear. My head already begins
to swhn.
Miss Carlton. There, has been no fire in
the stove to-day, madam ; hat you probably
feel the effects of the fire that is to be made
in it one of these days. [Mrs. Doublerejined
^oes out.] Well, Iijnust be patient, although
It seems as if I was tried a little above what
I am able to bear. Here comes another
patron.
[Enter Mrs. Lofty and daughter.]
Mrs. Lofty. Do I address Miss Carlton ?
Miss Carlton. [Courtesies.]
Mrs. Lofty. T have heard of your school,
miss, and am inclined to send you one or two
of my children.
Miss Carlton. I shall be happy to receivo
them, madam.
Mrs. Lofty. What number of pupils do yru
intend to receive ?
Miss Carlton. Forty, madam.
Mrs. Lofty. Too many! too many by half!
You can never get on with so many. I could
never venture a chikl of mine in such a mob.
Miss Carlton. I hope there will be no
reason to complain of their number; madam,
or their conduct.
Mrs. Lojly. Who are they? Who zend
Ai\D DIALOGUES.
367
children to yoar school ? Do any come from
Topknot Street? lEave you imy respectable
people among your patrons ?
Miss Carlton. I have none other, madam.
Mrs. Lofty. Does Mrs. Inflate send to
you?
Miss CarUon. No, madam.
Mrs. Lqfly. Does Mrs. Pufflton, lift's. Up-
start, Mrs. Fineton?
Miss Carlton. No, madam, none of them.
Mrs. Lojty. Second rate, then \tossing her
head,] I suspect. My dear, I will make you
a proposition. If you will limit your number
to twenty, and charge three times what you
do, so as to make yoar scholars select, I will
try your school one quarter. Nothing but an
exclusive school can expect to have respectable
scholars.
Miss Carlton. I am satisfied with my
pupils, madam, and not at all disposed to part
with one of them — not -even to have their
places filled with what you call exclusively
respectable pupils. Madam, you may insult
me, but I cannot bear to hear you insult those
who have protected and encouraged me. I
will neither give up my present pupils, nor
take your children, should you be disposed to
send them. I am the daughter of a mechanic,
madam, and not ashamed of my origin;
Daughter. Mother, was her father an
oyster-man, as grandfather was ?
3Irs. Lofty. Hold your tongue, child !
Daughter. Why, mother, grandfather told
me he used to cry, " Oys, buy oys ? " about
the streets, before you were married, and then
you would'nt let him.
Mrs. Lofty. Hold your tongue! Your grand-
father was a fool !
Daughter. He told me he was, mother, to
give up selling oysters.
Mrs. Lofty. Come along. I will go and
inquire after Mrs. Suitall's school, which I am
told is the only respectable one in the city.
( To her daughter.] Did not I tell you never
to own that you had a grandfather?
[She goes out, with a toss of her head.]
Miss Carlton. I fear I have been rude ;
but when I see such an assumption of supe-
riority, I cannot forget that I am a human
being, equal to her who would trample on me.
oh, dear! I am quite tired.
[Enter Mrs. Grumpy and daughter.]
Mrs. Grumpy. Are you Miss Carlton, the
school ma'am ?
Miss Carlton. My name is Carlton, madam.
Mrs. Grumpy. Ive heerd a great deal about
your school, and I've determined to send you
one of my gals, if you can only satisfy me on
one pint. They tell me you have some new-
fangled notions on the subject of grammar ;
and I never will have nothing to do with no
v)xie that does not know Murray's Grammar.
1 larnt that myself, and I never had no trouble
in getting along, and I want my children to
have the same advantages.
Miss Carlton. My pupils are taught Mur-
ray's Grammar, madam, as thoroughly as that
system is taught elsewhere ; but we do not
stop at that system — we endeavor to go
farther, and look deeper.
M'-s. Grumpy. That's deep enough. I've
no idee bfaat any good comes of trying to be too
grammatical. In my day, we was all taught
alike, and them new-fangled notions of yourn
wasn't thought on. Murray's Grammar is
enough for any gal. Hepsy, daughter, do
you want to lam that air grammar the lady
tells on ?
Hepsy. I don't want to study no grammar,
mother.
Mrs. Grumpy. Oh, my dear, you must
study some grammar, or how will you be able
to pass through the world ? for the only object
of grammar is passing.
Miss Carlton. Madam, your child will not
be required to study any better grammar than
Murray's, if you prefer his alone.
Hepsy. Mother, I don't want to study no
grammar. I can pass well enough without.
Mrs. Grumpy. Well, dear, you shan't,
then. I'll lam you myself, for I have often
heerd that there is no need of any one's
laming grammar, when they never hear no
bad language used at home. Good morning.
Miss Carlton. Hepsy prefers to be under my
care ; and I never use no violence when a
child has any choice. Good morning. Come,
Hepsy, dear, come. [Exit.]
[Enter Mrs. Wilder and two daughters, with
hoops.]
Mrs. Wilder. Are you Miss Carlton ?
Miss Carlton. I am, madam. Will yoa
take a seat?
Mrs. Wilder. I will, for I have just had a
race after Emma, who was driving her hoop
around a carriage. Thev are full of spirits,
my gills, full of innocent fun, I understand you
let your pupils play. Miss Carlton.
Miss Carlton. I do, madam, but not in
study hours.
[Mrs. Wilder goes to sit dotcn, and one of her
children removes the chair. Miss Carlton
saves lier from falling.]
Mrs. Wilder. My dear, you are naughty to
do so. They are full of spirits, Miss Carlton,
as 1 was before them. I cannot bear to
repress the generous enthusiasm of youth,
though it may sometimes overstep the bounds
of propriety.
Miss Carlton. Is it not better to check it
when it first appears? I like play, as much
as I dislike and punish mischief Respect to
parents and teachers lies at the foundation of
the youthful character.
Mrs. Wilder. Ah, that is too sentimental
for me. Huxnan nature is human nature, and
it will act itself out, and must not be restrained
because it perpetrates a little innocent mis-
chief
[While the motJier is talking, the daughter
twists up a piece of paper, and puts it for a
foolscap) on her mother's bonnet.]
Miss Carlton. [ Throws aioay^ the cap, and
says,] I could not overlook any insult offered
by a child to an indulgent parent. If jjou
expect me to do so, madam, I must decline
receiving your children.
[One of the children picks up the cap, and pins
it to Miss Carlton's dress.]
Mrs. Wilder. Come, Emma and Hitty,
dears, come. I cannot place you in the
hands of an old maid, who cannot bear a littU
368
READINGS, RECITATIONS,
itjiocient play. Good morning, Miss Carlton.
I hope yea will have some children of your
own, one of these days ; and then we shall
«ee how you will manage them. [As sfte
coes out, Vie girls drive their hoops against
Ur.]
Miss Carlton. Well, now I have done!
I will die before I will undergo such torture
any longer.
[tike moves to go out, as Mrs. Kindly enters,
with ttco children.^
Mrs. Kindly. My dear, have you any room
hi- twt> of my children ? Mrs. Prudent recom-
mends jva so highly, that I shall be pleased
to have you take these two. Do with them
as you would with your own, and I shall be
satisfied.
Miss Carlton. I feel grateful for the confi-
dence you repose in me, madam, and shall be
anxious fo deserve it.
[Erder Mrs. Fairplay ivith three children.]
Mrs. Fairplay. I have come, Miss Carlton,
to place three of my children under your care,
if you can oblige me by receiving them.
Miss Carlton. I shall be happy to receive
them, madam.
Mrs. Fairplay. You will see what they
know, and, of course, will put them to what-
ever study you think most useful to them.
Miss Carlton. I thank you, madam, for
your kindness.
[Enter Mrs, Goodheart and four children.']
Mrs. Goodheart. Is this Miss Carlton?
Miss Carlton courtesies.] My dear, I have a
farge family of children, and wish to place four
of them where they will be well instructed
and kindly treated. I see you are engaged,
md if you say you can take them, I will leave
them with you
[Enter Mrs. Welcome and Jive children.]
Mrs. Welcome. There — come all in ! Don't
be alarmed, Miss Carlton. They are all good
girls, and wish to come to your school. They
Rre acquainted with some of your scholars,
I believe ; and if you have room for them, they
ehall all come ; for their late teacher has been
married; and has relinquished her school.
Miss Carlton. I can take them, madam,
and the more cheerfully, because the conduct
of my other pupils has recommended my school
to you.
%Irs. Welcome. "Well, there they are. Now,
girls, don't let it be your fault if you don't
learn.
[Enter Mrs. Lovely and six children.]
Mrs. Lovely. Excuse me. Miss Carlton —
ycy seem to be engaged.
Miss Carlton. Not so that I cannot attend
lo you, madam. These ladies have just
boEored me by placing their daughters under
my care.
Mrs. Lovely. I came for the same purpose.
My six children are anxious to enter your
school, and if you can accommodate such a
host, it will gratify them not to be separated,
and I shall feel that they are safe.
Miss Carlton. I will do my best to acconamo-
date them, and to justify your trust in me,
madam
[Elder Mrs. Bovntiful with seven children.]
Mr%. Bountiful. 1 must apologize. Miss
Carlton, for this intrusion ; but I was coming
to ask if you will receive ray seven daughters,
and they all insisted upon coming with me.
I beg you to excuse their curiosity. They
were afraid you might not be able to take so
many, and no one was willing to be the
rejected one. You will take them all, I hope.
Miss Carlton. I certainly will endeavor to,
madam. If you, ladies, will be good enough
to walk into the hall, I will make what further
arrangements may be necessary.
[ The ladies and children go out.]
Miss Carlton.. Well, it seems that patient
waiters are not likely to be losers in the school
line, whatever they may be in the line matri-
monial. [She follows them into the hall.]
(f. f. d.)
770. dialogue.— ancient and modern virtne.
undor and floeimei,.
Lindor. In what manner, friend Plorimel
have you lately passed your time ?
Florimel. The study of history, and reflec-
tion on the manners of the Ancients and
Moderns, have last employed my leisure
moments ;. and I have reaped satisfaction and
delight from a comparison of the virtues, which
actuated each, in their respective ages.
L. You have, then, taken a method to cull
profit, as well as pleasure, from your labors.
To run cursorily over the mere events, which
fill the page of history, to color the mind with
only a faint tint of their beauties, is an
injudicious mode of reaping a harvest of the
various fruits which enrich the historical
orchard, and may be gathered by the man of
perseverance and application. Reflection,
after reading, makes the mind a granary, from
which memory may be always served with a
rich repast.
F. Your observations are just; and, for the
benefit of readers in general, I could wish
they were more strictly attended to. To
determine where lies the superiority in arts
and sciences, in heroism and the virtues of
private life, among the ancients and moderns,
requires mental capacity and literary research ;
and, to hold, with a steady and impartial
hand, the beam, from whence depend the
scales which contain their several merits,
demand a mind, unwarped or uninfluenced by
the prejudices of education or habit. The
manner in which I have considered of their
several virtues, prompts me to give the
ascendency to the ancients. Their actions
appear to arise more from a view of the
pleasure they expected to receive, from the
perfonnance of a great, or good deed, than
among the moderns; and to be less biased by
the opinion of the world, than impelled by an
innate sentiment of rectitude or glory. Their
rough, unhewn virtues, always afford m«
pleasure, and are purer than some in modern
days, where a base motive is sometimes
discovered, intruding itself, to mar the glory
and brilliancy of an action, in other respects
divine.
L. There, my friend, I must beg leave t-^
difi^er frojn you ; for, in my opinion, the latte*
are moved less by a sense of the inspection
of others, than the former. Their gods bein^
AND DIALOGUES.
369
considered, in the scale of being, but as a few
grades iiiglier tlian our heroos, this belief
must have infused itself into their minds
that kind of promptness to action, which is
inspired by the expectation of approving
spectators, or the censure of a disapprobating
world.
F. Next to the impulsion we receive from
tlie performance of what is good or great,
merely from itself, is the incentive arising
from the plaudits of those who observe our
conduct. When Leonidas and his Httle band
of heroes, entered the avenue to immortality,
at tlie straits of Thermopylae, animated by a
dosire of commanding the admiration of the
world, and of meriting the glory they aspired
after, allowing it to be owing to this motive,
are we not charmed at their magnanimity?
Where will you find an instance of heroism
'•omparable to this, in modern times? Who,
but an icy stoic, is not rapt in ecstacy, when
lie thinks on the sternness of Cato's virtue?
When Caesar "had thinned the ranks of his
senate," had made himself lord of Rome, and
})roffered friendship and honors to the hoary
republican, as the price of his submission,
who can withhold the approving plaudit, or
but admire his resolution and fortitude?
" WTio gees him act, but envies every deed ?
Vfha hears hiiu groan, that does not wisk to
bleed?"
L. The true criterion of the worth of actions,
is the motive which produces them. Of these,
we are not always in situations favorable for
judging. But, if patriotism is a virtue, which
may influence men in inferior stations, and
can be tested by actions, where, my friend, in
all ancient example, can we find a greater
instance of that virtue, than those Frenchmen
exhibi'ted, who, in a naval engagement with
the English, during our revolutionary war,
were sunk in the ship called the Vengenrf
The event may be fresh in your mind ; in
mine, it is indelible. To behold the whole
crew, with one voice, calling on Heaven to
bless the Rfpublic, while the ocean was
receiving their bodies, and their souls were
treading the threshold of Elysium, was a
sight, which must have attracted the attention
and admiration of angels. I might mention
one of our own country, whose talents, in the
cabinet and field, are unrivalled, and who
will remain, to distant ages, a monument
of the perfection which is attainable by
human nature. Your feelings* will present
to your mind, our first President, GENERAL
WASHINGTON. We may likewise boast
of other heroes and statesmen ; heroes,
who have sealed their patriotism with their
blood, and who have died in defence of our
liberties.
/'. Scarce any age elapses, but is dis-
tinguished by the genius of some great men ;
but I think the manners of the present day
are more unfavorable to the production of men
nf genius, heroes, A:c.. than in fonder times.
Excessive thirst for property, is a weed,
whose growth is encouraged more than
fbrmerly, and absorbs many of the finest
feelings of humanity; and when age has
BllONSON. 2i
just formed the man. the predominance of
this afl^ection blights his natural nobility ii;
the bud. [Exeunt.]
771. BOPERIOR VALUE OF SOLID ACCOMPLISHMENTS
DLVLOGUE BETWEEN CICERO AND LORD CHE.STERFIELD.
Cicero. Mistake me not. I know how to
value the sweet courtesies of life. Afl:ability„
attention, decorum of behaviour, if they have
not been ranked by philosophers among xXw.
virtues, are certainly related to them, and
have a powerful influence in promoting social
happiness. I have recommended them as
well as yourself. But I contend, and no
sophistry shall prevail upon me to give up
this point, that, to be truly amiable, they must
proceed from goodness of heart. Assumed
by the artful, to serve the purpose of private
interest, they degenerate to contemptible
grimace, and detestable hypocnsy.
