PN 4130 
 .W55 
 
 ■ 
 
 
&°+ 
 
 6* .•••. "*c 
 
 f V^-v V-^> v^V 
 
 - ..«♦ A <\ -o. » 
 
 .4* S&/IZ&? % 
 
 : '++# • 
 
 - a o 
 
 * $ ^ • 
 of. «*© 
 
 
 / v^v v^v v^v 
 
 35 *»'« 
 
 '0>V 
 
 
 
 

 Vf> *•* „\ r \> -o.»- <o 
 
 
 >'"^'^ %.^-v v*^\** r-o.^. 
 
 
 
 •V.'* *o J +*. ** 
 
 J\ '%ffl: /\ l $g?) /% Ifjj^ /? 
 
 *•- -^d* •* 
 
 
 
 
 
SCIENCE AND ART 
 
 —OF— 
 
 ELOCUTION. 
 
 Also Containing Lectures on the Essential Qualifications 
 
 of an Orator and Methods of Teaching Oratory 
 
 and Elocution Used with the Demostheno- 
 
 Websterian Oratorical College 
 
 Class of the V.N.&C.L 
 
 —BY-/ 
 
 PROFESSOR DANIEL BARCLAY WILLIAMS, A, M. Ph. 0,, 
 
 Dean of the College Department, Professor of Ancient Languages, 
 and Instructor in Pedagogy and Oratory in the V. N. & C. I. 
 
 %£' ALSO 
 
 Author of "Outlines of School Management,'' "Freedom and 
 Progress," "Science, Art, and Methods of Teaching," etc., etc. 
 
 WITH EXTRACTS FROM SKETCHES 
 
 Written by Robert W. Whiting, John Mitchell, Jr., Prof 
 D. W. Davis, I. G. Penn, and Robert G. Qferfst^i 
 
 FIBST EDITION", 
 
 PETERSBURG, VA. 
 DANIEL B. WILLIAMS, PUBLISHER, 
 
 1894. 
 

 Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 189i, by Professor" 
 
 Daniel B. Williams, in the office of the Librarian of Congress 
 
 at Washington. 
 
 The Mitchell Manufacturing Co., 
 
 Printers and Book Binders, 
 
 Petersburg, Va. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 This work was published at the solicitation of a 
 number of students and friends with the intention 
 of placing a useful hand-book in the reach of edu- 
 cators, readers, and speakers. It is sent forth after 
 an experience of fourteen years as a public speaker 
 and writer and nine years as an instructor in elo- 
 cution and oraton\ I feel confident that it will be 
 found satisfactory for any class studying the princi- 
 ples and methods of elocution. 
 
 The lecture on "The Essential Qualifications of 
 an Orator 1 ' is added for the purpose of aiding in- 
 structors in oratory and those who desire to perfect 
 themselves as pleasing and effective speakers. I 
 found that the principles discussed in it were highly 
 serviceable to the young men of the college oratorical 
 class. The seventh lecture explains somewhat in 
 detail my methods for instructing and training 
 young men in oratory. I am convinced that they 
 may be used with profit by almost any teacher of 
 the art, 
 
 With sincere thanks to my Heavenly Father for 
 time, opportunity, and means for its publication, 
 I send it forth to a generous public, hoping that it 
 will aid in the grand cause of Christian Education. 
 
-^-CONTENTS. 
 
 Page 
 Introduction — Extracts from Sketches, ... 5 
 
 LECTUKE I. 
 
 The Science and Art of Elocution, .... 13 
 
 LECTURE II. 
 Yocal Culture, 16 
 
 LECTURE III. 
 Articulation, 19 
 
 LECTURE IV. 
 
 Expression, 25 
 
 LECTURE V. 
 Gesture, 47 
 
 LECTURE VI. 
 The Essential Qualifications of an Orator, , . 55 
 
 LECTURE VII. 
 Methods of Teaching Oratory and Elocution 
 Used with the Demostheno-Websterian Ora- 
 torical College Class of the V. N. and O I., . 70 
 
 LECTURE VIII. 
 
 Some Subjects with Their Outlines, .... 77 
 
INTRODUCTION, 
 
 EXTRACTS FROM SKETCHES 
 
 OF THE 
 
 LIFE OF PROF. DANIEL B. WILLIAMS, A. M„ Ph. D. 
 
 "Kind-hearted, affable, able, Professor Williams is a man 
 among men." — John Mitchell, Jr. 
 
 "Professor Williams possesses an harmonic mind, and is a 
 conqueror in all the fields of learning to which he has ever 
 turned his attention." — Prof. R. W. Whiting. 
 
 I. His Early Life and Education. 
 
 PEOFESSOR DANIEL BARCLAY WILLIAMS 
 
 jL first saw the light of day in the city of Richmond, 
 Ya. He graduated from the Richmond Normal and 
 High School in 1877 with distinguished honors. 
 He was the acknowledged leader of his class* in 
 Worcester Academy till his graduation in 1880. 
 He was matriculated in Brown University in June 
 1880, and, in the fall of the same year, began to 
 teach in the Richmond schools. He taught in the 
 city till June, 1884, and, in the fall of 1885, taught in 
 Henrico County. With wonderful tenacity of pur- 
 
SCIENCE AND ART OF ELOCUTION, 
 
 pose, he pursued the entire course of Brown Uni- 
 versity, which he completed in 1885 Jn the fall of 
 1885 he was elected teacher in the V. N. and C. I., 
 and, in 1887, he was elected Professor of Ancient 
 Languages and Instructor in Pedagogy. — From Pro- 
 fessor D. W. Davis. 
 
 II. As an Educator. 
 
 As an educator, Professor Williams has few 
 equals. He has had fourteen years' experience, and 
 has given instruction in common school, high school, 
 academic, and college courses. As a linguist, he 
 occupies a first place. To him is mostly due the 
 credit of building the Latin and Greek department 
 of the Institute. — From John Mitchell, Jr. 
 
 Professor Williams has the honor of building 
 the pedagogical department cf the Institute. His 
 grand work in building it ranks him among the 
 foremost educators of the nation. He has added to 
 it year by year, and caused it to rank among the 
 foremost professional departments for teachers in 
 the state. — From Professor I. G. Ptnn. 
 
 III. As a Writer, Author, and Publisher. 
 
 For the last thirteen years, Dr. Williams has con- 
 tributed leading articles to leading newspapers and 
 magazines. He is one of the few colored writers 
 whose articles have been acceptable to the editors 
 and readers of white journals. In 1883, he sent from 
 the press his "Ethiopians, Pioneers in Civilization," 
 and revised it in 1890. In 1887, he published 
 "Science, Art, and Methods of Teaching," and issued 
 
jLvrnoDUCTiox. 
 
