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ments of speech, but to many of its greatest defects, to puns, to witticisms, to silly conceits, to the jingle of sounds, and the prettiness of affectation, all which derive a sanction from the imposing title of tropes and figures. In the first place, it is proper to explain to your pupil what art you are going to teach him, the art of speaking well, that is to say, the art of speaking in such a manner as to make others listen to us, and to persuade those who do listen. For this purpose, the Orator must examine his subject in various points of view, and find out such topics as may be most proper to enlarge upon he is next to dispose or arrange his arguments and remarks in those parts of his discourse where they are most likely to have the beft effect: and, lastly, he muft clothe the whole in suitable language, heightened by a just, graceful, and impressive mode of delivery. CICERO's summary of the duties of a public speaker is equally admirable for its force and conciseness: he should well consider what he is to say, in what order, and how-" Quid dicat, et quo loco, et quo modo." The union of these requisites is indispensible; for, as the same writer observes, it is of little consequence to discover what is proper to be said, unless you are able to express it in an easy and agreeable manner; and even that will be insufficient, if not recommended by the voice, the look, and the gefture *. Hence Invention, Disposition, Elocution, and Pronunciation are considered by Rhetoricians as the four essential functions of an Orator, and, of course, as the four grand objects, to which all the rules of art must be directed t. Let us see what they prescribe respecting each of them.

*CICERO de claris Orat.

+ Some add a fifth function, namely Memory, which is merely a faculty of the mind, and the efore not to be classed with the former any more than Judgment, Fancy, Genius, or any other mental Power,

SECT.

SECT. I.

OF INVENTION.

By oratorical Invention is meant the discovery of what may be most serviceable to the cause in hand, or most conducive to the end aimed at, which is persuasion. For this purpose, we must find out such arguments as are most likely to convince the understanding, and such affecting touches as may find their way to the heart. The Jatter are often of greater consequence than the former; for it will not always be enough to place the truth in the clearest light, unless we can also render it interesting and attractive. Prejudice and obstinacy will often resist the demonstrations of fair reasoning. We must therefore call in the passions, to the aid of reason, and not content with making men cool approvers of our advice, endeavour to set their souls on fire to carry it into execution.

"Que dans tous vos discours la passion émue
"Aille chercher le cœur, l'échauffe, et le remue.
"Si d'un beau mouvement l'agréable fureur
"Souvent ne nous remplit d'une aimable terreur,
"Ou n'excite en notre ame une pitié charmante,
"En vain vous étalez une scene éclatante.
"Vos froids raisonnemens ne feront qu'attiédir
"Un spectateur toujours paresseux d'applaudir;
"Et qui des vains efforts de votre rhétorique
"Justement fatigué s'endort, ou vous critique.
"Le secret est d'abord de plaire et de toucher;
"Inventez des ressorts qui puissent m'attacher.

BOILEAU.

All the old books of Rhetoric are nearly filled with rules respecting those grand instruments of persuasion, Arguments, and the Passions; but though youthful genius

may

may derive some little aid from their remarks concern ing the former, a knowledge and masterly command of the latter are not to be acquired by metaphysical fubtilties, but by a diligent study of the beft dramatic com positions, under the guidance of a good master.

As to the invention of Arguments, the Rhetoricians fancied they had reduced that to a sort of practical system. They disposed in due order the leading points of view, in which any subject might be examined either internally, or externally, and led genius as it were by the hand, to find out with ease all sorts of arguments in the different places to which it was thus conducted. By the word places, therefore, or common places, we are to understand certain general repertories, or magazines, con'taining all the riches which are the objects of invention. The young orator will find it worth his while to take a glance at the most important of them.

The first is Definition; by which the speaker finds in the very nature of his subject a strong argument in support of his opinions. Thus Mr. Fox, in order to recommend his famous East India bill, gives a clear and forcible definition of the liberty which it tended to establish, and of the despotism which it meant to destroy. "Freedom," says he, " consists in the safe and sacred possesion of a man's property, governed by laws defined and certain; with many perfonal privileges, natural, civil, and religious, which he cannot surrender without ruin to himself, and of which to be deprived by any other power is despotism. This bill, instead of subverting, is destined to stabilitate those principles;-instead of narrowing the basis of freedom, it tends to enlarge it ;-inftead of suppressing, its object is to infuse and circulate the spirit of liberty. What is the most odious species of tyranny ? Precisely that which this bill is meant to annihilate.

VOL. I.

That

That a handful of men, free themselves, should exercise the most base and abominable despotism over millions of their fellow-creatures; that innocence should be the victim of oppression; that industry should toil for rapine; that the harmless labourer should fweat, not for his own benefit, but for the luxury and rapacity of tyrannic depredation; in a word, that thirty millions of men, gifted by Providence with the ordinary endowments of humanity, should groan under a system of despotism, unmatched in all the histories of the world."

Here you may point out to your pupil the difference Between an oratorical and a logical definition. If you ask a Logician, what is History, he will tell you that it is a narrative of facts and events. But how will the Orator define it? History, he will say, is the picture of past ages, held out for the instruction of those which are to come: it is an exact representation of the rise and fall of empires, and of the cause of their progress or decline: it is the impartial record of the actions and passions, the virtues and vices, the glory and infamy of mankind: it is, in short, the great repository of the wisdom and experience of the whole human race, where every lesson is rendered almost irresistibly impressive by the force of example.

Etymology, or the derivation of a word from its original, may be made the ground of some little argument; but it has so much the air of pedantry, and betrays such an ostentation of learning, that it should seldom be resorted to. "The word Physician," says an able advocate for presenting medical instructions in a plain, clear, and intelligible form-" The word Physician strictly means the admirer, the student, the pupil of Nature. Let us then copy her beautiful simplicity: let us lay aside all mystery and artifice: let us withdraw the veil under which

8

pride

pride and self-interest have too long concealed the most important truths: let us shew mankind," &c.

Things are often best defined by their Contraries, as well as happily illustrated by Similitudes, or Comparisons. In what does true dignity of manners consist? Not, as CHESTERFIELD very justly observes, in pride or arrogance, the pretensions of which are commonly treated with sneer and contempt; nor in abject flattery and indiscriminate assentation, which are always degrading. But a modest assertion of one's own opinion, and a complaisant acquiescence in other people's, preserve dignity.

As to similes, we see with what effect one of them is made use of by WARBURTON, to shew how soon the lessons, which the Jews had learned in bondage, were forgotten in prosperity. "All those exalted ideas of piety and virtue," says he, "raised like a beautiful kind of frost-work in the cold season of adversity, dissolved and disappeared at the warm aspect of good fortune."

Some orators are indebted for no small share of their fame to a judicious and animated Enumeration of the parts, as they are termed, of a subject. Thus, instead of shewing that we should love virtue, it is proved in detail to be our duty to love and cherish prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance. The French are very fond of this common place; and one of their critics compares such details, not indeed to a thunderbolt, of which they have neither the force nor the luftre, but to hail, which does not beat down the traveller, but compels him to give way and to seek for shelter.

Nearly related to this is another common place, well known by the name of the Genus and the Species. Thus it is easily demonstrated that we should love justice, because we should love virtue; and reciprocally, that it is

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