Chesterfield. Excuse me, my dear Cicero;
I cannot enter farther into the controversy at
present. I have a hundred engagements at
least ; and see yonder my little elegant French
comtesse. I promised her and myself the
pleasure of a promenade. Pleasant walking
enough in these Elysian groves. So much
good company, too, that if it were not that the
canaille are apt to be troublesome, I should
not much regret the distance to the Tuilleries.
But, adieu, my dear friend; for I see
Madame * * * is joining the party. Adieu !
adieu !
Ci. Contemptible wretch !
Ch. Ah! what do I hear! Recollect that
I am a man of honor, unused to the I'it}', or
the insults of an upstart. But perhaps your
exclamation was not meant for me. If so,
why
Ci. T am as little inclined to insult as to
flatter you. Your levity excited my indigna-
tion; but my compassion for the degeneracy
of human nature, exhibited in your instance,
absorbs my contempt.
Ch. I could be a little angry, but as good
breeding forbids it, I will be a philosopher for
once. Appropos, pray, how do you reconcile
your — T.'hat shall I call it — your unsmootli
address, to those rules of decorum, that
gentleness of manners, of which you say you
know and teach the propriety, as well as
myself.
Ci. To confess the truth, I would not
advance the arts of embellishment to extreme
refinement. Ornamental education, or an
attention to the graces, has a connection with
effeminacy. In acquiring the gentleman, I
would not lose the spirit of a man. There is
a gracefulness in a manly character, a beauty
in an open and ingenuous disposition, which
all the professed teachers of the arts of pleasing
know not how to infuse.
Ch. You and I lived in a state of manners
as different as the periods at which we lived,
were distant. You, Romans — pardon me, my
dear sir — you Romans had a little of the Brute
in you. Come, come, I must overlook it.
You were obliged to court plebeians for their
suffrages; and if ."imilis simili gaudet, it must
be owned, that the greatest of you were
secure of their favor. Why, B eau Nash would
3?0
READINGS, RECITATIONS.
havtf handed your Catos and yoar Brutoses
out of the ball-room, if they had shown their
unmannerly heads in it; and my lord Modith,
animated with the conscioos rucr^t of the
largest, or smallest buckles in the room,
according to the temporary ton, would have
laughed Pompey the Great out of coiintenancie.
Oh, Cicero, had you lived in a modem
European court, yon would have caught a
degree of thai undescribablc grace, which is
not only the ornament, but may be the substi-
tute, of all those labored attainments which
fools call solid merit. But it was. nofc your
good fortune, and I make allowance.
a. The vivacity you have acquired, in
studying tha writings and the manners of the
degenerated Gauls, has led you to set too
high a value on qualifications, which dazzle
the lively perceptions with a momentary
blaze, and to depreciate that kind of worth,
which can neither be obtained nor understood,
without serious attention, and sometimes
painful efforts. But I will not contend with
you about the propriety, or impropriety, of tlie
outward modes, which delight a showy nation.
I will not spend arguments in proving, that
gold is more valuable than tinsel, though it
-glitters less. But I must censure you with
an asperity, too, which, perhaps, your graces
may not approve, for recommending vice as
graceful, in your memorable letters.
Ck. That the great Cicero should know
so little of the world, really surprises me.
A little libertinism, my dear, that's all ; how
can one be a gentleman without a little
libertinism?
CL I ever thought, that, to b§ a gentleman,
it was requisite to be a moral man. And
«urely you, who might have enjoyed the
benefit of a light to direct you, which 1
wanted, were blameable in omitting religion
and virtue in your system.
Ch. What ! superstitious too ! You have
not, then, conversed with your superior, the
philosopher of Ferney. I thank heaven, I was
born in the same age with that great luminary.
Prejudice had else, perhaps, chained me in
the thraldom of my great grandmother. These
are enlightened days, and I find I have contri-
buted something to the general illumination,
by my posthumous letters,
Ci. Boast not of them. Remember, you
were a father.
Ch. And did I not endeavor most effectually
to serve my son, by pointing out the qualifica-
tions necessary to a foreign ambassador,
for which department I always designed
him ? Few fathers have taken more pains to
accomplish a son than myself. There was
nothing I did not condescend to point out to
him.
Ci. True : ywir condescension was great
indeed You were the pander of your son.
You not only taught him the mean arts of
dissimulation, the petty tricks which degrade
nobility; but you corrupted his. principles,
fomented his passions, and even pointed out
objects for their gratification. You might have
left the task of teaching him fashionable
vice, to a vicious world. Example, and the
corrupt affections of human nature, will ever
be capable of accompiiskiug this unnatural
purpose. But a parent, the guardian appointed
by nature for an unmslructed offspring, intro-
duced into a dangerous world, who himself
takes upon him the oflBce of seduction, is a
monster indeed. 1 also had a son. I was
tenderly solicitous for the right conduct of
his education. I entrusted him, indeed, to
Cratippus, at Athens ; but, like you, I could
not help transmitting instructions, dictated by
paternal love. Those instructions are contained
in my book of Offices ; a book which has ever
been cited, by the world, as a proof, to what
a height the morality of the heathens was
advanced, without the aid of revelation. I own
I feel a conscious pride in it; not on account
of the ability which it may display, but for the
principles it teaches, and the good I flatter
myself it has diffused. You did not, indeed,
intend your instructions for the world ; but,
as you gave them to a son you loved, it may
be concluded that you thought them true
wisdom, and withheld them, only because
they were contrary to the professions of the
unenlightened. They have been generally
read, and tend to introduce the manners, vices,
and frivolous habits, of the nation you admired
— to your own manly nation, who, of all others,
once approached most nearly to the noble
simplicity of the Romans.
Ch. Spare me, Cicero. I Ixive never been
accustomed to the rough conversation of
an old Roman. I feel myself little in
his company. I seem to shrink in his noble
presence. I never felt my insignificance
so forcibly as now. French courtiers and
French philosophers have been my models ;
and amid the dissipation of pleasure, and the
hurry of affected vivacity, I never considered
the gracefulness of virtue, and the beauty of
an open, sincere, and manly character.
772. HOW SCHOLAES AEE MADE.— WBBSTISR.
1. Costly apparatus, and splendid cabinets,
have no magical power, to make scholars.
In all circumstances, as a man is, under God,
the master of his own fortun^, so is he the
maker of his own mind. The Creator has so
constituted the human intellect, that it can
grow, only by its 07vn action, and by its own
action, it most certainly and necessarily
growe.
2. Every man must, therefore, in an impor-
tant sense, educate himself His books and
teachers are but helps; the work is his.
A man is not educated, until he has the ability
to summon, in case of emergency, all his
mental powers, in vigorous exercise, to effect
his proposed object.
3. It is not the man who has seen most, or
who has read most, who can do this ; such an
one is in danger of being borne down, like a
beast of burden, by an overloaded mass of other
men's thoughts Nor is it the man, that can
boast merely of native vigor and capacity.
4. The greatest of all the warrior?, that
went to the siege of Troy, had not the pre-
eminence, because nature had given him
strength, and he carried the largest bow but
because se//'-discipline had taught him how
to lend his bow.
AND DIALOGUES.
371
173, THE MBRCHANT AND SCHOLAR.— G. R. R088EU.
The scholar may feel some interest for the
pursuit, which has contributed so largely to
the facilities for his own calling; and, by
extending: its thousand hands to every region
of the earth, has collected whatever is curious
in science, or tlesirable in art. That the
wis'iom of ages may lie within his easy i*each,
the ship girdles the globe, and every cranny
of its surface is ransacked, to supply his
wants, and anticipate his wishes. Without
wandering from his accustomed range, he
may see, around liim, evidences of what
learning owes to a profession, which has
libprally aided common education, founded
schools of science, given names to univer-
sities, (* encouraged and sustained them
from an honorably-earned prosperity ; worthy
memorials, that it has not labored for outv/ard
luxury and present gratification only, but for
the solid and enduring benefit of after times.
In the halls of colleges hang the portraits
of benefactors, who trafficked in the busy
world, that they might endow professorships,
till the shelves of libraries, and place at the
command of the student, whatever is recorded
of the genius, intelligence, and industry of
man. The calculations of the counting-room
involve consequences beyond the accumulation
of wealth. They are made, not merely for the
actual necessities and artificial requirements
of society,' but they bring, from strange lands,
new objects for investigation, and suggestions
which give encouragement to thought. The
man of books may pause, before he disdains
companionship with the man of business, or
arrogates to himself exclusive property in the
field of literature.
The young merchant, in these days, treads
hard on the ti-ack of the professed scholar.
Even in his early novitiate, he is not, now,
content with the accomplishments which are
deemed requisite in his initiation ; and which,
though by no means ignoble, do not call for
strong mental exerticfi, nor req-uire, for per-
fectibility, the length of time often devoted to
these mysteries. He seeks more than can be
found in his routine of duties. He is not
satisfied with proficiency in sweeping store,
making fires, and trimming lamps ; in being an
errand boy, or a copying machine ; and his
higher aspirations are aided by the oppor-
tunities for acquiring knowledge, which have
within a few years, been most bountifully
multiplied. There are lectures, libraries, and
reading-rooms, for those who crave, for their
leisure hours, something more than mere
amusement; and they have given a character
to pursuits, which were once considered
suited only to practical men, whose business
was to do the drudgery of life, and leave the
monopoly of mind to more aesthetic natures.
Mercantile associations have been formed,
whose object is to encourage improvement,
promote a taste for science and art, stimulate
an attention to intellectual culture, and induce
a devotion to qualifications which may give
a wider range for future usefulness. The
cultivation, thus nurtured, is a labor of love.
Knowledge is sought for itself alone; no
academic honors are expected : no diploma
is to reward a periodical regard U) prescribed
tasks. But the limited lime, allotted to study,
gives an earnestness to application, and a
necessity for that concentration and attention,
which almost seems to constitute the difiPerence
between men, and is certainly indispensable
to high success in any profession.
Tliere should be good fellowship between
all occupations. They are in close connection ;
each can Jeani something of the other, and
supply deficiencies by interchange of thought
and friendly communion. The man of con-
templation is neighbor to the man of action ,
abstraction leans against reality ; exact science
is nearly related to practical circumstance ;
speculation falls back on the experience o(
working days ; out of the dust and turmoil
of noisy life spring beautiful things, over
which sentiment may languish, and poetry
become frantic. Differences of condition are
accidents : men get into wrong places, but
there is such affinity in the labor of all, that
mistakes are rarely rectified, the world jogs
on, and things settle themselves. Over all
conditions, from the nature too etherealized to
think of dinner, down to the fragment of clay
that thinks of nothing else, there rests the
philosophy of facts, an agency which reconciles
all discrepancies, and enlightens mankind by
a sober development of human progress.
774. WATER FOR ME. — JOHNSON.
Oh ! -water for me — bright water for me !
And wine for the tremulous debauchee !
It cooleth the brow, it cooleth the brain,
It maketh the faint one strong again ;
It comes o-er the sense, like a breeze from the sesx
All freshness, like infant purity.
Oh I water, bright water, for me, for me —
Give wine, give wine to the debauchee !
Fill to the brim ! fill, fill to the brim !
Let the flowing crystal kiss the rim !
For my hand is steady, my eye is true,
For I, like the flowers, drink naught but dew.
Oh ! water, bright water's a mine of wealth,
And the ores it yieldeth, are vigor and health.
So water, pure water, for me, for me !
And wine for the tremulous debauchee I
Fill AGAIN to the brim — again to the brim !
For water strengtheneth life and limb :
To the days of the aged, it addeth length,
To the might of the strong, it addeth strengUi
It freshens the heart, it brightens the sight —
'Tis like quaffing a goblet of morning light.
So water, 1 will drink naught but thee,
Thou parent of health and energy !
When o'er the hills, like a gladsome bride,
Morning walks forth in her beauty's pride,
And leading a band of laughing hours.
Brushes the dew from the nodding flowers,
Oh ; cheerily then my voice is heard,
Mingling with that of the soaring bird,
Who flingeth abroad his matins loud,
As he freshens his wing on the cold gray cload
But when evening has quitted her sheltering yew,
Drowsily flying, and weaving anew
Her dusky meshes o'er land and sea,
How gently, oh sleep, fall thy poppies on me !
For I drink water, pure, cold, and bright.
And my dreams are of heaven, the life-long night.
Thou art silver and gold, thou art riband and star
Hurrah for bright water ! hurrah ! hurrah !
372
READINGS, RECITATIONS.
•t75. IMPORTANCE OF LITERATURE. — LTTTLETON.
CADMUS AND HERCULES.
Hercules. Do you pretend to sit as high
on Olympus as Hercules?, Did j-ou kill the
NemEe'an lion, the Erymanthian boar, the
Lernean serpent, and Stymphalian birds?
Did you destroy tyrants and robbers ? You
value yourself greatly on subduing one serpent:
I did as much as that while 1 lay in my
cradle.
Cadmus. It is not on account of the serpent,
•Jiat I boast myself a greater benefactor to
Greece than you. Actions should be valued
by their utility, rather than their splendor.
I taught Greece the art of writing, to which
iaws owe their precision and permanency.
You subdued monsters ; I civilized men. It
is from untamed passions, not from wild beasts,
that the greatest evils arise to human society.
By wisdom, by art, by the united strength of
a civil community, men have been enabled to
subdue the whole race of lions, bears, and
serpents ; and, what is more, to bind, by
laws and wholesome regulations, the ferocious
violence and dangerous treachery of the human
disposition. Had lions been destroyed only
in single combat, men had had but a bad time
of it ; and what, but laws, could awe the men,
who killed the lions ? The genuine glory, the
proper distinction of the rational species, arises
tVom the perfection of the mental powers.
(Jourage is apt to be lierce, and strength is
often exerted in acts of oppression: but wisdom
is the associate of justice. It assists her to
form equal laws, to pursue right measures, to
correct power, protect weakness, and to unite
individuals in a common interest and general
welfare. Heroes may kill tyrants, but it is
wisdom and laws, that prevent tyranny and
5ppre.?sion. The operations of policy far
surpass the labors of Hercules, preventing
many evils, which valor and might cannot
even redress. You heroes regard nothing but
glory ; and scarcely consider whether the
conquests, which raise your fame, are really
beneficial to your country. Unhappy are the
people who are governed by valor, not dii-ected
by prudence, and not mitigated by the gentle
arts !
H, I do not expect to find an admirer of
my strenuous life, in the man who taught his
countrymen to sit still and read ; and to lose
the hours of youth and action, in idle specula-
tion and the sport of words.
C. An ambition to have a place in the
registers of fame, is the Eurystheus, which
imposes heroic labors on mankind. The Muses
incite to action, as well as entertain the hours
of repose ; and I think you should honor them,
for presenting to heroes so noble a recreation,
as may prevent their taking up the distaff,
when they lay down the club.