 ? 
 
 a new edition in 1893. In 1891, be sent forth 
 "Outlines of School Management" and "Pestalozzi 
 and Froebel." In 1892, he issued his "Jerusalem 
 Destroyed" and "The Solar System." In 1890, he 
 gave the public "Freedom and Progress." He 
 issued "Emancipation Address'' in 1893. Aside 
 from these, he wrote "The Theory of Rev. John 
 Jasper Concerning the Sun" and the "Introduction 
 to the Afro-American Press.'' 
 
 He has not only penned the thoughts comprising 
 his books, but he has published and agented them 
 successfully beyond a doubt. He assumes every 
 dollar of expense on his works, and manages by 
 close attention and perseverance in appointing and 
 regulating agents to successfully pay for them and 
 have a margin of profit. — From Professor I. G. Penn. 
 
 IV. As an Instructor in Elocution and Oratory. 
 
 As an instructor in Elocution and Oratory, Pro- 
 fessor Daniel B. Williams is widely known, and 
 ranks among the ablest of the country. From '85 
 to '88, he taught the Senior Class of the Institute 
 the science and art of elocution and oratory. From 
 : 89 to the present time, he has taught the Demos- 
 theno-T\'ebsterian Oratorical College Class of which 
 the writer was a member. 
 
 His Qualifications as a Rhetorician and an Orator. 
 
 He possesses that eloquence which comes from 
 the depths of the soul. He is at times vehement 
 and picturesque, now persuasive, ever convincing 
 and profound. He is one of the clearest speakers. 
 
8 SCIENCE AND ART OF ELOCUTION. 
 
 He seems to be favored by nature and education 
 with all the advantages needed for the calling. He 
 is fortified with well-disciplined faculties, and his 
 general knowledge, which is worth much for the in- 
 formation it imparts, still more for the manhood 
 and womanhood it quickens, is exhaustive. His 
 memory is prodigious, and he has a wonderful 
 power of gesticulation. Well equipped in the 
 science and art of grammar, rhetoric, and logic, his 
 productions are masterpieces of English composition. 
 Intertwined with the zeal and earnestness of Webster 
 and Clay, his character embodies the principles of 
 unblemished Christianity. His life is fragrant with 
 the aroma of virtue. His sympathies are for the 
 weak and oppressed, while he labors unceasingly 
 for the elevation of his people. He has a prominent 
 forehead, a pleasant countenance, a musical voice, 
 and eyes beaming with intelligence. In short, his 
 qualifications as an orator are those of the masters 
 of antiquity. 
 
 As a Public Orator and Debater. 
 
 For fourteen years, he has delivered lectures and 
 addresses in and out of the state. He has spoken 
 to the most ignorant, and they have been highly 
 pleased at what he said ; he has addressed the most 
 cultured, and received their hearty applause. 
 When one hears him, there is a fervent desire to 
 hear him again. The pearls of truth so rare and 
 fresh, so pure and elevating that have fallen from 
 his lips in the class room, in the pulpit, and on the 
 rostrum, painted with a peucil dipped in his own 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 fiery heart, have found their way into nearly every 
 state in the Union. — From Professor R. G. Chissell,A. B. 
 
 His discourses are enjoyed alike by the ignorant 
 and the cultured. His method and style are his 
 own. The hearer is deeply impressed with the 
 earnestness of the professor. The principle on 
 which he discourses runs through his address with 
 the majesty and force of a river. — From John Mitchell, 
 Jr. 
 
 Professor Williams is a brilliant conversationalist 
 and an orator of convincing logic. On any subject 
 that he discusses, his propositions are clear and his 
 words are like bees laden with honey, and dull must 
 be the intellect that does not learn something from 
 this river of gold. — From Professor R. W. Whiting. 
 
 ' ; As an orator, Professor Williams ranks high." — 
 Professor D. W. Davis. "Professor Williams is a 
 gentleman of learning, taste, and sound judgment." 
 Rev. W. J, Simmons. 
 
 The Purpose of his Oratory. 
 Professor Williams never speaks for show or 
 mere effect. He aims to benefit his hearers by in- 
 spiring them with lofty aspirations and producing 
 tangible results. His speeches are the exponent of 
 a man devoted to God and humanity. This is the 
 secret of his power with all kinds of audiences. — 
 From Professor R. G. Chissell, A. B. 
 
 V. His Widespread Reputation. 
 Professor Williams reputation is not by any 
 means confined to State limits, but the Nation knows 
 
10 
 
 SCIENCE AND ART OF ELOCUTION. 
 
 him as a scholarly and high-toned gentleman. He 
 is not over-rated as some are. An evidence of his 
 popularity is noted in the fact that a number of our 
 leading men have conferred distinguished honors 
 upon him by presenting sketches and cuts of him 
 in 'their papers. On May 19, 1889, Livingstone 
 College conferred on him the degree of A. M., and, 
 in May, 1891, Shaw Universit}' honored him with 
 the degree of Ph. D. 
 
 In July, 1892, he was unanimously elected presi- 
 dent of the Virginia Teachers' Association, after he 
 had been Chairman of the Executive Board for 
 three years. In July, 1893, he was again elected 
 president by a vote of forty-eight out of fifty-one. 
 At the Conference of Authors and an annual meet- 
 ing of the American Association of Educators of 
 Colored Youth, which met in Wilmington, N. C. 
 December 28, 1892, he read an instructive paper on 
 "The Urgent Need of Text-books, Prepared by 
 Colored-American Educators." He played a promi- 
 nent part in the organization of the Authors' Asso- 
 ciation, and was unanimously elected Historian of 
 it. — From Professor L (x, Penn. 
 
 V. His Moral and Religious Character. 
 
 I am reminded that Professor Williams is a Christ- 
 ian gentleman of the first water. In all his life, he 
 has seldom attempted to do anything of himself in- 
 dependently of G >d. He has reached manhood 
 without a single blot upon his record either as a 
 student or a gentleman. — From Professor I. G. Penn. 
 
 Professor Williams is a man of unblemished 
 
INTRODUCTION, 11 
 
 moral character. Having watched him in his up- 
 ward flight, we pause for words with which to ex- 
 press our admiration for one who has overcome 
 such apparently insurmountable obstacles. In the 
 ecstac}- of the moment, we find ourselves exclaim- 
 ing : 
 
 "His life is gentle ; and the elements 
 
 So mixed in him, that nature might stand up 
 
 And say to all the world, "This is a man." 
 
 — From John Mitchell, Jr. 
 
LECTUKE I. 
 
 THE SCIENCE AND ART OF 
 ELOCUTION. 
 
 Elocution — The Science of Elocution — The Art of Elo- 
 cution — The Importance of the Study — The World's Great 
 Orators Studied Elocution — The Importance of Grammar, 
 Rhetoric, and Logic to an Elocutionist. 
 
 ''L'eloquence est le talent d'imprimer avec force 
 et de faire passer avec rapidite, sans Tame des 
 autres, le sentiment, profond dont on est penetre." 
 Z)' Alembeit. 
 