H. Wits, as well as heroes, can take up
the distaff. What think you of their thin-spun
systems of philosophy, or lascivious poems, or
Milesian fables ? Nay, what is still worse,
are there not panegyrics on tyrants, and books,
that blaspheme tlie gods, and perplex the
natural sense of right and wrong ? I believe
if Eury.stheus were to set me to work again,
be would tin<l me a worse task than any he
imposed; he would n.ake me read over a
great library; and I would serve it as I did
the Hydra; I would burn as I went on, that
one chimera might not rise from another, to
plague mankind. I should have valued myself
more on clearing the library, than on cleansing
the Augean stables.
C. It is in those libraries only, that the
memory of your labor exists. The herosa ot
Marathon, the patriots of Thermopylae, owe
their fame to me. All the wise institutions
of law-givers, and all the doctrines of sages,
had perished in the ear, like a dream
related, if letters had not preserved them.
Oh, Hercules ! it is not for the man. who
preferred Virtue to Pleasure, to be an enemy
to the Muses. Let Sardauapalus and the
silken sons of luxury, who have wasted life
in inglorious ease, despise the records of
action, which bear no honorable testimony to
their lives : but true merit, heroic virtue,
should respect the sacred source of lasting
honor.
H. Indeed, if writers employed themselves
only in recording the acts of great men, much
might be said in their favor. But why do
they trouble people with their meditations ?
Can it be of any consequence to the world
what an idle man has been thinking?
C. Yes it may. The most important and
extensive advantages mankind enjoy, are
greatly owing to men who have never quitted
their closets. To them, mankind are obliged
for the facility and security of navigation.
The invention of the compass has opened to
them new worlds. The knowledge of the
mechanical powers has enabled them to con-
struct such wonderful machines, as perform,
what the united labor of millions, by the
severest drudgery, could not accomjjlish
Agriculture, too, the most useful of arts, has
received its share of improvement from the
same source. Poetry, likewise, is of excellent
use, to enable the memory to retain with
more ease, and to imprint with more energy
upon the heart, precepts and examples of
virtue. From the little root of a few letters,
science has spread its branches over all
nature, and raised its head to the heavens.
Some philosophers have entered so far into
the counsels0)f Divine Wisdom, as to explain
much of the great operations of nature. The
dimensions arwi distances of the planets, the
causes of their revolutions, the path of comets,
and the ebbing and flowing of tides, are
understood and explained. Can any thing
raise the glory of the human species more,
than to see a little creature, inhabiting a
small spot, amidst innumerable worlds, taking
a survey of the universe, comprehending its
arrangements, and entering iulo the scheme
of that wonderful connection and correspon
dence of things so remote, and which 't seem.s
a great exertion of Omnipotence to have
established ? What a volume of wisdom,
what a noble theology, do these discoveries
open to us ? While some superior geniuses
have soared to these sublime subjects, other
sagacious and diligent miuds have been
inquiring into the most minute works of the
Infinite Artificer: the same r/ire. the samt:
AND DIALOGUES.
373
proddence. is exerted through the whole;
and we should learn from it, that, to true
wisdom, utility and fitness appear perfection,
and whatever is beneficial is noble.
H. I approve of science, as far as it is
assistant to action. I like the improvemenl
of navigation, anci the discovery of the greater
part of tiie globe, becauoe it opens a wider
tieid for the master spirits of the world to
bustle in.
C. There spoke the soul of Hercules.
Bat, if learned men are to be esteemed, for
tlie assistance they give to active minds in
their schemes, they are not less to be valued,
for their endeavors to give them a right
directioii, and moderate their too great ardor.
The study of history will teach the legislature
by what means states have become powerful;
and, in the private citizen, they will inculcate
the love of liberty and order. The writings
of sages point out a private path of virtue ;
and show that the best empire is seU'-govern-
ment, and, that subduing our passions, is the
noblest of conquests.
//, The true spirit of heroism acts bv a
generous impulse, and wants neither %ie
expei-ience of history, nor the doctrines of
philosophers, to direct it. But do not arts
and science render men effeminate, luxurious,
and iuactive? and can you deny, that wit and
learning are often made subservient to very
bad purposes ?
C. I will own that there are some natures
6o happily formed, they scarcely want the
assistance of a master, and tlie rules of art,
to give them force or grace, in every thing
they do. But these favored geniuses are few.
As learning flourishes only "where ease, plenty,
and mild government subsists ; in so rich a
soil, and under so soft a climate, the weeds
of luxury will spring up amid the flowers of
art: but the spontaneous weeds would grow
more rank, if they were allovred the utidis-
tjarbed possession of the field. Letters keep
a frugal, temperate nation from growing
ferocious, a rich one from becoming entirely
sensual and debauched. Every gift of Heaven
is sometimes abused ; but good sense and fine
talents, by a natural law, gravitate towards
virtue. Accidents may drive them out of
their proper direction ; but such accidents are
an alarming omen, and of dire portent to the
times. For, if virtue cannot keep to her
allegiance those men, who, in their hearts,
confess her divine right, and know the value
of her laws, on whose fidelity and obedience
can she depend? May such geniuses never
descend to flatter vice, encourage folly, or
propagate irreligion ; but exert all their powers
in the service of virtue, and celebrate the
noble choice oi those, who, like Hercules,
preferred her to pleasure !
776^ RIGHT or ENGLAND TO TAX AMERICA.— BURKE.
Oh! inestimable i-ight! Oh! wonderful,
transcendent right, the assertion of which
lias cost this country thirteen provinces, six
islands, one hundred thousand lives, and
seventy millions of money ! Oh ! invaluable
right! for the sake of which, we have sacrificed
our rank among nations, our importance abroad.
and our happiness at home ! Oh ! right ! more
dear to us than our existence, which has
already cost us so much, and which seems
likely to cost us all;
Infatuated man! (fixing his eye on the
minister,) miserable and undone country ! not
to know that the claim of right, without the
power of enforcing it, is nugatory and idle.
We have a right to tax America, the noble
lord tells us ; therefore we ought to tax
America. This is the profound logic, which
compi-ises the whole chain of his reasoning.
Not inferior to this was the wisdom of him,
who resolved to shear the wolf What !
shear a wolf! Have you considered the
resistance, the difficulty, the danger of the
attempt? No, says the madman, I have
considered nothing but the right. Man has
a right of dominion over the beasts of the
forest; and, therefore, I will shear the wolf.
How wonderful, that a nation could be thus
deluded.
But the noble lord deals in cheats and
delusions. They are the daily traffic of his
invention ; and he will continue to play off
his cheats on this House, so long as he thinks
them necessary to his purpose, and so long as
he has money enough at command, to bri-be
gentlemen to pretend that they believe him.
But a black and bitter day of reckoning will
surely come; and, whenever that day come,
I trust I shall be able, by a parliamentary
impeachment, to bring upon the heads of the
authors of our calamities, the punishment
they deserve.
777. THE FOURTH OF JULT.— ANONTMOtS.
1. Hail our country's natal morn !
Hail our spreading kindred born !
Hail thou banner, not yet torn !
AVaving o"er the free ;
2. "\Yliile thi.s day, in festal throng,
Millions swell the patriot song.
Shall not we thy notes prolong,
Hallowed Jubilee ?
3. Who would sever freedom *.« shrine?
Who would draw the invidious line?
Though by birth, one spot be mine,
Dear is all the rest ;
4. Dear to me the South's fair land,
Dear the central mountain band,
Dear New England's reeky strand,
Dear the prairied West.
5. By our altars, pure and free.
By our law's deep rooted tree,
By the past dread memory.
By our Washington ;
6. By our common parent tongue,
By our hopes, bright, buoyant, young.
By the tie of country, strong,
We will still be one.
7. Fathers I have ye bled in vain .'
Ages I must j-e droop again ?
Maker ! shall we rashly stain
Blessings sent by th«e ?
8 No ! receive our solemn vow,
^\^lile before thy throne we bow,
Ever to maintain as now,
Union, Liberty.
374
READINGS, RECITATIONS,
yyS. WIIUAM TEIX.— SN0WLE8.
Gcsler, the tyrant. Sarnem, his officer, and
William Tell, a Swiss peasant.
Sar. Down, slave, upon thy knees, before
the governor,
Aiwi beg for mercy.
Ges. Does he hear ?
Sar. He does, but braves thy power. {To
Tell.] Down, slave,
And ask for life.
Ges. [To Tell] Why speakest thoxanot'l
Tell. For wonder !
Ges. Wonder ?
Tell. Yes, that thou shouldst seem a man.
Ges. What should I seem ?
Tell. A monster.
Ges Ha ! Beware ! — think on thy chains.
Tell. Though they were doubled, and did
weigh me down
Prostrate to earth, methinks I could rise up
Erect, with nothing but the honest pride
Of telling thee, usurper, to thy teeth,
Thou art a monster. — Think on my chains !
How came they on me 1
Ges. Darest thou question me '/
Tell. Darest thou ansxoer ?
Ges. Beware my vengeance.
Tell. Can it more than kill 7
Ges. And is not that enough 7
Tell. No, not enough :
It cannot take away the grace of life —
The comeliness of look, that virtue gives —
Its port erect, with consciousness of truth —
Its rich attire of honoral^le aeeds —
Its fair report, that's rife on good men's tongues :
It cannot lay its hand on these, no more
Than it can pluck his brightness from the sun,
Or, with polluted iinger, tarnish it.
Ges. But it can make thee writhe.
Tell. It may, and I may say,
Go on, though it should make me groan again.
Ges. Whence comest thou ?
Tell. From the mountains.
6^65. Canst tell me any news from them?
Tell. Ay; they watch no more the oz;aZ«ncAc.
Ges. Why so ?
Tell. Because they look for thee. The
hurricane
Comes unawares upon them ; from its bed
The torrent breaks, and iinds them in its track.
Ges, What then 1
Tell. They thank kind Providence, it is
not thou.
Thouhast perverted naturem them. The earth
Presents her fruits to them, and is not thanked.
The harvest sun is constant, and they scarce
Return his smile. Their flocks and herds
increase,
And they look on, as men, who count a loss.
Tliere's not a blessing, Heaven vouchsafes
them, but
The thought of thee doth wither to a curse,
As something they mustlose, and had far better
Lack.
Ges. 'Tis well. I'd ha.ve them, as their hills.
That n ever smile, though wanton summer tempt
Them e'er so much.
T^U. But they do sometimes smile.
Ges. Ah ! when is that ?
Tell. When they do pray for vengeance.
Ges. Dare they pray for that ?
TeU. They dare, and they expect it, too.
Ges. 'From whence ?
Tell. From Heaven, and their true hearta
Ges. [To Sarnem.] Lead in his son. Now
will I take
Exquisite vengeance. [To Tell, as the boy
enters.] I have destined him
To die along with thee.
Tell. To die ! for what ? he's but a child,
Ges. He's thine, however.
Tell. He is an only child.
Ges. So much the easier, to ci-ush the race.
Tell. He may have a mother.
Ges. So the viper hath —
And yet, who spares it, for the mother's sake?
Tell. I talk to stone. I'll talk to it no more.
Come, my boy, I taught thee how to live —
I'll teach thee — how to die.
Ges. But, iirst, I'd bee thee make
A trial of thy skill, with thai same bow.
Thy arrows never miss, 'tis said.
Tell. What is the trial ?
Ges. Thou look'st upon thy boy, as though
thou guessest it.
Tell. Look upon my toy.' 'Whatmcanyon't
Lc^k. upon my hoy, as though I guessed it ! —
Guessed the trial, tliou'dst have me make ! —
Guessed it instinctively! Thou dost not mean —
No, no — thou wouldst not have me make
A trial of my skill upon my child ! —
Impossible ! I do not guess thy meaning.
Ges. I'd see thee hit an apple on his head,
Three hundred paces off.
Tell. Great Heaven !
Ges. On this condition, only, will I spare
His life and thine.
Tell. Ferocious monster ! make z. father
Murder his oion child !
Ges. Dost thou consent?
Tell. With his own hand ! —
The hand I've led him, when an infant, by !
My hands are free from blood, and have no gust
For it, that they shottld drink my child's.
I'll not murder my boy, for Gesler.
Boy. You will not hit me, father. Yoa'U
be sure
To hit the apple. Will you not save me, father ?
Tell. Lead me forth — I'll make the trial.
Boy. Father
Tell. Speak not to me ;
Let me not hear thy voice — thou must be
dumb;
And 80 should all things be — Earth should
be dumb,
And Heaven, unless its thunder muttered at
The deed, and sent a bolt to stop it.
Give me my bow and quiver.
Ges. When all is ready. Sarnem, measure
hence
The distance — three hundred paces.
Tell. Will he do it fairly ?
Ges. What is't to thee, fairly, or not ?
Tell. [Sarcastically.] Oh, nothing, a little
thing,
A very little thing, I only shoot
At my child !
[Sarnem prepares to measure.]
Tell. Villain, stop ! You measure against
the sun.
Ges. And what of that ?
What matter wh*ether to, or from the sun ?
AND DIALOGUES.
373
Tell. I'd have it at my back. The sun
should shine
Upon the mark, and not on him that shoots —
I will not shoot against the sun.
Ges. Give him his way. [Sarnem, paces
and goes out.]
Tell. I should like to see the apple I
must hit.
Ges. [Picks out tke smallest one.] There,
take that. •
Tell. You've picked the smallest one.
Ges. 1 know I have. Thy skill will be
Ttie greater, if thou hittest it.
Tell. [Sarcastically.] True — true ! I did
not think of that.
I wonder I did not think of that. A larger one
Had given me a chance to save my boy.
Give me my bow. Let me see my quiver.
Ges. Give him a single arrow. [To an
attendant.]
. [ Tell looks at it and breaks it.]
Tell. Let me see my quiver. It is not
Gue arrow in a dozen, I would use
To shoot with at a dove, much less, a dove
Like that.
(res. Show him the quiver. '
[ S'/rnem returns and takes the apple and the
boy to place them. While this is doing, Tell
conceals an arroio under his garment. He
then selects another arroio, and says,]
Tell Is the boy ready. Keep silence, now.
For Heaven's sake, and be my witnesses,
That if his life's in peril from my hand,
'Tis only for the chance of saving it.
For mercy's sake, keep motionless and silent.
[He aims and shoots in the direction of the boy.
In a moment Sarnem enters with tlie apple
on the arro?o's point.]
Sarnem. The boy is safe.
Tell. [Raising his arms.] Thank Heaven !
[As he raises his arms the concealed arrow falls.]
Ges. [Picking it up.] Unequalled archer!
why was this concealed ?
Tell. To kill thee, tyrant, Irad 1 slain my boy.
779. COMMEECE, ART, AND RELIGION.— G. K. RUSSELL.
The toiTenl of northern barbarism, which
swept away the Roman empire, interrupted
the connection between all the mercantile
communities of the west, for such a length of
time, that they were almost ignorant of the
existence of each other. The new capital of
Couslantine preserved the remnants of this
disorganization, and became the nucleus, from
which, after a long interval, were extended
the rays that illumined the commercial world,
and gave light and motion to civilization.