 "Eloquence is the talent of impressing forcibly 
 and of causing the thought, the depth of which one 
 has penetrated, to pass rapidly out of the soul of 
 others." 
 
 "Delivery, I say, bears absolute sway in oratory." — Cicero. 
 
 "Si vis roe plere,dolendum est 
 Primum ipsi tibi." — Horace. 
 
 "If you wish uie to weep, you yourself must first grieve." 
 
 The word elocution is derived from the Latin 
 word eloqui, and means to speak out. It is the ex- 
 pression of our thoughts, feelings, and purposes, 
 IVe may utter our thoughts in an attractive or un- 
 
14 SCIENCE AND AKT OF ELOCUTION. 
 
 attractive manner. "Our elocution," says Fenno, 
 "may be good, or it may not," 
 
 By the science of elocution, we mean those prin- 
 ciples and facts, a knowledge and application of 
 which give effectiveness to reading, conversation, 
 and public speaking. By the art of elocution, we 
 mean an expression of thought in reading, conver- 
 sation, or public speaking. The science of elocution 
 imparts a knowledge of its principles and facts ; the 
 art of elocution applies that knowledge in express- 
 ing thought. 
 
 How important is this study ! Man is a thinking 
 being. He must employ speech. He must, from 
 necessity, make known his multitudinous wants, 
 ambitions, and purposes It is highly advantageous 
 that he should express himself with the greatest 
 possible clearness and force. How many persons 
 labor under the great disadvantage of a disagreeable 
 voice, an indistinct articulation, and a repulsive 
 manner ! Careless or ignorant of the art of clear, 
 forcible utterance, they are frequently misunder- 
 stood or misinterpreted. 
 
 The renowned orators and statesmen of Greece, 
 Eome, France, England, and America paid close 
 attention to the principles and practice of speaking. 
 The force, clearness, and masculine strength of 
 Demosthenes and the exuberance, brilliancy, and 
 power of Cicero owed not a little to the fact that 
 both of these masters of eloquence were devoted 
 worshipers at the shrine of elocution, How much 
 the brilliancy and effectiveness of Webster and the 
 richness and perspicuity of Clay were indebted to 
 
SCIENCE AND ART OF ELOCUTION. 15 
 
 their elocutionary labors, it is impossible to say. 
 All who have listened to the matchless eloquence 
 and the brilliant rhetoric of Douglass, Langston, 
 Garnett, Crummell, Price, Brooks, Blyden, and 
 Bishop Arnett could not fail to note that the 
 favorable impression which they made were due, in 
 great measure, to their musical voice, distinct 
 articulation, expressive modulation, and grace of 
 bearing, 
 
 The student of elocution should studiously pursue 
 grammar, rhetoric, and logic. Grammar teaches 
 how to speak and write correctly, Rhetoric treats 
 of composition and style in both written and 
 spoken discourse. He who strives for excellence 
 in the effective art of elocution should be 
 well acquainted with the underlying principles 
 which insure correctness of speech, the most effec- 
 tive arrangement of thought, and the clearest modes 
 of expression. Mr. Webster defines logic as "the 
 science of pure and formal thought, or of the. laws 
 according to which the process of pure thinking 
 should be conducted." It is the province of logic 
 to test the truthfulness or the error of a proposition. 
 Certainly, he who gives utterance to an idea should 
 be able to prove its accuracy by the principles of 
 logic. I would strongly recommend to the student 
 of elocution a profound acquaintance with this trio 
 of linguistry-grammar, rhetoric, and logic. 
 
 We shall consider the science and art of elocution 
 under the divisions of vocal culture, articulation, 
 expression, and gesture. These divisions of the 
 subject will be treated* in the succeeding lectures. 
 
LECTURE II. 
 
 VOCAL CULTURE 
 
 The Human Voice the Basis of hlocution^—The World's 
 Singers, Readers, and Speakers Exercise Care in its Culti- 
 vation — What Should be our Aim in Cultivating it— At- 
 tention Should be Given to Breathing, Vocal Drill, and 
 Calisthenics. 
 
 "All art must be preceded by a certain mechanical expert- 
 ness."— Goethe. 
 
 "The tone of voice in ordinary reading should be sweet, 
 musical, and sprightly." — L. B. Monroe. 
 
 The human voice constitutes the basis of elocution. 
 It is the principal agent by which we make known, 
 our thoughts. When the breath passes over the 
 vocal chords, which are located in the larynx, voice 
 is produced. This power must be cultivated if we 
 would preserve a pure tone and ease of utterance. 
 Its quality is greatly improved by judicious exercise. 
 By vigorous practice, it is rendered strong and re- 
 sonant ; through disuse, it loses readiness of articu- 
 lation. 
 
 The world's noted singers are careful in the culti- 
 vation of their voices. This is equally true of the 
 best readers and speakers. A clear, flexible voice 
 possesses a fascination which seldom fails to attract 
 
VOCAL CULTURE. 17 
 
 us. Quality of voice, articulation, and modulation 
 greatly aid us in determining the intellectual and 
 moral character of different people. The refined, in- 
 tellectual man or woman reveals culture in express- 
 ing ideas. The weak, vacillating man generally 
 speaks in an indistinct or somewhat harsh tone. 
 The man of upright life and clear conscience, gen- 
 erally utters his thoughts in a resonant, dignified 
 tone. To a certain degree, the voice is an index of 
 the soul. 
 
 In cultivating this Aeolian harp of nature, we 
 should aim to give it strength, purity, compass, re- 
 sonance, agreeableness, flexibility, adaptation, and 
 fervor. In the cultivation of the voice, careful at- 
 tention should be given to a good habit of breathing, 
 vocal drill, and calisthenics. 
 
 Correct breathing expands the chest, increases 
 the capacity of the lungs, and aids the healthy 
 actions of the vital organs. It should not interfere 
 with one's reading or speaking. This end is obtained 
 by taking in the breath at the pauses. The follow- 
 ing exercises in breathing will be found beneficial : 
 (1.) Having assumed an erect posture, breathe 
 slowly until the lungs are well filled with air ; then 
 allow the air to escape slowly through the mouth. 
 (2.) Breathe deeply, and suddenly force the breath 
 through the mouth. (3.) Breathe deeply, and 
 hold the breath for a short while. Then expel it 
 suddenly or slowly, bending the body backward, 
 forward, to the right, and to the left. These exer- 
 cises will not only strengthen the lungs, but also im- 
 prove the general health. 
 
18 
 
 SCIENCE AND ART OF ELOCUTION. 
 
 The true aim of vocal drill is to obtain a full, 
 pure, resonant tone. Nothing can compensate for 
 actual vocal exercises. The various selections illus- 
 trative of quality of voice, melody, form, force, rate, 
 and stress should be studied with care and prac- 
 ticed with frequency. A systematic recital of these 
 selections inevitably result in a purer, more flexible, 
 and more agreeable voice, a clearer articulation, and 
 a more expressive modulation. 
 