Out of the deep darkness a new power
enjerged, amidst the lagoons of the Adriatic,
and rival cities arose from the foot of the Ap-
penines, and on the shores of the Arno. Venice,
Genoa, Pisa, and Florence, strove, with alter-
nate fortune, for the sovereignty of the Medi-
terranean, and, as ample wealth flowed in upon
them, it was liberally given for the encourage-
ment of science and promotion of talent. The
marble palaces of merchant princes were the
homes of painting, poetry, and sculpture, and
men, whose names suggest whatever is most
raagniticent in art^ were their familiar and
welcome guests. Medici, Doria, Contarini, are
associated with Michael Angelo, Titian, and
the long array of genius, which has left enough
to awaken the wonder and court the compe-
tition of all coming time. At shrines, to which
the young aspirant of all lands makes his pil-
grimage, and the traveller in the excess of
beauty before him confesses the imperfection
of. his own ideal, did the merchant and artist
live in friendly union, the profession of the
one ministering to the skill and inspiration of
the other, both adding to tlie sum of i:uman
happiness, and securing the gratitude of pos-
terity for the elegance and taste they originated
and bequeathed. The example of these trading
republics extended over Europe. The barba-
rian, amidst the ruins of the W^'esiem Empire,
wag tamed into humanity as he felt its influ-
ence, and saw, in his amazement, the results
produced by peaceful industry.
There has always been an intimate connec
tion between religion and commerce. The
relation of priest and merchant has been main-
tained from the remotest times. "Where the
caravan halted, and the camel knelt to be re
lieved of his load, and the trader found tempo-
rary repose, the temple rose, and the servant
of the altar sacrificed, and the pilgrim wor-
shipped. Men congregated, and by gradual
processes the stopping -place became populous
and powerful. The association continued in
the subsequent revolutions of empire, and the
tie, which binds worldly interest to spiritual
power, has ever been most strongly manifested
in this union. "War has brought inliis trophies,
and the blood-stained banner has drooped on
walls sacred to peace. But he has oftener
desecrated than reverenced, and spoils have
more frequently gone out of the door than
entered into it. The tread of the soldier on
the church pavement has not always indicated
a holy regard for stole and surplice, and tlie
sound of his arms has sometimes been in harsh
discordance with the sacring-bell.
There has never been' distrust between
commerce and reUgion, The quiet homage
the former, and the dependence of the one on
the other, have been given and received in
kindly confidence. They have kept togetliei
through the changing faiths, which have pro
gressively swayed the races of men, anH
whenever they have separated, it has beet
that one might serve as herald to the othet
and prepare for the joint occupancy of both.
7SO. ONE GOOD TURN DESERVES ANOTHER.
MRS. OILMAN.
"Will "Wag went to see Charley Quirk,
More famed for his books than his knowledge^
In order to borrow a work,
He had sought for, in vain, over college.
But Charley replied, "My dear friend,
You must know, I have swors and agreed,
My books from my room not to lend —
But you may sit by my fire, and read."
Now it happened, by chance, on the morrow,
That Quirk, with a cold, quivering air,
Came, his neighbor Will's bellows to borrow.
For his own, they were out of repair.
But Willy replied, " My dear friend,
I have sworn and agreed, you must know,
That my bellows I never will lend-
But you may sit by my fire, and blow."
376
READINGS, RECITATIONS,
781. PATRIOTISM.—TRIBUTE TO WASHINGTON.
UAKRI30N.
Hard, hard indeed, was the contest for free-
dom, and the struggle for independence. The
golden sun of liberty had nearly set, in the
gloom of an eternal night, ere its radiant beams
illumined our western horizon. Had not the
tutelar saint of Columbia hovered around the
American camp, and presided over her desti-
nies, freedom must have met with an untimely
grave. Never, can we sufficiently admire the
wisdom of those statesmen, and the skill and
bravery of those unconquerable veterans, who,
by their unwearied exertions in the cabinet
and in the field, achieved for us the glorious
revolution. Never, can we duly appreciate
the merits of a Washington, who, with but a
handful of undisciplined yeomanry, triumphed
over a royal army, and prostrated the lion of
England at the feet of the American Eagle.
His name, — so terrible to his foes, so welcome
to his friends, — shall live, for ever, upon the
brightest page of the historian, and be remem-
bered with the warmest emotions of gratitude
and pleasure, by those, whom he has contrib-
uted to make happy, and by all mankind, when
kings, and princes, and nobles, for ages, shall
have sunk into their merited oblivion. Unlike
them, he needs not the assistance of the sculp-
tor, or the architect, to perpetuate his memory :
he needs no princely dome, no monumental
pile, no stately pyramid, whose towering
height shall pierce the stormy clouds, and
rear its lofty head to heaven, to tell posterity
his fame. His deeds, his worthy deeds, alone
have rendered him immortal ! When oblivion
shall have swept away thrones, kingdoms, and
principalities — when every vestige of human
greatness, and grandeur, and glory, shall have
mouldered into dust, eternity itself shall catch
the glowing theme, and dwell, with increasing
rapture, on his name !
783, THE FAMINE IN IRELAND.— S. S. PRENTISS.
There lies, upon the other side of the wide
Atlantic, a beautiful island, famous in story,
and in song. It has gis^en to the world, more
than its share, of genius and of greatness. It
has been prolific in statesmen, warriors, and
poets. Its brave and generous sons have
fought, successfully, in all battles but its own.
In wit and humor, it has no equal ; while its
harp, like its history, moves to tears, by its
sweet but melancholy pathos. In this fair
region, God has seen fit to send the most ter-
rible of all those fearful ministers, who fulfil
his inscrulible decrees. The earth has failed
to give her increase ; the common mother has
forgotten her offspring, and her breast no longer
affords them th'^ir accustomed nourishment.
Famine, gaunt and ghastly farr.ine, haa seized
a nation with its strangling grasp; and unhappy
Ireland, in the sad woes of ihe present, forgets,
for a moment, the gloomy history of the past.
In battle, in the fulness of his pride and
Btrength, little recks the soldier, whether the
hissing bullet sing his sudden requiem, or the
cords of life are severed by the sharp steel.
But he, who dies of hunger, wrestles alone, day
after day, with his grim and unrelenting enemy.
He has no friends, to cheer him in the terrible
conflict; for if he had friends, tow ccalu he
die of hunger? He has not the hot blood of
the soldier to maintain him; for his foe, vam-
pire-like, has exhausted hia veins.
Who will hesitate to give his mite, to avert
such awful results? Give, then, generously,
and freely. Recollect, that in so doing, you are
exercising one of the most godlike quafities of
your nature, and at the same time eiijoying one
of the* greatest luxuries of life. We ought
to thank our Maker, that he has permitted us
to exercise, equally with himself, that noblest
of even the Divine attributes, benevolence. Go
home, and look at your family, smiling in rosy
health, and then, think of the pale, famine
pinched cheeks of the poor children of Ireland ;
and you will give, according to your store,
even as a bountiful Providence has given to
you— not grudgingly, but with an open hand ;
for the quality of benevolence, like that of
mercy,
" Is not strained ;
It droppeth like the gentle rain from Heaven,
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blessed :
It blesses him, that gives, and him, that takes."
783. WASHINGTON, A MAN OF GENIUS. — E. P. WHIPPLE
How many times, have we been told, that
Washington was not a man of genius, but a
person of excellent common sense, of adviiruble
judgment, of rare virtues! He had no genius,
it seems. O no! genius, we must suppose, is
the peculiar and shining attribute of some
orator, whose tongue can spout patriotic
speeches; or some versifier, whose muse can
Hail Columbia, but not of the man, who sup-
ported states on his arm, and earned America
in his brain. What is genius? Is it worth
anything? Is splendid folly the measure uf
its inspiration ? Is wisdom its base, and sum-
mit— that which it recedes from, or tends
towards ? And, by what definition, do you
award the name, to the creator of an epic, and
deny it to the creator of a country? On what
principle is it to b« lavished on him, who sculp-
tures, in perishing marble, the image of possible
excellence, and withheld from him, who built
up in himself, a transcendent character, inde-
structible as the obligations of duty, and beau-
tiful as her rewards ?
Indeed, if by the genins of action, you mean
will, enlightened by intelligence, and intelli-
gence energized by will, — if force and insight
be its characteristics, and influence its test,
and if great effects suppose a cause propor-
tionally great, a vital, causative mind, — then,
was Washington, most assuredly, a man of
genius, and one, whom no other American has
equaUed, in the power of wcjrking, morally
and mentally, on other minds. His genius was
of a peculiar kind, the genius of character, of
thought, and the objects of thought, Bolidified
and concentrated into active faculty. He
belongs to that rare class of men, — rare as
Homers and Miltons, rare as Plates and New
tons, — who have impressed their characters
upon nations, without pampering r.ationa,
vjces. Such men have natures broad cnoogn.
to include all the facts of a people's practi^p'
life, and deep enough, to discern the spiriiua.
laws, which underlie, ai.iraate. anc! ^'ove^.w
those facts.
AND DIALOGUES.
w
784. NEW ENGLAND AND THE UNION.— B. B. PRENTISS.
Glorious New England ! thou art still true
to thy ancient fame, and worthy of thy ances-
tral honors. On thy pleasant valleys, rest, like
sweet dews of morning, the gentle recollections
of our early life; around thy hills, and moun-
tains, cling, like gathering mists, the mighty
memories of the revolution ; and far away in
the horizon of thy past gleam, like thy own
bright northern lights, the awful virtues of our
Pilgrim sires ! But while we devote this day
to the remembrance of our native land, we
forget not that in which our happy lot is cast.
We exult in the reflection, that though we
count, by thousands, the miles, which separate
us from our birthplace, still, our country is the
same. We are no exiles, meeting upon the
banks of a foreign river, to swell its waters
with our homesick tears. Here, floats the same
banner, which rustled above our boyish heads,
except that its mighty folds are wider, and its
glittering stars increased in number.
The sons of New England are found in every
state of the broad republic ! In the East, the
South, and the unbounded West, their blood
mingles, freely, with every kindred current.
We have but changed our chamber in the
paternal mansion ; in all its rooms, we are at
home, and all who inhabit it, are our brothers.
To us, the Union has but one domestic hearth ;
its household gods are all the same. Upon us,
then, peculiarly devolves the duty of feeding
the fires, upon that kindly hearth ; of guarding,
with pious care, those sacred household
gods.
We cannot do with less, than the whole
Union ; to us, it admits of no division. In the
veins of our children, flows northern and
sou thern blood : how shall it be separated ? who
ehall put asunder the best affections of the
heart, the noblest instincts of our nature ? We
love the land of our adoption ; so do we that
of our birth. Let us ever be true to both ; and
aiways exert ourselves, in maintaining the
unity of our country, the integrity of the
republic.
Accursed, then, be the hand, put forth to
loosen the golden cord of union ! thrice ac-
cursed, the traitorous lips, which shall propose
its severance !
7S5. THE SPIRIT OF HUMAN UBERTT.— WEBSTER.
The spirit of human liberty, and of free go-
vernment, nurtured and grown into strength
and beauty, in America, has stretched its
course into the midst of the nations. Like an
emanation from heaven, it has gone forth, and
it will not return void. It must change, it is
fast changing, the face of the earth. Our great,
oiu- high duty, is to show, in our own examples,
that tiiis spirit, is a spirit of health, as well as
a spirit of poicer ; that its beitigtuti/ is as great
as its strength , that its efficiency, to secure
individual rights, social relations, and moral
order, is equal to the irresistible force, with
which it prostrates principalities and powers.
The world, at this moment, is regarding us
with a willing, but something of a fearful ad-
miration. Its deep and awful anxiety is to
loarn, whnther free states may be stable, as | Those are tht; uiomcn
well as free ; whether popular power may be
trusted, as well as feared; in short, whether
wise, regular, and virtuous self-government is
a vision, for the contemplation of theorists, or
a truth, established, illustrated, and brought
into practice in the country of Washington.
For the earth, which we inhabit, and the
whole circle of the sun, for all the unborn races
of mankind, we seem to hold in our hands, for
their weal or woe, the fate of this experiment
If «-e fail, who shall venture the repetition ?
If our example shall prove to be one, not of
encouragement, but of terror, not tit to be imi-
tated, but fit only to be shunned, where else,
shall the world look for free models ? If this
great western sun be struck out of the firma-
ment, at what other fountain shall the lamp of
liberty hereafter be lighted ? What other orb
shall emit a ray to glimmer, even, on the dark-
ness of the world 1
786. SPECTACLES.— BYROM.
A CERTAIN artist, (I've forgot his name,)
Had got, for making spectacles, a fame,
Or " Helps to Head"— as, (when they first were
sold,)
Was writ upon his glaring sign, in gold ;
And, for all uses to be had from glass,
His were allowed, by readei-s, to surpass
There came a man into his shop one day —
Are YOU the spectacle Contriver, pray ?
Yes, Sir, said he, I can, in that affair,
Contrive to please you, if you want -a pair.
Can you? pray do, then. So, at first, he chose
To place a youngish pair upon his nose ;
And book produced, to see how they would fit :
Asked how he liked 'em ? — Like 'em ? Not a bit.
Then, Sir, I fancy, if you please to try,
These in my hand will better suit your eye :
No — but they dou't. Well, come. Sir, if you pkaee.
Here is another sort, we'll e'en try these ;
Still, somewhat more, they magnify the letter :
Now, Sir ? — Wky now — I'm not a bit the better-
No ! here, take these, that magnify still more ;
How do TUEY fit ? — Like all the rest before.
In short, they tried a whole assortment through,
But all in vain, for none of 'em would do,
The Operator, much surprised to find
So odd a case, thought — sure the man is blind :
"What sort of ejes can you have got? said he.
Why, very good ones, friend, as you may see ;
Yes, I perceive the clearness of the ball —
Pray, let me ask you — Can yon read at all?
No, you great Blockhead ; if I could, what need
Of paying you, for any Helps to Read ?
And so he left the maker, in a heat,
Resolved to post him, for an arrant cheat.
787. soul's GLIMPSES OF IMMORTALITY TATLCB
The soul, at times, in silence of the night,
Has flashes — transient intervals of light ;
When things to come, without a shade ot doubt,
In dread reality, stands fully out.
Those lucid moments suddenly present
Glances of truth, as though the heavens were rent
And, through the chasm of celestial light,
The future breaks upon the startlini siglit.
Life's vain pursuits, and time's advancing pace,
Appear, with death-bed clearness, face to face ;
And immortality's expanse sublime.
In just proportion, to the speck of time!
Whilst death, uprising from the silent shade,
Shows his dark outline, ere the vision fade !
In strong relief, against the blazing .sky,
Appeai-s the shadow, as it passes by ;
And, though o'erwhelmiu!: to the dazzled brain,
when the mind is sauo.
378
READINGS, RECITATIONS.