 Calisthenic exercises are helpful to vocal culture. 
 The arm and supine hand exercises together with 
 the head and body movements tend to enlarge the 
 chest and add to the general health. The following 
 suggestions respecting calisthenic exercises may be 
 serviceable to the student : To practice the free arm ex- 
 ercise, rest the closed hands on the chest with the 
 elbows down. Make four downward movements 
 with the right hand, then with the left hand, then 
 With both hands simultaneously, then with both 
 hands alternately. Then throw the hands laterally, 
 upward, and front. To practice the supine hand exercise, 
 place the hands in the same position. As the hands 
 are thrown downward, laterally, upward, and front, 
 they are allowed to open as they are thrown out 
 and to close as they return. The head movements may 
 be easily acquired by throwing the head forward 
 once, backward twice, then alternately four times. 
 Then throw it to the right twice, to the left twice, 
 then alternately four times. To acquire graceful- 
 ness in the body movements, bend the body forward 
 twice, backward twice, then alternately four times. 
 Then bend it to the right twice, to the left twice, 
 then alternately four times, 
 
LECTUEE III 
 
 ARTICULATION 
 
 Webster's Definition of Articulation — Its Importance — 
 The Number of Elementary Sounds — Vocals — Subvocals — 
 Aspirates — Substitutes — How to Study Phonology — Im- 
 portance of Studying a Standard Dictionary — Careful 
 Practice in Articulation Necessary, 
 
 "Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced it to you, 
 trippingly on the tongue ; but, if you mouth it, as many of our 
 players do, I had as lief the town-crier spoke my lines." — 
 Hamlet. 
 
 According to Webster's Dictionary, articulation 
 is the utterance of the elementary sounds of a lan- 
 guage by the appropriate movements of the organs. 
 The importance of a clear, distinct enunciation can 
 not be estimated. How many persons of some ed- 
 ucational advantages are indifferent and careless 
 with reference to a distinct and accurate enuncia- 
 tion! How often beautiful, brilliant thoughts are 
 marred and dimmed by an imperfect articulation ! 
 Such a spectacle presents to us the incongruous pic- 
 ture ol a handsome, well-formed body clothed in 
 shreds and rags. What winning grace and dignity 
 
20 SCIENCE AND ART OF ELOCUTION. 
 
 does an accurate enunciation add to man or woman ! 
 It renders beautiful words more beautiful, powerful 
 thoughts more powerful. It changes the iron links 
 of conversation into silver, and the silver ones into 
 yellow gold. It cures the harsh stuttering of De- 
 mosthenes and Curran, and gives them clearness, 
 grace, and power of speech. It is the magical se- 
 same of the orator which makes him the happy 
 possessor of valuable treasures. 
 
 Eminent authorities on orthography differ in re- 
 gard to the number of elementary sounds in the 
 English language. Shoemaker and Fenno speak of 
 forty-six ; Kerl, of forty- three ; Harvey, of forty- 
 two ; Greene, of forty ; Comstock, of thirty-eight ; 
 Jones, of twenty-eight. According to this work, 
 there are for by-six elementary sounds in our lan- 
 guage. These sounds are formed in connection 
 with the breath by the tongue, lips, palate, and- 
 teeth, which are denominated the organs of articu- 
 lation. The cavities of the mouth and nose some- 
 what affect the tone, imparting to it strength and 
 resonance. The distinguished grammarians Harvey 
 and Greene divide the elementary sounds into vo- 
 cals, subvocals, and aspirates. 
 
 Vocals consist of pure tone only, and are made 
 with the vocal organs open. They are a long, as in 
 ale ; a short, as in add ; a, as in arm ; a, as in all ; a, 
 as in pair ; a, as in grass; e long, as in peace ; e 
 short, as in check ; e, as in earn ; i long, as in fine ; 
 i short, as in fin; o long, as in old; o short, as in not; 
 o like long oo, as in prove ; o like short oo, as in 
 wolf ; u long, as in tube ; u short, as in tub ; w, as in 
 
ARTICULATION. 21 
 
 urge ; oi or oy, as in oil, toy ; ou, as in out ; ou also 
 like ow, as in hound, Mr, Webster considers the 
 sound of a in all as identical with that of o in order 
 and those of y in style and myth as identical with 
 the long and short sounds of i. The sound of u pre- 
 ceded by r, as in rude, may be considered identical 
 with the sound of oo in food. There are therefore 
 twenty -one vocal sounds. 
 
 Subvocals consist of tone united with breath. 
 They are sometimes called combined sounds. They 
 are b, d, g, j, 1, m, n, r, ng, v, w, z, zh, y, and th ; as 
 in bag, day, gay, jag, log, man, net, rat, long, vine, 
 wet, zone, azure, yet, and they. They are fifteen in 
 number. 
 
 Aspirates consist of breath only modified by the 
 organs of articulation. They are f, h, k, p, s, t, th, sh, 
 ch, and wh ; as in fan, hen, kite, pan, sin, take, think, 
 shy, church, and whence. They are ten in number. 
 While this work agrees with those of Shoemaker 
 and Fenno in respect to the number of sounds, it 
 slightly differs in classification. 
 
 The following sub-divisions are sometimes made : 
 labials, as b, p, m, w, v, and z ; Unguals, as 1, r ; pala- 
 tals, as k, g in gay, and y in yes ; dentals, as d, t, th, 
 z in azure, sh, s, z, j, ch. When r precedes a vowel, 
 it may be slightly trilled. While it may sometimes 
 add to the effectiveness of a passage, it should be 
 used sparingly. It may be employed in easy, light 
 description. It is seldom used in serious discourse. 
 
 It must be borne in mind that the sounds of some 
 letters and combination of letters are sometimes re- 
 presented by substitutes ; thus, ti is sometimes used 
 
22 SCIENCE AND AKT OF ELOCUTION. 
 
 as a substitute for ch ; % has as substitutes ks and 
 gz ; e in tete, ei in feint, and ey in they are used in 
 place of a long. Qu has the sound of Jew, as in 
 queen ; ch sometimes takes the sound of sh and, at 
 other times, that of k. The sounds of all substi- 
 tutes — vowel and consonant — are included in the 
 afore-mentioned forty-six elementary sounds. In a 
 few cases, two elementary sounds are quickly ut- 
 tered together ; as, gz for x, kw for qu. 
 
 A correct knowledge of the sounds of all these 
 letters is at the basis of clear, correct reading and 
 spelling. I would strongly recommend a systematic 
 study of phonology, or the science of sounds. This 
 can be well done by diligence and application. 
 Select several monosyllabic words which embody 
 the long sound of a. Analyze each word with re- 
 ference to the sounds of which it is composed. 
 Take others which have the sound of a in add, arm, 
 all, pair, and glass. Select words which embody 
 the different sounds of the other vowels. Practice 
 these words till the vowel sounds are mastered. 
 