788. OUB MBROHANTS AND SHXP-MASTERS
G. B. KUSS£LL.
The commerce of our own country is co-
extensive with the globe. We are thoroughly
a mercantile people. We have vexed questions
of tariff and free trade ; but, whatever are our
opinions on them, there can be no one opposed
to the just maintenance and protection of what
involves the interests of manufacturer and mer-
chant, and gives the farmer an inducement to
labor beyond necessity, by offering him means
to dispose of his surplus.
All classes, with us, are connected with
commerce, and are, in some way, interested
in its welfare. There is gloom over society
when the ship stops too long at the wharf, and
the prices cun-ent manifest depression. Anx-
iety is not confined to faces on '"change."
There are haggard looks among laboring men
wanting work, and the stillness in the shop of
the mechanic, denotes the state of trade. The
mill wheel groans at half speed ; the mule
works lazily ; the crowded warehouse will not
admit another yard, and the stockholder con-
soles himself for no dividends, by abusing
government. But the ship has hauled into the
stream, and the sailor lieaves cheerily at the
anchor. The merchant moves briskly, and
looks as though chancery had always been a
mythical conception. The hard featured bank
smiles grimly, as it loosens its stringent gripe,
and the original phrase of " tightness in the
money market" is dropped for a season. There
is stir and bustle in the street ; the sound of
the saw and hammer is heard again; manu-
facturing stock looks up at the brokers' board,
and the government is not so very bad, after all.
The American merchant is a type of this
restless, adventurous, -onward going race and
people. He sends his merchandise all over the
earth ; stocks every market ; makes w^ants
that he may supply them ; covers the New
Zealander with Southern cotton woven in
Northern looms ; builds blocks of stores in the
Sandwich Islands ; swaps with the Feejee
cannibal; sends the whale ship among the
icebergs of the poles, or to wander in solitary
seas, till the log-book tells the tedious sameness
of years, and boys become men ; gives the ice
of a northern winter to the torrid zone, piles
up Fresh Pond on the banks of the Hoogly,
gladdens the sunny savannahs of the dreamy
South, and makes life tolerable in the bungalow
of an Indian jungle. The lakes of NewEngland
awake to life by the rivers of the sultry East,
and the antipodes of the earth come in contact
at this " meeting of the waters." The white
canvas of the American ship glances in every
nook of every ocean. Scarcely has the slightest
intimation come of some obscure, unknown
comer of a remote sea, when the captain is
consulting his charts, in full career for the
"terra incognita."
The American ship-master is an able coad-
jutor of the merchant. He is as intelligent in
trade as in navigation, and combines all the
requisites of seaman and commercial agent,
He serves his rough apprenticeship in the
forecastle, and enters the cabin door through
niany a hcr^gale, and weary night watch,
His anxieties commence with his pron-.ction.
Responsibility is upon him. Life, and charac-
ter, and fortune, depend on his skill and
vigilance. He mingles with men of all nations,
gathers information in all climes, maintains
the maritime reputation of his country, and
shows his model of naval architecture wherever
there is sunshine and salt sea. He has books.
and he reads them. He hears strange lan-
guages, and he learns them. His hours of
leisure are given to cultivation, and prepare
him for well-earned ease and respectability iij
those halcyon days to come, so earnestly
looked for, when he shall hear the roaring
wind and pelting rain about his rural home,
and shall not feel called upon to watch the
storm.
789. WHAT COMMERCE HAS DONE.— G. R. BDSSELL.
What has Commerce done for the world,
that its history should be explored, its philoso-
phy illustrated, its claim advanced among the
influences which impel civilization.
It has enabled man to avail himself of the
peculiarities of climate or position, to make
that division of labor which tends to equalize
society, to distribute the productions of earth,
and to teach the benefit of kindly dependence.
It unites distant branches of the human family,
cultivates the relation between them, encour-
ages an interest in each other, and promotes
that brotherly feeling, which is the strongest
guaranty of permanent friendship. People
differing in creed, in language, in dress, in
customs, are brought in contact, to find how
much there is universal to them all; and to
improve their condition, by suppl^dng the
wants of one from the abundance of the other.
The friendly intercourse, created by commerce,
is slowly, but surely, revolutionizing the earth.
There was a time when men met only on the
field of battle, and there was but one name
for stranger and enemy. Now, wherever a
ship can float, the various emblems of sove-
reignty intermingle in harmony, and the .sons
of commerce, the wide world through, in
consulting their own interests, advance the
cause of humanity and peace.
In looking for the mighty influences that
control the progress of the human race, the
vision of man ranges within the scope of his
own ephemeral existence, and he censures
the justice which is steadfastly pursuing its
course through the countless ages. We turn
away bewildered by the calamities, which
extinguish nationality in blood, and give, to
the iron hand, fetters forged for the patriot.
Let him who desponds for humanity, and
mourns for faith misplaced, for hopes betraye<i,
for expectations unrealized, look back. Has
revolution and change done nothing? is
there no advance from kingly prerogative,
and priestly intolerance; no improvement
on feudal tenure? The end is not yet. Let
the downcast be cheered, for the Eternal
Right watches over all, and it moves onward,
to overcome in its good time.
Among the great agencies, by which the
wisdom of God works out the problem of
human destiny, the importance of Conunerce
will be acknowledged, whenever its philoso.
phical history shairbe written.
AND DIALOGUES.
379
T90t ALL LABOR EQUALLY HONORABLE.
3. R. RUSSELL.
I WILL inquire, whether the scholar would
not oocasionally consult his own welfare, by
adopting an active pursuit, in which he might
become distinguished, instead of clinging to
mediocrity in a high profession, simply because
he has received a degree from an university,
and fears that he might fall from Brahmin to
Pariah, and lose caste in the descent. There
is an aristocracy of letters, and it cannot only
be borne, but regarded with reverence, when
its claims are founded on intellectual supe-
riority, or acquisition of knowledge surpassing
that of ordinary men. Bat the pride that
cannot read its diploma, without the aid of
grammar and dictionary, should not be offended
at the suggestion, that there are other roads
to success than through the Court iloom.
Hospital, or Divinity School. There is esteem,
respect, veneration, for the profound, conscien-
tious lawyer, the skilful, scientific physician,
and the fearless, truth-telling minister of God.
They are " all, all honorable men ;" no earthly
position can be higher, no sphere of usefulness
more extensive But it is another thing to
adopt a profession, merely because it is
considered respectable ; to be a nuisance in
an unswept chamber, garnished with dusty
newspapers, and a few dog-eared, bilious
looking volumes, where the gaunt spider holds
undisturbed possession, no fratricidal hand
ejecting him from his cobweb office, for there
is a tacit understanding between the occu-
pants, and they practice in company, with
that bond of sympathy, which arises from
kindred employment; or, to become co-partner
with death, as the sulky rattles and squeaks
on the highway, with barely acquirement
enough in It to pass for Doctor, reputation
depending on some happy blunder, in the
course of a series of experiments instituted on
the ground that there is luck in many trials ;
or to drag heavily along, where the spirit is
weak and the flesh is unwilling, the six days'
task a labor of desperation, reluctantly worried
through, that there may be much endurance
on the seventh.
The common notion, that a collegiate educa-
tion is a preparation for a learned profession
alone, has spoiled many a good carpenter,
done great injustice to the sledge and anvil,
anri committed fraud on the corn and potatoe
field. It turns a cold shoulder to the leather
apron, sustains Rob Roy's opinion of weavers
and spinners, looks superciliously on trade,
and has an unqualified repugnance for every
thing that requires the labor of hands as well
as head. It keeps up the absurdity, that the
farmer's son should not return to the plough,
that the young mechanic must not again wield
the hammer, and that four years are lost,
when the graduate finds himself over the
merchant's Letter-Book, instead of Black-
stone' s Commentaries ; as though education
could not be useful out of an allotted line, and
would not compensate its possessor, whether
tiie sign over his door proclaims him shoemaker,
or attorney at law.
Ue is wise, who, discovering for what he is
qualified, dares do what he feels he can do
well. What matters it, that a strip of parch-
ment attests his prescriptive claim to scholastic
honors, and a college catalogue wafts his name
to posterity ? If he has a genius for making
shoes, or laying stone wall, let him make
shoes, or lay stone wall. E ither is as honorable
as filling writs, prescribing doses, or writing
sermons because Sunday is coming.
791. PEE88 ON.
Press on ! surmount the rocky steeps,
Climb boldly, o'er the torrent's arch :
He fails, alone, who feebly creeps,
He wins, who dares the hero's march
Be thou a hero ! let thy might
Tramp on eternal snows its way.
And, through the ebon walls of night,
Hew down a passage unto day.
Press on ! if once, and twice, thy feet
Slip back, and stumble, harder try ;
From him, avUo never dreads to meet
Danger and death, they're sure to tly.
To coward rankH, the bullet speeds.
While, on their bi'easts, who never quail.
Gleams, guardian of ohivalric deeds,
Bright courage, like a coat of mail.
Press on I if Fortune play thee false
To-day, to-morrow she'll be true ;
Whom now slie sinks, she now exalts,
Taking old gifts, and gi-anting new.
The wisdom of the present hour
Makes up for follies, past and gone :
To weakness, strength succeeds, and power
From frailty springs — press on ! press on !
Therefore, press on ! and reach the goal.
And gain the prize, and wear the crown :
Faint not ! for, to the steadfast soul,
Come wealth, and honor, and reno^vn,
To thine own self be true, and keep
Thy mind from sloth, thy heart from soil ;
Press on ! and thou shalt surely reap
A heavenly harvest, for thy toil !
792. THE PLOUGH. — AXONYMOUS
Let them sing, who may, of the battle fray,
And the deeds, that have long since past ;
Let them chant, in praise of the tar, whose days
Are spent on the ocean vast ;
I would render to these, all the worship you please ,
I would honor them, even now.
But I'd give far more, from my heart's full store.
To the cause of the Good Old Plough.
How pleasant to me, is the song from the tree.
And the rich and blossoming bough ;
Oh ! these are the sweets, which the rustic greets,
As he follows the Good Old Plough.
Though he follows no hound, yet his day is crowned,
With a triumph, as good, I trow.
As though antlered head, at his feet lay dead,
Instead of the Good Old Plough.
Full many there be, that we daily see,
With a selfish and hollow pride.
Who the plougman's lot, in his humble cot,
With a scornful look deride.
Yet, I'd rather take, a.ye, a hearty shake
From his hand, tliau to wealthinesa bow ;
For the honest grasp, of that liand's rough clasp
Hath guided the Good Old Plough.
All honor be, then, to these gray old men,
When, at last, they are bowed with toil
Their warfare then o'er, why, thep' battle no mort-
For they've conquered the stubborn soil.
And the chaplet each wears, is his silver harrs,
And ne'er shall the victor's brow,
With a laurelled Ci-owv.. to the grave go down.
Like these sons of the Good Old Plough.
380
READINGS, RECITATIONS, &c.
793. yfO&K. EXODGH FOR ALL.— G. R. RUSSELL.
It is a common complaint, perpetually
reiterated, that the occu[)ations of life are
filled to overflowing; that the avenues to
wrealth, or distinction, are so crowded with
competitors, that it is hojjeles.s to endeavor to
make way in the dense and jostling masses.
Long before Cheops had planted the basement
stone of his pyramid, when, Sphinx and Colossi
had not yet been fashioned into their huge
existence, and the untouched quarry had given
out neither temple nor monument, the young
Egyptian, as he looked along the Nile, may
ha^e mourned that he was born too late.
Fate had done him injustice, in withholding
his individual being till the destinies of man
were accomplished. His imagination warmed
at what he might have been, had his cliances
been commensurate with his merits; but what
remaiiied for him now, in this worn out,
battered, used up hulk of a world, but to
sorrow for the good old times, which had
exhausted all resources !
The Roman youth, as he assumed the
"toga virilis," and, in all the consciousness
of newly acquired dignity, folded about him
his fresh insignia of manhood, thought that it
should have been put on some centuries earlier.
Standing amidst memorials of past glories,
where arch and column told of triumphs, which
had secured boundless dominion, he felt that
jiothingwas left for the exercise of his genius,
or the energies of his enterprise.
The mournful lamentation of antiquity has
not been weakened in its transmission, and it
is not more reasonable now, than when it
groaned by the Nile and Tiber. There is
always room enough in the world, and work
waiting for willing hands. The charm that
conquers obstacle and commands success, is
strong Will and strong Work. Application
is the friend and ally of genius. The laborious
scholar, the diligent merchant, the industrious
mechanic, the hard-workingfarmer, are thriving
men, and take rank in the world, while genius,
by itself, lies in idle admiration of a fame that
is ever prospective. The hare sleepsor amuses
himself by the wayside, and the tortoise wins
the race.
Even the gold of California requires hard
work. It cannot be had for the gathering, nor
is it to be coaxed out with kid gloves. The
patents of nobility, on the Sacramento, are
the hard hand and the sun-burned face of the
laboring man.
Genius will, alone, do but little in this
matter-of fact, utilitarian, hard-working world.
He who would master circumstances must
come down from the clouds, and bend to
unren itting toil. To few of the sons of men
is given an exception from the common
doom.
" The poet's eye, in a fine frenzy rolling,
Mat glance from heaven to earth, from earth to
heaven,"
and yet, in all that space, encounter nothing
but air, too impalpable to be wrought into a
local habitation or a name. His suspended
pen may wait in vain for the inspiration that
18 tc briny immortality • and when, at laet. it
descends on the expectant fijolscap, it is.
perhaps, only to chronicle rhymes which chall
jingle, lor a day, in Bome weekly newspaper.
He who draws on genius alone, is ofte-Mtime.q
answered by — no funds; his drafts are unex-
pectedly protested, and he linds himself
bankrupt, even while unlimited wealth seema
glittering around him.
It is not revealed how much of the celebrity
of gifted men has been dependent on "hard
digging." The rough drafts of inspiration
are not printed ; the pen-crossings, thoso
modernized marks of the inverted stylni'u
curl up chimney. There may have been
much perplexity, before smooth "verses, whici)
fall so harmoniously on the ear, were tortured
into existence ; many a trial, before the
splendid figure could be h.ammered into shape.
The wondrous efforts oi the mightiest masters
of art have sofa^thing in them besides genius.
The transfif];n: ed divinity of Raphael, and tlie
walls cover jd over by a pencil which seems
to have b^'.eu dipped in sunbeams, are records
not only cf the mind, that cculd image to
itself thoio creations, but of the intense study
which, it is known, he devoted to the elements
of his ait. Not by sudden flashes came the
graceful proportions, which give such exceed-
ing bef.aty to his works. Genius trusted not
to itse'f alone, but gathered from science
illustrated in the anatomical room, and from
untiring contemplation of dead and living
model, every auxiliary that could contribute
to excellence.
When Michael Angelo hewed out his
thought in marble, or personated, in fresco,
the awful conceptions of the bard he loved so
well, giving material form to more than the
ideal of Dante, he produced the result -A
profound meditation, mingled with the severest
application to the acquirement of all knowledge
that could aid his unrivalled power.
794. CHRIST 8TILLIXG THE TEMPEgX
MRS. KEMAXS.
Fear was with-in the tossing bark,
When stormy winds grew loud ;
And waves came rolling, liigh, and dark,
And the tall mast was bo^ved.
And men stood, breatliless, in the dread,
And baffled, in their skill —
But One was there, who i-ose, and said
To the wild sea, " Ee still!"
And the wind ceased^— it ceased ! that wcri
Passed through the gloomy sky ;
The troubled billows k.new the Lord,
And sank beneath his eye.
And slumbers settled on the deep,
And silence, on the blast.
As when the righteous fall asleep.
When death's fierce throes are past.
Thou, that didst rule the angrj' hour,
And tame the tempest's mood —
Oh ! send the spirit forth in power,
O'er our dark soul to brood.
Thou, that didst bow the billow's pride,
Thy mandates to fulfil —
Oh I speak, to passio.n's raging tide.
Speak, aiid say—'' Peace 1 be btili !"
CONTENTS OF THE PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION.
3SI
A— its Sounds, 17, 18, 19. 20-2-4-7-9: Ab-
stract Questions. 134-5 : Action and Reaclion,
82: Accent, 69, 80: Accommodating, 24: Acute
Pain, 196: Admiration, 179, 198: Admonition,
199. 201 : Advice to a Traveler, 151 : Afraid to do
III, 143: Afraid of Work, 80: Affectation, 202:
Affectuous and Heart, 71 : A Fool, 192: Afirm-
ing, 200: Agriculture. 96: Agrippa's Promise kept,
186: A get off, 33: Alderman's gieat Toe, 147 :
Alexander and tlie Pirate, 110: All the Pauses,
93: All the World a Stage. 154: All the Vowel
Bounds, 33 : Amazement, ISS, 201 : Amusements,
52: Anecdote on every page : Analysis and Syn-
thesiis, 24-9, &c.: Analogies, 27, 72: Ansrer, 154,
180-2: Anthony's Challenge, 89: Anxie"iy, 217:
Application, 102: Appropriate Sign, 148: Archi-
tecture, 103: Arab and Foot prints, 86 : Arbitra-
ry Rules, 162: Articulation, 24, 5(i : Arms, 224-9 :
A Scold, 55: Association of Ideas, 169; Aspi-
rates, 65: Attention, 167: Astonishment, 198':
Attitudes, 10, 236: Au, 25-0: Authority, 44,
202 : Autumn, 75, 96 : Awkwardness, 237 : Aver-
sion, 179.
B— one Bound, 35 : Base Character, 145 : Beau-
ty, Wit and Gold, 142: Beautiful World, W7 :
Beauty, 136, 154: In the Deep, 164: Be earnest,
139, 152: Beware of reiving too much on Inflec-
tions, 169: Bible, 17, 128, 146: Birth Day, 71 :
Bigots, 1U2: Blood Globules, 10: i^oasting, 210:
Biushing, 40 : Boards or Sheep, 85 : Bound in
calf, not lettered. 220: Botany, 93: Book-keep-
ing, 36: Blundering on the Truth, 72: Boys and
Frogs. 97: Botany Bay Patriots, 160: Blind
man's Rose, 169 : Blown up Lieutenant, 71 : Bo-
dy and Mind, 70: Bonaparte's Check, 52 : Boun-
daries of Knowledge, 56 : Boundless Nature of
Orat(<rv, 60 : Book of Nature, 203 : Bourdaloue,
171 : Braying, 223 : Breathing, 9, 69, 87: Brough-
anrs Eye, 45 : Brotherly Love, 190 : Bruce and
the Spider. 213 : Brutus, 32 : Buffoonery, 204 :
Bunyan's Indictment, 211 : Butterfly, 117.
C— its Sounds, 36-7-8-9 ; Cadence, 139 ; Catch-
ing a Tartar, 27; Causes of Greek Perfection,
27 ; Cause and Effect, 32, 99 ; Census of 1840,
156 ; Ch. :J7-9, 59; Changes, 40; Change, of Ac-
cent, 71-2 ; Characteristics of Man, 119 ; Chil-
dren and Animals, 121; Chinese, 33; Chinese
Physicians, 1:3(); Cheerfulness, 172; Child of
Promise, 19S; Christian Character, 53; Choice
of a Husband, 135; Chemistry, 95; Cicero, 32,
74, 118, 166, 233; Clay, 149 ; Clemency to Ruffi-
an8f210, 215; Clergyman in Lent, 63; Classifica-
tion of Consonants, 64-5-7-8; Client's Bones,
145; Cobler, 122: Colon, 87; Colonel, his own
trumpeter, 118; Coincidences, 87; Coinbina-
rions of Waves, 130 ; Common Opinions, 55 ;
Ck)mmon Sensa, 107; Compassion, 117,123; Com-
pressions and Contractions, 21 ; Commendation,
2()o ; Conciseness, 164;'Conduct towards Swear-
ers, 125 ; Confidence,— Courage, 210; Confine-
ment of Debtors, 139; Contentment, 83; Cofi-
quering Love, 163; Conjunction, 168; Contrary,
157; Considerate Minister, 46 ; Contempt, 190;
Construction of Houses. 105 ; Contrasts, 33 ; Con-
sonant Sounds, 35; Constitutional Law, 115;
Cottage for the Poor, 226 ; Cure for Sore Eyes,
22:J ; Curran, 19; his Daiishter, 76.
D— its Sounds, 40-1 ; Day of Life, 84; Dandy
Ofl=cpr, 155: Dandies and PJuppies, 221 ; Danger-
ous Biting. 70; Dangers of bad t^ompany, 131 ;
D'-ar Wife, 23; Delivery and Painting, 94;
Death of a Heart-Fiipud, 97; Dead and Living
Temples, 201; Deformed Chest, 9; Debt, 118;
Deceiver, 145 ; Declamatory and Hortatory. 153;
Dead Languages, 221 ; Departed Year. 45; Deatli
and Idleness, 1.37; Demosthenes, 32, 74, 145, 166,
2:33 ; Denying, 206 ; Despair, 185, 213 ; Delight,
173: Despotism, 126; Delivery. 150-8; Dia-
phragm, 10; Devotion, 189; Desire, 178; Dia-
tonic Scale, 34. 154 ; Diphthongs, 31-2 ; Discre-
tion, 177; D scovery of a Beaut v. 229 ; Disobe-
dience to Deceased Parents, 227'; Dissimulation,
95 ; Difference 55, 64 ; Difficulty, Wl ; Discov
ery of Glass, 78; Disease of tlift Throat, 149
Disinterestedness, lot : Diogenes, 17 ; Dismiss
ing, 207 ; Distraction, 2U7 ; Lr. Fauslus and the
Devil. 183: Division of Pro^e and Poetry 79,
164 ; Doctor 'm. 38; Down with your Dust, i41 ;
Dorsal and Abdominal Muscles, o7; Dr. and Pa-
ver, 100: Don't know him, 119; Double Mean-
ing, 78; Dotage, 207; Don't ijwear, 208; Dress,
101;* Dramatic, 153; Drunkard, 113; Draco'o
Laws, 151; Dyspepsia, 104; Dueling, 122; Du-
ties, 80 ; Dying but once, 81; Dynamics, 140-2 j
Dving Christian, 12:3.
E— its Sounds, 21-2-4-9, 57-8, 17; Eat Bacon,
203; Ecstasy, 175; Educators, 25; Education, 13,
25, 76, 143-7, 162, 180, 236; Effects of Know-
ledge, 138; Effective Style, 162; Eflects of Suc-
cess, 204; Eliza's wise Choice, 207; Elocution,
18. 28, 33-9, 45, 156: Elocutionist, 37; Eloqueiwce,
126, 103-4 ; Emmet's Betrothed, 76 ; End, Cause,
Effect, 124-8, 132; Emphasis, 98, 118; by Stress,
101-2-3; by Changing it, 102-4-5; by higher Pitch,
106; by Quantity, 107-8-9; by a Pause, 113;
Enjoyment, 94 ; Eau, Ew, 25 ; Enunciation, 61 ;
Encouraging, 208; Envy, 152; Epitaph, 129; En-
vy and Jealousy, 166 ; Earnestness of Manner,
151 ; Error and Truth, 24; Equality. 51; Eter-
nal Joy, 28; Eternal Progress, 37 ; Etiquette of
Stairs, and of Riding, 191; Ev^ing Bells, 27;
Ethics, 106; Eve's Lament, 137; Everything
Useful, 214 : Eve, 233 ; Experience, 87, 144 ; Ex-
clamation, 90 ; Extemporizing, 138, 156; Explo-
sion and Expulsion, the difference, 26,63; Ex-
tremes, 208 ; Eyes, 228.
F— its Sounds, 42-3; Face, 227 ; Faults in Ar-
ticulation, 43; Fatigue, 209; Far West, 88 ; Feet
and Hands, 11, 225-6, 230; Female Education,
137; Fear, 191 ; Fisherman, 115; Finishing one'a
Studies, 67 ; Force of Habit, 115 ; Folly and Wis-
dom. 97; Flying from and to the Church, 117;
Forehead, 2:32; Free to do Good, 132; Freedom,
28, 78; Franklin's Epitaph, 204; Freedom of
Thought, 45 ; Free Schools, 173; 44 Sounds, 63;
Frederick the Great, 47; Friendship, 171 ; Free-
dom of the Press, 148; Forming Theories, 232-
Fright, 183; Fury,' 180.
G— its Sounds, 44-5-6 ; Ga?nb!ing. 163; Gener
al Intelligence, 23; Geography, 101; Garrick
175, 224; he sat lor Fielding's portrait, 219;
Gentleman and Tenant, 88; Genius, 219; Ges
tures, 231; Gh, 42-5; Giving, Granting, 210
Glottis, II ; Goblin full of Wrath, 126; Good
Sense, 84 ; Goodness of Providence, 81 ; Goof*
Works, 126; Goldsmith's Gold Pill. 121; Good
Name, 128; Good Example. 149; Government,
116, 139; Grand Objects. 56; Gradations, 50 '
Gratitude, 163. 211; Gravity, 209: Greek and
Irish, 101; Great Mistake, 231; Grief, 184, 213,
Grumblers, 151 ;
H— 47, 62-3-5-8 ; Half Murder, 127; Hamlet's
Instructions on Delivery, 157; Hands and Feet,
11, 224-9; Habits of Thought, 19 ; Habits. 29;
Hatred. 179, 182; Happiness, 204; Hard Ques-
tions, 223; Harrison and Sunday School Teach-
er, 41; Half Mourning, 61 ; Hally and Newton,
65; Heart and Lungs. 10; Head. 227; Hanging
for Fashion's Sake. 91 ; Hearing and Speakittg,
168; Heathens going to Heaven, 133; Historian,
194 ; Too High or too Low, 1-33; Home, 41. KifJ ;
Hope, 157, 178 ; Honesty, 174 ; Honor, 49. 193,
209; Howard, 59, 25, 226; Hoarseness— Caus-i,
and Cure, 62; Horticulture, 98; Holding one'a
own, 69; Horace, 74 ; How to Prize good For-
tune, 209; How to Succeed, 146, 2.36; How to
get rid of Admirers, 149; How to produce Sounds,
18; Human Form Clothed. 8; l^Uiman Nature,
178; Human Testimony, 151; Humbugs, 108;
Humanity Rewarded. 33.
I_its Sounds. 2.3-4; 21-2-9. ^8; Important
Considerations, 73. 108: Ideas, 159; Ignorance
and Error, 160-9 : and AVillfulness, 161 : Impa-
tience, 210 ; Importance of Early Principle* laS.
382
CONTENTS OF THE PRINCIPLES OF ElOXUTION.
Imaginalion, 16iJ : Inadequacy of Language, 85 ;
Independence Forever, 104, 132; Indian Virtue,
2o5; Injuring Others, 205 ; Inflections, 119, 125,
IG9; Inducing Disease, 127; Influence, 79, l(iO;
Importance of Obi-ervation, 80; Inconsistency,
145; Industry, 99, 104; Innocent and Guilty, 28;
In the Trutji, 48; Interrogation. 89; Intellectual,
71; Intentions, 71; Intuition, 157; Inval ds, 122;
Involuntary eflTorts, 99: Investigation of Thought,
190; Irresolution, 172. 217; Ii looked so Pretty,
12i).
J — its Sounds, 44.58: Jaw Breakers, Gl. and
from 17— G2 ; Jealousy, 214. •^M; Joy, 173; Jolly
Laughter, 174; Judging, 215; Jury and ihe Liar,
120; Justice, 92; Jiist Aristides, 134.
K — iiB Sound, 37; Keel Hauling 75: Keeping
Time from Eternity, ()4; K ng and his Fool, 2:il ;
Kinds of Poetry, 99; King of Poland in Franc,e,
207; King's Evil, 31 ; Kingly Dinner, 151 ; Rings
and tlieir Tra^e. 150 ; Kirwan, 27 ; Known by the
Fruits, 77 ; I#sciusko, 9G.
iL — 48; Labor, 72; Language (two kinds). 21;
Laconics, often; Law, 109; I.ast words of Mar-
mion, 115; l^afayette, 94; Language of Feeling,
222; Laughing Scientifically, 77 ; Lawyer's liat,
22; Lawyers' Mistake, 29 ;' Lawyer and Physi-
cian, 90; Lawyer and Client. 107, 176; Learning,
148; Legendary Tales, 106; Listening, 187: Liv-
ing Temples, 89; Lisping. 36 ; Logic, 150; Loins
of the Mind, 63; Look at Home. 175; Lost Purse,
206; Long Enough. 49; Lord Thniiow's Speech
from the Woolsack, 200 ; Love, 176, 187, 1£9, 217;
Love of Justice, 186; Love and Liberty, 140;
Love and Alcohol, 125 ; Love on the Scaflbid,
232; Love and the Stars, 109: Lovely Quaiiiie.-:,
233; Luxury, 171; Lying, 155; Lycurgus, 51 ;
Lyceums, 148.
3jl— 49; Management of the Breath. 97; Man
a Microcosm, 88.203; Making Resolutions, 203;
Madness, 231; Making Game of a Lady, 113;
Material of all Sounds. 47; Means of Happiness,
95; Mahomet and the Hill. 112; Malice. 216:
Matter and Manner, 50, 131, 158, 161; Mathe-
matics, 54: Mark to Hit, U3 : Means of getting
1 Living, 105; Mediums. 20-1 : Male and Female
Voices, 147; Maxims, everywhere ; Mercy. 177:
Mathematical Honor. 68; Matrimony, 56; Mel-
ancholy, 216; Means to le u>'ed, 19; Men and
Brutes, 38; Merchants and Pigeons, 111; Men-
tal Violence, 57; Mediocrity, 137; Melody, 135-6;
Miser, 87; Mineralogy, 91; Mirth. 174; Minor
Passions, 199; Minisiry of Angels, 171; Mock
Trial of a King, 2(1.5: Moon Eclipsed. 93: Mono
tone, 119: Mourm rs, 187: Movement of Voice,
133; Modulation, 14:3-1; Modes of Spelling, 67;
Mother's Injunction and Biide, 82: Moutliine,
116: Mother perishing in a Snow Storm. Ill;
Mother and Dangiiter in Prison, i>o; Modestv,
218. 22:1: Mouth, 229; Mr. Psalter. 36: Music.