 Attention may now be given to subvocals and as- 
 pirates. Pick out a list of words of one syllable 
 embodying the needed consonantal sounds. Par- 
 ticular care should be exercised in practicing the 
 sounds of c, x, ch, sh, th, qu, and wh. When one- 
 syllable w r ords can be spelled phonetically with ease, 
 those of two syllables embodying the vowels and 
 consonants may be easily learned ; after which those 
 of three or more syllables may be mastered with 
 ease. Several processes are required in phonic 
 spelling. (X.) Pronounce the word correctly and 
 
ARTICULATION. 23 
 
 distinctly. (2.) Spell it by naming its letters. (3.) 
 Spell it by giving its sounds. (4.) Pronounce it 
 clearly. 
 
 He who desires to pronounce words with exacti- 
 tude should be a diligent student of a standard dic- 
 tionary. It is essential to correct enunciation that 
 the key to the pronunciation of one's dictionary be 
 thoroughly learned. When one's attention is called 
 to a mispronunciation, he should at once consult his 
 dictionary, "When there is the least doubt in the 
 mind with reference to the pronunciation of a word, 
 the lexicon should settle it at once. A habit of 
 using standard authorities on pronunciation will 
 thus be engendered. 
 
 We should exercise careful discrimination in con- 
 sulting dictionaries. There are disagreements 
 among dictionarians with reference to the pronun- 
 ciation of some important words. We should, in 
 such cases, follow the weight of authority. Richard 
 Grant White very sensibly said, "A refined and care- 
 fully educated person will pronounce his words, not 
 only according to some good authority, but will 
 adopt that pronunciation which is sustained by the 
 majority of the best dictionarians, which alone set- 
 tles the weight of authority.' ; 
 
 Nothing can compensate for actual practice in ar- 
 ticulation. Beading aloud slowly and distinctly 
 conduces much to a correct enunciation. Be care- 
 ful that the vowels are clearly sounded, and that 
 every consonant not silent is properly enunciated. 
 Exercises in which transitions or repetitions of the 
 same sound occur are highly beneficial in mastering 
 
24 SCIENCE AND ART OF ELOCUTION. 
 
 the elementary sounds. Practice the following se- 
 lections until absolute correctness is acquired : 
 
 He spoke reasonably, philosophically, disinterestedly, and 
 yet particularly of the unceremoniousness of their cornmunica- 
 birity, and peremptorily, authoritatively, unhesitatingly de- 
 clared it to be wholly inexplicable. — Practical Elocution. 
 
 When the boot black had blacked one of the black boot 
 black's boots till it tshone in a manner that would make any 
 boot black proud, this boot black who had agreed to black the 
 black boot black's boots refused to black the other boot of the 
 black boot black until the black boot black, who had consented 
 to have the white boot black black his boots, should add five 
 cents to the amount the white boot black had made blacking 
 other men's boots. — Fenno's Elocution. 
 
LECTUEE IV. 
 
 EXPRESSION 
 
 Expression Includes Modulation, Emphasis, and Kinds 
 of Pieces — Modulation Embraces Kind of Voice, Melody, 
 Form, Force, Time, and Stress — Emphasis — Some General 
 Directions Concerning it — Kinds of Pieces — How to Ana- 
 lyze a Selection, Oration, or Essay — Selections Analyzed. 
 
 "Tn the name, then, of physical and mental well-being, I de- 
 mand that the art of reading aloud shall be ranked among the 
 principal branches of public education." — Ernest Legouve. 
 
 "Behold, what fire is in his eyes, what fervor on his cheeks ! 
 That glorious burst of winged words! how bound they from 
 his tongue." — Tupper. 
 
 Expression deals with the proper use of the voice 
 in speech. It treats of those alterations which 
 should be made in it for the clearest and most forci- 
 ble utterance. It includes modulation, or elements 
 of vocality, emphasis, and kinds of pieces. 
 
 . 1. Modulation, or Elements of Vocality. 
 
 Monroe and Le Eow speak of modulation in the 
 sense of pitch. Fenno and other elocutionists use 
 the term in a far more comprehensive sense. Ac- 
 cording to them, modulation embraces quality, or 
 kind of voice, melody, form, force, time, and stress. 
 
26 SCIENCE AND ART OF ELOCUTION 
 
 I. Quality of Voice. 
 
 Quality is the kind of tone which is produced by 
 the vocal organs. It may be pure or impure. Pure 
 tone may be simple pure or orotund. (1.) The sim- 
 ple pure tone is well adapted to ordinary conversa- 
 tion, reading, and speaking. The following should 
 be read in this tone : 
 
 A kind, loving preceptor makes a kind, loving, obedient 
 school. Love reigns in Heaven, and is the dominant power of 
 our nature ; it should, therefore, nervade the school with its 
 holy influence— S. A. & M. of T.— The Author. 
 
 The God he served was strong to save 
 
 His servant in the den ; 
 The fate devised for Daniel's life 
 
 O'ertook those scheming men. 
 
 —Mrs. F. E. W. Harper. 
 
 (2 ) The Orotund is a full, round tone. It is 
 adapted to the expression of awe, grandeur, sub- 
 limity, courage, reverence, veneration, and other 
 holy emotions. Horace uses this term in speaking 
 of the flowing eloquence of the Greeks. In order 
 to practice with effectiveness the orotund, pro- 
 nounce the vowel O as forcibly as possible. Then, 
 keeping the mouth in. the same position, pronounce 
 the long and short sounds of the vowels A, E, I, 
 and words which contain these sounds. The fol- 
 lowing should be rendered with this tone : 
 
 The solid basis of a pure social fabric has been laid, and the 
 superstructure of a holy social condition is manifest on every 
 hand. Freedom and Progress. — The Author. 
 
 God ! at thine altar in thanksgiving bending, 
 Grant that our eyes thy great goodness may Fee ; 
 
 0, may thy light, while the temple's veil rending, 
 Show, through its portals the path of the free. 
 
 Freedom's Jubilee.— E. W. Smith. 
 
EXPRESSION. 27 
 
 Impure Tone is used to express the baser passions 
 and emotions. It is also used in the recital of 
 pieces of a ludicrous nature. It may be divided in- 
 to aspirate, pectoral, guttural, and falsetto. 
 
 (3.) The Aspirate is a strong whisper which has 
 a little or no vocalit} r . It may be a half-whisper or 
 a pure whisper. It is employed to signify wonder, 
 fear, secrecy, caution, and moral impurity. The 
 following should be given in the pure whisper : 
 
 Soldiers, you are now within a few steps of the enemy's out- 
 post. Our scouts report them slumbering around their watch- 
 fires, and entirely unprepared for our attack. 
 
 The pure whisper is not frequently used in read- 
 ing and speaking. It is very valuable, however, in 
 the development of the voice. Preference is usual- 
 ly given to the half-whisper. The following may 
 be practiced in the half- whisper : 
 
 Hark ! I hear the bugles of the enemy ! They are on their 
 march along the bank of the river. For the boat! Forward! 
 