101, 16.3,-4-5 ; Mummy. 23; Mnscle Breakers, 43,
.52, and anions the Letters; My Mother. 210;
Musical Pun. 34: Muscular System. 7; Muscular
Action. 9, and elsewhere ; Mutual Viistake, s9.
N— 50-1 ; Nattirc ahvn vs True, 159. 205 ; Nat-
ural Theology, 90; Nature find Art. 151: Natu-
ralists and Realists. 137; Narrow Escape, 25 ;
Natural Philosophv 25: Natural Death. 42: Nat-
ural and SriritnallS; Natural ITi.Mory.8G; Na^l
Fortune's Wheel, 167: Niagara Falls.' 167: New
Character. 99: New Field 68; Nerves of Or-
ganic Li'" 5— of iMotion and Sense. 6— of Res-
piration,f>: Ng, i'A: Nobletnaii and Beeear Boy.
191 ; Newton and his Dog, 225 ; Noiliing True
hut Heaven, 18J); Nothing from Nothing. 167;
Ntimher. 155; Nnrsery. 39.
0-25-6-7 : 19. 24-9. .'^0 57 ; Obevins Orders.
146: Observe, 205; Oi and Ov, .'"l : Old and New
.Methods of Spelling, r<r-(\-7: Old Habits, 124;
Oniy wayto teach Rend njr, I'^O: Only Natural
Sound. 18; and Note.^ on, 47; One Tongue
enonsh, 48: Opening the Mouth, UC: Operat ng
Circuinstan"es, 162; Oratory, 2~, "4, ilO, 156;
Orator's Field. 165 — how they are made 68; Ori-
gin of Language, 66 ; Oraiorical and Poetical
Actions and Gestures, Jl, 12, 13, 14. 15, 16; and
from 172 onwards ; Orthography, 64-5-6-7, 81 ;
One Thing at a Time, 114; Orthoepy, "^1 ; Ou,
26 ; Ou and Ovv, 32 ; Osseus or Bony System, 7 ,
Our Country, 151 ; Our Food, 31 : Our Book 237;
Ourselves and others, 43; Our Sight, 134.
P— 52; Parenthesis, 91 ; Parly Spirit, :Ja , Pa-
tience and Perseverance, 42; Patrick Henry'a
Treason, 143; Passions and Actions. 170-1, 206,
212; Pardoning, 217; Patience won't have me,
66; Parisii Clerk and the Banns, 84; Painting,
20S; Painter and the King. 92; Patriots, 133;
Pelayo, 186; Pauses. 85, &c.: Period, 88; Perse-
verance, 146:*'erptexity, 217; Peter the Great
217; Peter Pricker Frandle. 5^; Philosophy of
Mind, 98, 123. &c.: Philosopher Outdone. 195;
Philosophy, 121 ; Physiological Ignorance, 203;
Phrenology 228: Philosophy and Love. 57; Play
on Words. 174 ; Perspiration. &c., 8 ; Pitch, i23,
143-4-7; Pitt, 31, S^; Pli, 42-^ i ; Pleasures of
Piety, 217: Plaio, 17; Play on X's, 56; Poor
Priest and the King at Prayer, 208; Political
Economy, 111 ; Position of Body, 17; Polyglot of
Body an4 Mind. 230; Poisoned Cup and Cyrus;
188; Pioneers, 150; Position in Bed. 79; Polite-
ness, 142; Polycarp and hs Lord, 153: Poor
Fund, 200; Point of Law. 132; Pope and the '»,
159; Pots and all gone. 173; Pri9iciples of Elo-
cution, from 17—2:37; Prejudce, 140; Precept
and Example, 141 ; Precipitancy, 62; Pride, 154,
21 -J, 219 ; Pr ze of Immortality,' 184 ; Preceding
Principles, 125, &c.; Position of Feet and Hands,
11 ; Progress of Soc'ety, 119 ; Prayer to the Con-
gregation, 39 : Proverbs on every page , Prom-
ises. 124 ; Promising, 219 ; Principal and Inter-
est, 59; Powerful Stimulus 145; Puiming, 172;
Pronunciation. 81, 84; Provincialisms, 83; Prn-
loiigntion of Sound, 70. 73; Providence, 117; Pi-
ty. 177, 22.5, 83 ; Public Speakers should live long-
est, 149; Pursuit of Knowledge, 168; Pupil and
Apprentice. 46 ; Pulpit and Theatres. 132; Punc-
tual Hearers, 139; Punishments, 218; Pulpit
Flattery, 1-9: Pungent Preaching, 212.
Q,— :j7 : Quack, 82 : Qualifications of Teach-
ers, 20: Quaker Presents, 199: Qualities, e'i :
Quantity, 70: Qualities of Voice, 140, 142: Qua-
ker and Soldier, 128: Question Direct, t:9:
Queen's Reprimand to her Daughter, 224:
Queen Elizabeth and her Ladies, 195: Quinc-
tillian, 229.
R— 5.?-4 : Rainbow, 175: Ranges of Voice,
1:34 : Raising Rent, 70: Rage. 18X): Rapture. 17(>:
Reading. .33, 57. 103, 120: Reading Rooms, 46:
Range of Knowledge, 66: Railery, 192, 220:
Reasoning, 202: Recitations. 16() ; from 2;;7— 316:
Rec pients, 32: Rending by vowel soi.nds. 33:
Religious Persecu'ions 1--7: Reading Discours-
es, 71 : Remorse 181. 220: Refusing, 219: Rea-
son, l.Tl, 227: Reproach, 182: Reproving, 221:
Revision, 117; Refinement, 93: Rhetoric. L6 :
Rhetorical Pause, 92, 1('8: Rhetorical Action.
2:34: Reforms I(i4.: Riches and Talei.t, 132:
Right Views, bO: Rythm, 96: Rhyrreiry and
tile Queen, 12;; Kv ja's Address to the IVni
vians, 1.53: Rhymt^, 167: Krse, 72: Revenge,
181 : Ruined Debtor's satisfaction, 179 : Rum and
Grave Stones, 44 : Rouge. 168: Routes, 216.
S— 36-8-9, 42. 46 : Sadness and Sorrow, L-6 :
S;ife now, 222: Satan's Speech, 169: Saving
Fuel, 20 : Sailor and Countess' Ey< s, 35 : Sailor
and Highwayman, 114: Semi-colon, 8(5: Scier-ce,
114: Scientific Enthusiasm, 1^1: Servile Imita-
tion, L^2: Seasons. 28: Selfishness, 128. 103:
Scorn, 190. 222: Seeing Right, 220: Seeing a
Wind, 23: Self-love, 73: Sea Lawyers, 77.
Sense governs, 129: Sheridan, 107: Shouting,
115: School Teachers. 130: Sight Reading, 57
Skips and Slides. 167: Shame, 223: Schoolmae-
ter and Pupils, 43 : Sh;irp Reply, 163: Slander,
139: Slender Voice, 155: Sinking in the Sio-
CONTENTS OF READINGS AND RECITATIONS.
383
o-^h, 5U; ijounds, 22 j Simple Laughter, 192 ; Simple Bodily Pain,
195 ; Speculation like a Cold Bath, 144 ; Strong Points, 106 ; Stand-
ing, 22 J Starry Firniament [Addison], 46 ; Strength of Voice, 145;
Society owes all a Living, 63 ; Sources of Faults, 235 ; Socrates
ind the Tyrant*, KK ; Speating the Gauntlet, 116 ; Student's Poe-
tr\-, 116; Sonimerlield and the Bishop, 138 ; Standard of Speaking,
152 ; Sterling Integrity, 154; Style, 148, 151—9, 160-1— 2;Stre»»,
67; Sublimity and Pathos, 22; Striking out Beauties, 177; Stage
Regulator, 178; Sowing and Reaping, 180; Suggestions, 154,235;
Surmise, 215; Suspicion, 224; Stupidrty, 30 ; Stretch of Thought,
231; Spinsters, 54 ; Successful Speaker, 128; Swiss Retort, 127;
Swearing King, 103; Standing, 22; Swearing, 167; Surprise, 188,
?23 ; Stages of Progress, 1701
T— 39, 41; Talent, 120; Tale of Wonder, 226; Tallow and
T;i]eiil, 158; Telling Stories, 78 ; To teach Children, 109; Tele-
sccj.e, 91 ; Terror, 183, 225, 231 ; Temperance, 198 Teaching,
22 j ; Theology, 19 ; Tendency of our Language, 157 ; Theatres,
174; Thinking, 175; Thought »nd Feeling, 114; Thais, 49 ; This-
tle Sifter, 60; True Wisdom, 34; Triphthongs, 32: Three Essen-
tials in all things, 51 : Th, 60— 1 , True Empire, 76 : Three De-
grees of Speech, 112: Three modes of Existence, 121 : 'Jhorax,
9: Tight Dressing, 9: These are my Jewels, 1£6: Time in Man,
166: Truth, 171, 192: True Happiness, 172: This World, 202:
A fleeting show, 189; True Eloquence, 209: To acta Passion, 212:
Too common, 221 : True Modesty, 21 : To and The, 57 : Tough
Animal, 79: Truths not Fictions, 170: Too hard, 142: Truth and
Nature, 130: To prevent Suicide, lOS: Turn Bread into Stones,
202 : Tyrolcse Songs, 234 : Transition, 146 : True Philosophy, 136 :
'juillity, 172: Tweedledum and Tweedledee, 228 : The Feet, 174 1
Twilight Dews, 193: Thou art, 0 God, ISS: The Rose, 72: The
Union, 55.
U— 28-9, 30, ev!, 24, 55, 58: Ugly Dreams, 163: Unaccented
Vowels, 75 : Uncertain quantity of Wine, 62 : Unwelcome Visitor,
74 : Use of Spelling, 68.
V— 43 : Vanity Reproved, 162 : Vain Mother, 58 : Vi. ieties on
every page: Veneration, 189, 226: Ventriloquism, 60: Vehemence
of Action, 232 : Views of T.iith, 211: Virtue the best Treasure, 222:
Virtue before Riches, 160: Virtuous Friendship, 237 : Vexation,
227 : Voice, 166 ; Vocal O.-gana, 11 ; Vocal Gymnastics, 23.
W— 55, i» ; Warreirs Address at the Battle of Bunker Hill,
paraphrised, 57 ; War and Truth, 90; Washington and Mother,
194 ; and W. and the U. S., 100 ; Wh, 62 ; Wliat is Ours, 61 ; W«»
Minister, 18 j What a Bug 1 226 ; Waves or Circumflexes, 130~S
Weeping Emperor, 218 ; What the Youth had learned, 115; Wto
is wrong in the Argument, 122; What for? 150; We love them
so, 60 ; Who rules ? 53 ; Whitfield Rambling, 50 ; Wm. Penn, 37 ;
Wirt, 150; Windpipe, &c., 11; Wife, 153; Wild Oats, 19; Win
fer Evenings, 62 ; Wisdom of our Ancestors, 129 : Weeping, 19*
William and Lucy, 194 : Word Painting, 95, 139, 142 : Whipped
for making Rhymes, 191: Words, 20: Worth, 65 : Woman, 75,
133, 136,152: Wonder, 188,226: Woman as she&liould be,'32 !
Working a Passage, 98 : Wrong Choice;, 47 : Written Language,
53—4 : World not all a fleeting show, 85 : Written Page, 230.
X— Pages 56, 57, 63, 64, 65, and 38.
Y—Pages 58, 22, 23, 24, 29, 63, 64.
Z—Pages 3S, 46, 63, 67 : Zo-ol-o-gy, 7, 104.
To succeed, 146: Tremor of Voice, 156: Try again, IfiC: Tfmi-
CONTENTS OF READINGS AND RECITATIONS
A— A Battle Field, 242 ; Abuse of Authority, 269 ;
Action in War, 232; Accomplished Young Lady,
261 ; Adams and Jefferson, 273 ; Address to Death,
213; Address to the Ocean, 262; Adherence to
Truth, 270 ; Advantages of Knowledge, 291 ; Affec-
tation in Ministers, 235 ; A fawning Publican, 216;
Against the American War, 243 ; Alexander's Feast,
815 ; Alexander Selkirk, 295 ; All Labor equally
honorable, 379 ; All the World 's a Stage, 154 ; A
Mother's Kindness, 207 ; A Mother's Love, 239 ;
America (poetry), 277 ; America (prose), 280 ; Amer-
ican Flag, 288; Anthony's Oration over Caesar, 252 ;
Aaron liurr and Blenuerhassett, 268; A Tale of
Wonder, 226 ; A Rainy Day, 239 ; Aspirations of
Youth, 246 ; Athei.st and Acorn, 250 ; Austrian
Slanders and Hungarian Bravery, 316 ; Autumn
Evening, 75.
B — Balance of happiness equal, 239 ; Baron's
Last Banquet, 289 ; Basque Girl, 313 ; Battle Field,
295 ; Be earnest ! Heart's Apostle, 139 ; Beauty,
Wit, and Gold, 142 ; Beautiful Cloud, 131 ; Beau-
ties of Nature, 302 ; Benefits of Agriculture, 288 ;
Beggar's Petition, 275 ; Beware the first approach
of Crime, 88 : Beware of Avarice, 226 ; Best of
Wives, 314; Bitter Want, 212; Book of Nature,
203; Bud of Moral Beauty, 231 ; Brutus' Harangue,
261 ; Burial of Sir John Moore, 242.
C— Capabilities of Hungary and her Sympathi-
zers, 316 ; Cassius against Csesar, 242 ; Carelessness
of Wrongs, 225 ; Cato's Senate, 276 ; Cato's Solilo-
quy, 310 ; Changing, forever Changing, 48 ; Changes
of Mind, 236 ; Changing and Unchanging, 239 ;
Charms of Youth, 202;' Charity (St. Paul), 261;
Character of Woman. 248 ; Character of Cassius,
224 ; Character of Pitt, 297 ; Character of Bona-
parte, 802 ; Character of a good Parson, 315 ; Cliase
(the), 284; Cheerfulness in Ketirement, 172 ; Chest-
nut Horse, 249 ; Childe Hai-olde, 262 ; Christ stilling
the Tempest, 380 ; Cicero's Oration, Verres, 308 ;
Comfort in Affliction, 122 ; Commerce, Art, and
Ueligion, 875 ; Comfort in Dying, 216 ; Concealed
Love, 286 ; Confidence not to be placed in Man, 130 ;
Constancy of Woman, 295 ; Converse with God,
207; Coral Grove, 260; Coquetry Punished, 263;
Curiosity, 134 ; Curran's Daughter, 76 ; Cure for
Hard Times, 285.
1>— Dagger Scene, 193 ; Daily Self-Examination,
86 ; Darkness, 258 ; Days of Trial to All, 104 ; Da-
vid's Lament over Absalom, 266 ; Death of a Heart
Friend, 79; Death and Sin, 101; Deserted Wife,
RiM ; Despair of Mercy, 212 ; Dew-drop in Spring,
291- Destruction of vienacherib's Army, 240) Dig-
nity of Human Nature, 305; Discoveries, 304
Dire effects of Time, 161 ; Disappointed Ambition,
240 ; Domestic Love and Happiness, 201 ; Doctor
and Pupil, 293 ; Douglas' Account of Himself, 244 ,
Duties of Ajnerican Citizens, 311 ; Dying Christian
to ais Soul, 123.
K— Earth has been all alive, 281 ; Early Rising
and Prayer, 261 ; Education, 278 ; Efffects of Gen-
tleness, 246 ; Elo<iuence, words of fire, 222 ; Em-
met's Betrothed, 76 ; Emmet's Vindication in full,
306 ; Eulogium on Kosciusko, 298 ; Eulogium on
the South, 254 ; Eulogium on the North, 254 ; Eu-
ropean Freedom, V. N. B. ; Evening Bells, 27 ; Eve's
Love for Adam, 294 ; Eve's Lament on leaving Par-
adise, 137 ; Exile of Erin, 273 ; Expressive Silence !
muse His praise, 183 ; Exhortation to be courageous,
208.
P — Falls of Niagara, 167 ; Famine in Ireland, 376;
Fancied Infalibility, 238 ; Fatal Remembrance, 229 ;
Fear of Death, 185 ; Female Character, 295 ; Fever
Dream, 265; Fire-Side, 285; Flight of Time, 282 ^
Flight of Xerxes, 241 ; Flowers and Precipice, 314 ;
Fortune Teller, 282; Footsteps of Angels, 278:
Fourth of July, 373 ; Freedom's Song, 204 ; Free-
dom's Votaries, 234 ; Frenchman and his Host, 281.
Cr — Gambling, 153 ; Gambler's AVife, 257 ; Gen-
tleness, 177 ; Genius, 259 ; Genuine Taste. 257 ;
Ginevra, ■<i72 ; Giving a Daughter in Marriage, 210 ;
Give thy thoughts no tongue, 151 ; God in Nature,
276 ; God's W^orks praise him, 46 ; Golden Medium,
219; Good in all Providences, 77 ; Goodness of God.
256 ; Goodness of Providence, 81 ; Good Night, 282 ;
Good Merchant, 297 ; Grave of the Renowned, 310 ;
Greek Literature, 287 ; Groves— God's First Tem-
ples, 283 ; Grief deploring loss of Happiness, 184.
*a— Hail! Memory, Hail! 234; Hannibal to hi?
Soldiers, 247 ; Hamlet's Instructions on Delivery.
157; Happy the School Boy, 227 ; Harvest Moon
112 ; Hast thou dream't,165 ; Hatred cursing, 179;
Heart-Friend, 230; Heavenly Love, 137; Highest
Occupation of Genius, 259; Honest Fame, or none,
148 ; Home, how that blessed Word, 166 ; Honesty,
174; Ilohenlinden, 290; Home, 318; Hope, 1-57;
Hope for All, 178 ; How sleep the Brave, 162 ; Hot-
spur's Apologv, 155 ; How to live, 161 ; How beau-
tiful the World, 197 ; How beautiful is Night, 206 ; •
How Scholars are made, 370; Human Life, 309; Hun-
gary and her Sympathizers, 316 ; Hungary's gnjat
j Struggles, 300 ; Hunters of Gold, 87 ; HypocritCB
I in Religion, 71 ; Hypocrite, 273.
I II— Idleness, 310; Imagination, 221; I met a
i Fool in the Forest, 192 ; Immortality of the SouJL
SS4
CONTENTS OF READINGS IND 11ECITATI0N3.
23S : Immortal Mind. 257 ; Improvement of Mind,
witheut Display, 248; Industry and Eloquence.
SOI; Indian Names, 248; Infant Sleeping in a
Garden. 23i) ; lutijience of Gold 280 ; Inllueuce of
the Wife and Good, 309 ; Invocation to Mirth, 174.
J — Joy expected, 173 ; Judgment on Adam, 179 ;
Judging according to strict Law, 215.
K.— Knapp.'s Trial, 251.
Li — Languishing Love, 176; Land of Rest, 278;.
Landing of the Pilgrim Fathers, 311 ; Last linger-
ing Look, 290; Last Acconnt 'twixt Heaven and
Earth, 184 ; Liberty and Union, 255 ; Life of a
Drunkard, 253; Life is Real, 305; Lily of the Vale,
7-3; Lochinvar, 297; Lol the poor Indian, 167;
Lcrd Ullin's Daughter, 290 ; Lord Thurlow's Speech,
200 : Love described, 176 ; Lost Bride, 272 ; Loss of
National Character, 282 ; Loving is Living, 288 ;
Love of Praise in every Heart, 145 ; Love's Sacrifice,
S13 ; Lucius' Speech, 276 ; Lucy, 307.
iTI— Madness, 213; Maid of Mallahide, 267;
Majesty of the Law, 293 ; Man is dear to Man, 70 ;
!Man made to face the Storm, 152 ; Maniac, 270 ;
Marco Bozzarris, 267 ; Maria DeTorquenioda, 314 ;
Marseilles Hymn of Liberty, 292 ; Maternal Aifec-
tion, 303 ; Meek-eyed Morn appears, 170 ; Merchant
and Scholar, 371 ; Merchants and Shipmasters, 378 ;
Midnight's holy Hour, 45 ; Military Despotism and
Insubordination, 281 ; Milton, 119 ; Ministering
Spirits, 47 ; Ministry of Angels, 171 ; Mirth and
Melancholy, 174 ; Misspent Time, 217 ; Modulation,
284 ; Modern Republics, 271 ; Moloch's Oration for
War, 308 ; Moral Truth intelligible to All, 244 ;
Moonlight and a Battle Field, 255 ; Mortal Coldness
of the Soul, 179 ; Moral effects of Intemperance,
240 ; Mother's Injunction, 82 ; Mother perishing in
the Snow Storm, 111 ; Music the Food of Love,
187 ; Music 1 thou rest of Life, 173 ; Muse of Inspi-
ration, 235 ; My Birth Day, 71 ; My Mother's Voice,
125 ; My Country, 250 ; My Native Land, 151.
IV — Nature always True, 206 ; Nature and Gar-
rick, 224 ; • Nature of Eloquence, 286 ; Nature's
tVants are few, 284 ; Nature's Universal Joy, 127 ;
Nature's Visible AS'orks, 144 ; National Glory, 241 ;
National Union, 250 ; Natural History of Love, 274 ;
Needle, 272 ; New England and the Union, 377 ;
Night Scene in Turkey, 246 ; Nobility of Labor,
266 ; No Excellence without Labor, 305 ; Nose and
the Man, 265.
O— Ode on the Passions, 249 ; Old Age honora-
ble, 22§; Old Hat, 296; Old Oaken Bucket, 256 ;
0 Sacred Solitude, 181 ; One good Turn deserves
another, 375 ; One fatal Remembrance, 229 ; Orator
Puff, 315 ; Ossian's Address to the Moon, 241 ; Os-
sian's Address to the Sun, 244; Othello's Apology,
292 : Our Country, 240 ; Our thoughts are Bound-
le?i5'235; Our Toils and their Reward, 238; Our
Exit, 287.
P— Parrhasius and the Captive, 274 ; Pardoning
a cruel Persecution, 217 ; Patriotic Triumph, 263 ;
Partings and Meetings, 299 ; Parts of the Whole,
23.S ; Patrick Henry's Speech, 277 ; Patriots of the
Revolution, 55 ; Passing away of the Indians, 114 ;
Passion's Language, 183 ; Passage of the Red Sea,
286 ; Patriots have toiled, 133 ; Peace and War con-
trasted, 257; Pelayo, 186; Perry's Victory, 260;
Perfect Orator, 279 ; Pilgrims and their Destiny,
312; Physical Education, 284; Playing the Fool, 192 ;
Pleasures of Piety, 217 ; Player's Profession, 222 ;
Play — Place of Early Days, 276 ; Pompeii, 275 ; Po-
litical Corruption, 310; Power of Eloquence, 280 ;
Power of Imagination, 166 ; Press On (prose), 246 ;
Press On (poetry), 279 ; Presence of God, 182 ; Pri-
mal Duties, 160 ; Progress of Life, 110 ; Progress of
Liberty, 256 ; Progress of Government, 290 ; Public
Faith, 309.
Q— Quality of Mercy, 177 ; Qualities surpassing
Loveliness, 233 ; Queen Mab, 289 ;
K — Raptures, 175 ; Razor Seller, 271 ; Recita-
tion, 282 ; Recitations instead of Theaters, 264 ;
Reproaching for want of Courage. 183 ; Resolve, be
Men, 150 ; Respect to Old Age, 282 ; Resurrection
or the Lord, 294 ; Revolutions in Nature, 232 ;
RilJi and Poor Man, 269 ; Puchard the Third, 304 ;
Right of England to tax America, 373 ; Right of
Free Discussion, 256; Rise with the Lark, 227,
Rolla's Address to the Peruvians. 153.
.^— Sacrifices to Liberty, 229;' Saintly Chastity,
235; Sailor Boy's Dream, 262; Satan's Decisive
Speech, 190 ; Satan's Farewell to Heaven, 182 ; Sa-
tan's Speech to his Legions, 160 ; School Friendships
often Illusive, 91 ; Serpents of the Still, 253 ; Ser-
pents in Social Life, 149 ; Sempronius' Speech, 276 ;
Shakspeare, 289 ; Shakspeare's Apothecary, 69 ;
Shylock's Revenge, 181 ; She walks in Beauty, 238 :
Ship sailing, 241 ; Sin and death, 101 ; Slander, 294';
Slander, 260 ; Something beyond this World, 303 ;
Sonnet— Enfranchised Bird, 218; Soul forms the
Body, 290 ; Soul's Defiance, 286 ; Soul's glimpses of
Immortality, 377; Speech of Belial, dissuading
War, 275 ; Spectacles, 377 ; Speech of CatalJne be-
fore the Roman Senate, 293 ; Specimen of Indian
Language, 292 ; Spirits of the Departed, 137 ; Spirit
of Human Liberty, 377 ; Star of Bethlehem. 294 ;
Stream of Life, 296; Sublimity of Mountain Scenery,
250 ; Submission to Heaven, 201 ; Sunset Cloud,
83 ; Surprise at unexpected Events, 223 ; Supposed
Speech of John Adams, on adopting the Declara-
tion, 245 ; Sure Rewards for Virtue, 305.
T— Talent always Ascendant, 269; Temperance
in Food and Drink, 309 ; The Alps, 270 ; The Bea-
con (James), 89 ; The Butterfly, 117 ; The Bible
worthy of all Acceptation, 128 ; The Day of Life,
84 ; There 's beauty in the Deep, 164 ; The EpitaphJ
129 ; The Devil's Soliloquy, 190 ; The Drunkard,
113; The Fisherman, 115 ; The Freeman (Cowper),
301; The Hermit, 249; Thanatopsis (Bryant), 287 ;
The.iJMurderer (Webster), 251 ; The Invalid abroad,
252 ; The Quiet Hour of Feeling, 90 ; The Plow,
379 ; The Rainbow of Omnipotence, 175 ; The Re-
jected, 304 ; The Rose had been washed, 72 ; The
Whiskers, 243 ; They know not my Heart, 176 ;
Three black Crows, 259 ; Time flies, 259 ; Time-
New Year, 279; Time's softening Power, 291 ; Tran-
quility, 190 ; Tit for Tat, 263 ; This World 's not a
fleeting Show, 85 ; 'Tis Midnight deep, 227 ; Thun-
der Storm on the Alps, 803 ; To Mary in Heaven,
302 ; To-day and To-morrow, 301 ; Tranquil Medi-
tations, 89 ; Tribute to Washington, 289 ; Tribute
to William Penn, 312 ; True Elocution, 244 ; True
and False Liberty, 168 ; True Love, 189 ; True Phi-
losophy, 168 ; True happiness has no localities. 172 ;
True Friendship, 260 ; True Pleasure defii>ed,' 258 ;
Twilight Dews, 193 ; Turkey, England, and United
States, 300.
U — Universal Emancipation (Gratton), 271.
V — Vanity, 308 ; Victim Bride and Miser (Harri-
son), 291; Village Blacksmith (Longfellow), 299;
Virtue the best Treasure, 222 ; Virtue the Guardian
of Youth. 244 ; A'irtuous Friendship, 238 ; Voice of
Infant Freedom (weep not), 78; Voice of Nature,
205 ; Vulture and Captive Infant, 247.
W — Warren's Address (paraphrased), at the Bat-
tle of Bunker Hill, 57 ; Washington a man of Genius,
376 ; Water for me, 371 ; Waterloo — the Ball and
Battle, 264, Way to be Happy, 278; ^Tiat Com-
murce has done, 378 ; What Eloquence is, 166 ;
■What 's Fame, 262 ; \\'hat the wise Man does, 233 :
Wife, Children, and Friends (Spencer), 279; Wil
derness of Mind, 258 ; Wirt's Introductory, 150 ,
Wisdom's Harp, 132 ; Wise Men's Course, 223 ; Wol-
sey's Soliloquy on Ambition, 312 ; ■\\'oman's Prayer.
297 ; Work enough for All, 380 ; Works of the Slan-
derer, 311 ; World to Come, 280 ; World at a Dis
tance, 253 ; Worship, 188 ; Worship ! God is pass
ing by, 102 ; Worship and Rejoice, 183.
Y— Yon Cloud is Bright, 96 ; Youth and Age, 289.
DIALOGUES.
Ancient ami Modern Viilue, San; City Finishing (F. F. D.), 336'
Dandv (F F D), 357; Debating Club ( F F D), 344; Dre»« and Assurance (S
F D),'35G; English Traveler (F F D), aSO; Female Exquisite, 358; Oridiron,
(F F D), 337; I'll Try ; or, Yankee Marksman (F F D), 355; Iinport-
aiiceof Literature, 372; Julius Cesar (KuowleH). 319; Man is best w ^
is (F F V), B60; Pedantry (F F D), 839; fedigree (F F D), 360; Fbre-
nologv, a discussion (F F D), 351; Preciseness (F F D), 341 ; UuartM
Day iF F D),382; School Committee (F F D), 334 ; Superior value of
s(,i d Accomplishments, 869; Temperance Dialogne (individual (op>
ri ht) 317; Tortoise (F F D). 382 ; Vanity punished (F F D), 3B1 ; ViV
la^-e Sc— c I, (K F D;, 341 ; William Teil, 374.
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY
BERKELEY
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