 (4.) The Pectoral is a very low orotund. It is 
 used to denote despair, anger, solemnity, and that 
 which is supernatural. The folio wing stanza should 
 be given in this tone : 
 
 0, 1 have passed a miserable night — 
 
 So full of fearful dreams and ugly sights, 
 
 That, as I am a Christian, faithful man, 
 
 I would not spend another such anight, 
 
 Though 'twere to buy a world of happy days — 
 
 So full of dismal terror was the time. 
 
28 SCIENCE AND ART OF ELOCUTION. 
 
 (5.) The Guttural is a deep tone formed in the 
 throat. • It expresses loathing, contempt, revenge, 
 hatred, and intense anger. The following should 
 be rendered in the guttural tone : 
 
 How like a fawning publican he looks ! 
 
 I hate him for he is a Christian. 
 
 If I catch him once upon the hip, 
 
 I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him — 
 
 Cursed be my tribe if I forgive him. 
 
 Merchant of Venice.— Shakespeare. 
 
 (6.) The Falsetto is a very high-pitched tone. 
 It is the language of terror or pain, and is used to 
 imitate the voice of a female, The cry, scream, and 
 yell are different modes of the falsetto. The words 
 of Xantippe in the following stanza should be given 
 • in this tone : 
 
 "Now, Socrates, ctearest," Xantippe replied, 
 "I hate to hear everything vulgarly my'd ; 
 Now, whenever you speak of your chattels again, 
 Say our cow house, our barn yard, our pig pen." 
 
 (II) Melody. 
 
 By Melody we mean a melodious sound produced 
 by a rhythmical succession of tones. It has re- 
 spect to pitch, inflections, and cadence. In nothing 
 is a reader's good taste more manifest than in his 
 adaptation of pitch, inflections, and cadence to dif- 
 ferent shades of thought and emotion, Such a 
 skilful adaptation imparts a musical expression 
 which is truly captivating. 
 
EXPRESSION. 29 
 
 (1.) Pitch is the degree of elevation of the voice. 
 Low Pitch, which is usually associated with slow 
 movement, is appropriate to seriousness, sublimity, 
 solemnity, pathos, vehemence, and reverence. The 
 following should be read in the low pitch : 
 
 The stars shall fade away, the sun himself 
 Grow dim with age, and nature sink in years; 
 But thou shalt floi rish in immortal youth, 
 Unhurt amidst the war of elements, 
 The wreck of matter and the crash of worlds. 
 
 Cato's Soliloquy. — Addison. 
 
 Natural, or Middle Pitch is the tone of the voice 
 used in ordinary reading or speaking. The follow- 
 ing should be expressed in this pitch : 
 
 There is a tide in the affaire of men, 
 Which, taken at its flood, lead on to fortune ; 
 Omitted, all the voyage of their life 
 Is bound in shallows and in miseries, 
 
 — Shakespeare, 
 
 High Pitch, which usually accompanies fast rate, 
 is employed to express excitement, gayety, joy, fear, 
 and grief. The following should be rendered in 
 this tone : 
 
 Hurrah for the sea ! the all-glorious sea ! 
 
 Its might is so wondrous, its spirit so free ! 
 
 And its billows beat time to each pulse of my soul, 
 
 Which, impatient, like them, cannot yield to control. 
 
 (2.) Inflections, or Slides are upward and down- 
 ward movements of the voice employed to give a 
 better expression in reading or speaking. In ex- 
 
30 
 
 SCIENCE AND ART OF ELOCUTION. 
 
 pressions of power, vastness, awe, reverence, and 
 solemnity, the voice generally maintains a level 
 movement. This intonation is designated a mono- 
 tone. The following should be read in this tone : 
 
 Holy ! holy ! holy ! Lord God of Sabaoth ! 
 Shall mortal man be more just than God ? 
 Shall a man be more pure than his Maker? 
 
 — Job iv:17. 
 
 Ascending Inflections, or Slides are upward 
 turns of the voice. They signify uncertainty, inter- 
 rogation, and incompletion of thought. The fol- 
 lowing should be rendered with the rising inflection 
 on attire, holiday, flowers, and blood. 
 
 And do you now put on your best attire ? 
 And do you now cull out a holiday ? 
 And do you now strew flowers on his way 
 That comes in triumph over Pompey's blood? 
 
 Descending Inflections, or Slides ars downward 
 turns of the voice. They denote assurance, a fixed 
 purpose, and completeness of thought The follow- 
 ing should be recited with the falling inflection on 
 bondman, speak, offended, and Roman. 
 
 Who's here so base that would be a bondman ? If any, 
 speak; fer him have I offended. Who's here so rude that 
 would not be a Roman ? If -any, speak; for him have I of- 
 fended. 
 
 The Circumflex, or Complex Inflection is a turn 
 of the voice which includes both a rise and fall on 
 the same syllable. It is the utterance of contrast, 
 comparison, raillery, and irony. The following 
 stanza from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar should re- 
 ceive the circumflex inflection on say, better, appear, 
 true, well, ql<id, and noble. 
 
 
EXPRESSION. 31 
 
 You say you are a better soldier, 
 Let it appear so. Make your vaunting true, 
 And it shall please me well. For mine own 
 Part, I shall be glad to hear of noble men. 
 
 (3.) Cadence is the tone with which a sentence 
 ends. It may terminate with the rising, the falling, 
 or the circumflex inflection ; or it may end with no 
 slide whatever. A nice discrimination with refer- 
 ence to the meaning of a sentence will aid in de- 
 ciding with what inflection it should terminate. A 
 sentence which embraces a complete thought with 
 no modifying phrase or clause, and which is not af- 
 fected by anything which precedes or follows it 
 should end with the falling inflection ; otherwise, it 
 should close with a tone adapted to the connection 
 of meaning, 
 
 III. Form. 
 The form of voice ma}' be effusive, expulsive, or 
 explosive. In the effusive form, the breath is given 
 out gently and without effort. It is characteristic 
 of that which is grand, beautiful, or pathetic. The 
 following stanza should be read w T ith this form : 
 
 Over the river they beckon to me, 
 
 Loved ones who crossed on the other side; 
 The gleam of their snowy ro^es I see, 
 
 But their voices are drowned by the rushing tide. 
 There's one with ringlets of sunny gold, 
 
 And eyes the reflection of heaven's own blue. 
 He crossed in the twilight gray and cold, 
 
 And the pale mist hid him from mortal view. 
 
 In the Expulsive Form, the breath is expelled 
 with the amount of effort needed in ordinary read- 
 
32 
 
 SCIENCE AND ART OF ELOCUTION. 
 
 ing or speaking. It is the most common kind of 
 form. The following stanza from "The Builders" of 
 Longfellow should be rendered with this form : 
 
 All are architects of Fate, 
 
 Working in these walls of Time ; 
 Some with massive deeds and great, 
 
 Some with ornaments of rhyme. 
 For the structure that we raise 
 
 Time is with materials filled ; 
 Our to-days and yesterdays 
 
 Are the blocks with which we build. 
 
 In the Explosive Form, the breath is given out 
 with a jerking or bursting effort. It is usually em- 
 ployed in shouting, military commands, and vehe- 
 ment language. The following shouldbe given with 
 this form : 
 
 "Halt!" — the dust-brown rank stood fast; 
 "Fire!"— out blazed the rifle blast.. 
 
 (IV.) Force, 
 
 Force h the degree of loudness used in reading 
 or speaking. It may be gentle, natural, or loud. 
 The intensity of force is conditioned on the space 
 to be filled by the voice and the emotions expressed. 
 In the school-room, a clear tone and an easy utter- 
 ance should be cultivated. 
 
 Gentle Force is well adapted to tender and pa- 
 thetic descriptions. The following pathetic stanza 
 from "The Burial of Moses" should be read with 
 gentle force : 
 
 Noiselessly as the spring-time 
 
 Her crown of verdure weaves, 
 And all the trees on all the hills 
 
 Open their thousand leaves, — 
 So, without sound of music 
 
 Or voice of them that wept, 
 Silently down from the mountain, crown 
 
 The great procession swept. 
 
EXPRESSION. 33 
 
 Natural, or Moderate Force is most commonly 
 employed in ordinary reading or speaking. The fol- 
 lowing stanza should be rendered with this force : 
 
 Do not look for wrong or evil — 
 
 You will find them if you do ; 
 As you measure for your neighbor 
 
 •He will measure back to you. 
 
 Loud Force is adapted to grand descriptions and 
 ideas of power. The following spirited stanza 
 should be read with loud force : 
 
 The storm is out ; the land is roused ; 
 Where is the coward who sits well housed ? 
 Fie on thee, boy, disguised in curls, 
 Behind the stove, 'mong gluttons and girls, 
 
 Forth in the van, 
 
 Man by man ! 
 Swing the battle-sword who can ! 
 
 V. Movement, or Eate of Utterance. 
 
 Movement, or Eate of Utterance signifies the 
 amcunt of time given to a word or to several suc- 
 cessive words. The time given to a word is some- 
 times called quantity ; that given to several succes- 
 sive words is sometimes called rate. In this work, 
 rate embraces the time of a word or that of several 
 successive words. In speaking or reading, move- 
 ment may be slow, natural, or fast. 
 
 Slow Movement, or Eate is characteristic of the 
 utterance of horror, repose, tenderness, pathos, 
 grief, vastness, and power. The following lines 
 from William Cullen Bryant's Thanatopsis should be 
 read with slowness : 
 
34 SCIENCE ANt) ART OF ELOCUTION. 
 
 So live that when thy summons comes to join 
 
 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 a quarry slave at night 
 
 Scourged to his dungeon ; but sustained and soothed 
 
 By an unfaltering trust, approach thy grave 
 
 Like one who wraps the drapery of his couch 
 
 About him, and lies down to pleasant dreams. 
 
 Natural, oe Moderate Movement is employed in 
 ordinary reading or speaking. The following stan- 
 za should be read with a moderate rate : 
 
 To gild refined gold, to paint the lily, 
 
 To throw perfume on the violet, 
 
 To smooth the ice, or add another hue 
 
 Unto the rainbow, or with a taper-light 
 
 To seek the beauteous eye of heaven to garnish, 
 
 Is wasteful and ridiculous excess. 
 
 Fast Movement, or Rate is used to express ex- 
 citement, fear, earnestness, and lively or joyous 
 emotion. The following extract from The Battle of 
 Ivry by T. B. Macaulay should be read with ra- 
 pidity : 
 
 A thousand spurs are striking deep, a thousand spears in rest, 
 A thousand knights are pressing close behind the snow-white 
 
 crest, 
 And in they burst, and on they rushed, while like a guiding 
 
 star, 
 Amid the thickest carnage blazed the helmet of Navarre. 
 
 In connection with rate of utterance, it may be 
 appropriate to speak of pause. Mr. Webster says : 
 "Pause is a temporary cessation, or brief suspen- 
 sion of the voice in reading or speaking." A gram- 
 matical pause is indicated by marks of punctuation. 
 
EXPRESSION. 35 
 
 A rhetorical pause is one made in reading ; as, hab- 
 its of mental discipline are necessary in any system 
 of education. A rhetorical pause occurs after dis- 
 cipline. Prosodial pauses are used in verse. Sher- 
 idan, Dr. Lowth, Garrick, Di\ Johnson, and Sargent 
 affirm that a pause should be made at the end of 
 every line of poetry whether the sense requires it 
 or not. This pause, however, should be so slight 
 as not to interrupt the sense of the poem. 
 
 We may also speak of long, natural, and short 
 pauses. These may be used in almost all reading 
 and speaking Long pause is usually used in con- 
 nection with slow rate. Natural pause is character- 
 istic of ordinary description and unimpassioned 
 language. Short pause attends fast rate, and is 
 suited to haste, fear, or surprise. 
 
 (VI.) Stress. 
 
 Stress is force applied to a word or syllable. It 
 may be termed a finishing, polishing touch which 
 renders the thought more beautiful and complete. 
 It is less important than correct quality of voice, 
 suitable degrees of pitch, rate, or emphasis. It is 
 highly advantageous that instruction and practice 
 on stress be limited to single words. Stress may 
 be initial, median, final, compound, thorough, and 
 tremulous. 
 
 (1.) Initial Stress is an explosive force on the 
 beginning of a word. It belongs to the utterance 
 of all sounds which convey abrupt or startling emo- 
 tions. It also exists in the natural speaking voice, 
 and is the most common form of stress. It is 
 
SCIENCE AND ART OF ELOCUTION. 
 
 adapted to lively, joyous description. The follow- 
 ing excerpt of Cicero's Oration against, Catiline may be 
 practiced with the initial stress: 
 
 Long since, Catiline, ought the consul to have ordered thee 
 to execution, and brought upon thine own head the ruin thou 
 hast been meditating against other?. There was that virtue 
 once in Rome that a wicked citizen was held more execrable 
 than the deadliest foe 
 
 (2.) Median, or Smooth Stress is an effusive 
 force applied to the middle of the word. It some- 
 times occurs on a single word, and sometimes con- 
 tinues throughout an entire sentence. It is char- 
 acteristic of the orotund quality. It is the most 
 agreeable form of stress. The following extract 
 may be practiced with this stress : 
 
 Enrich and embellish the universe as you will, it. is only a 
 temple for the heart that loves truth with supreme love. The 
 laws of nature are sublime, but there is a moral sublimity be- 
 fore which the highest intelligence must kneel and adore. 
 
 Education. — Horace Mann. 
 
 (3.) Final Stress is an explosive force on the lat- 
 ter part of a syllable or word. It expresses anger, 
 defiance, and great determination. The following 
 stanza may be practiced with this stress : 
 
 Thou slave ! thou wretch ! thou coward ! 
 Thou little valiant, great in villainy ! 
 Thou ever strong upon the stronger side! 
 
 King John. — Shakespeare. 
 
 (4.) Compound Stress is compounded of the ini- 
 tial and final in the same word. It expresses great 
 surprise, sarcasm, and irony. The following may 
 be rendered with this stress : 
 
 Gone to be married ! Gone to swear a peace ! 
 False blood to false blood joined ! Gone to be friends ! 
 Shall Lewis have Blanche and Blanche these provinces! 
 
 King John.— Shakespeare. 
 
EXPRESSION. 
 
 37 
 
 (5.) Thorough Stress is an emphatic force used 
 in shouting, calling, commands, and courageous ut- 
 terances. The following stanza should be rendered 
 with this stress : 
 
 Blaze with your serried columns ! 
 
 I will not bend the knee ! 
 The shackles ne'er again shall bind 
 
 The arm which now is free. 
 
 (6 ) Tremulous Stress is a broken or tremulous 
 force used in expressions of fear, joy, sorrow, pathos, 
 grief, sickness, and in imitation of the weak voice 
 of old age. The following stanza should be read 
 with this stress : 
 
 God ! to clasp those finger's close, 
 
 And yet to feel so lonely ! 
 To see a light on dearest brows 
 
 Which is the daylight only ! 
 
 Be pitiful, God!— The Cry of the Human.— Elizabeth 
 Barrett Browning. 
 
 (2) Emphasis. 
 
 Emphasis is a particular stress of utterance, or 
 force of voice given to the words or parts of a dis- 
 course which the speaker desires to impress on his 
 hearers. It may consist of any peculiarity of ex- 
 pression which will direct attention to a word or 
 words of a sentence. Emphasis may be of quality, 
 pitch, force, rate, or stress. The orotund, aspirate, 
 pectoral, or guttural tone may call special attention 
 to words. High or low pitch, loudness of voice, 
 fast or slow rate, or any kind of stress may be ef- 
 fectively used for the same purpose. 
 
38 SCIENCE AND ART OF T-LOCUTION, 
 
 He who desires to read or speak well should care- 
 fully stuliy this subject. While no inflexible rules 
 can foe given for the guidance of the elocutionist, 
 some general directions concerning emphasis will 
 be found serviceable to him. Firstly, in general, 
 the subject, predicate, object, and connectives of a 
 sentence should be emphasized. Secondly, in read- 
 ing or speaking, analyze tire thoughts to decide 
 which parts are most prominent. Give these spe- 
 cial emphasis. Express tJie subordinate portions 
 with less force. Thirdly, in general, pronouns, ad- 
 jectives, and adverbs should be emphasized when 
 contrast or comparison is intended. Practice the 
 following examples from Julius Caesar : 
 
 But what of Cicero? Shall we sound him V 
 To you our swords have leaden points, Mark Antony. 
 Here is a mourning Rome, a dangerous Rome. 
 .. Most noble Caesar ! royal Caesar! 
 
 Speak your grief softly ; I do know you well. 
 
 Fourthly, a succession of objects or ideas should 
 be emphasized, Each of the series should 'receive 
 more force than the one preceding it. The follow- 
 ing examples of climax may be practiced with ben- 
 efit : 
 
 Days, r,ion ths, and years have passed. Clarence 
 has come ! false, fleeting, perjured Clarence ! Lib- 
 erty and union, now and forever, ONE and inseparable. 
 
 Fifthly, a word may be made more emphatic by 
 bringing out its full meaning by its sound. The 
 quality of the sound or noise which an externalob- 
 ject makes may also be imitated by the sound of 
 the voice. This playing upon words is frequently 
 
EXPRESSION. S3 
 
 termed word-individuality, expressive intonation, 
 or imitative modulation. The following words may 
 be practiced to briug out their full meaning : Whis- 
 tle, roar, crash, flow, rattle, buzz, rich, poor, little, 
 hard, broad, breast, dove, powerful, glory, terrible, 
 gold, silver, lordly, sparkling. 
 
 In practicing selections, pay strict attention 
 to word individuality. Words are like pianos. To 
 the one ignorant of their meaning, they have little 
 attraction ; but when a master touches them, they 
 unfold unexpected beauty and power. 
 
 (3 ) Kinds of Pieces and Analysis. 
 
 Conversation, reading, and public speaking con- 
 stitute the three forms of speech. When we con- 
 verse, we usually speak such words as come most 
 readily to our lips. In conversation, our language 
 should be correct, chaste, and natural. In reading, 
 we generally reproduce the thoughts of another. 
 Without careful study, the reader is liable to em- 
 ploy an unnatural mode of expression. A selection 
 of any kind should be read as a cultivated person 
 would speak it. In public speaking, a marked dis- 
 tinction should be made between the conversational 
 or explanatory and the rhetorical or dramatic por- 
 tions. Description or narration should never be 
 delivered in a declamatory style. 
 
 To use the voice with good effect in reading or 
 speaking, there is needed a thorough analysis of the 
 thoughts and feelings to be read or spoken. It is 
 evident that almost if not all pieces for expressive 
 reading may be arranged in appropriate classes. 
 
40 SCIENCE AND ART 01* ELOCUTION. 
 
 These classes are based on the emotions, which 
 constitute the soul of expressive reading, and will 
 be found definite enough for all ordinary purposes. 
 These different classes are as follows : 
 
 (1.) Unemotional. Under this class, we may 
 place pieces of a conversational, narrative, descrip- 
 tive, or didactic nature. 
 
 (2.) Joyous or Animated. This embraces compo- 
 sitions of a happy, lively, or beautiful kiud. 
 
 (3.) Pathetic and Grave. To avoid too many 
 classes, we prefer to embrace pathetic and grave 
 emotions in one class. Pathetic writings include 
 all gentle, tender, or sad ideas, and grave, all ideas 
 of solemnity, secrec}', fear, or reverence. 
 
 (4.) Impassioned and Bold. Under this class, we 
 may place pieces which embody violent passions ; 
 as, anger, hate, contempt, defiance, revenge, and 
 fearlessness. Many declamatory pieces belong to 
 this class. 
 
 (5.) Grand. This class embraces all ideas that 
 are great, noble, sublime, majestic, or heroic, 
 
 (6.) Ironic or Sportive. This class includes rail- 
 lery, jest, ridicule, mockery, or sarcasm. 
 
 How to Analyze a Selection or Oration. 
 
 Firstly, when a selection is to be read, the reader 
 should first determine its kind or general spirit, 
 and place it in its appropriate class. This should 
 be done in order that he may know with what qual- 
 ity of voice, pitch, form, force, rate, and stress it 
 should be rendered. All these separate elements 
 are found in the natural expression of each kind of 
 
JXPRISSION. 41 
 
 composition. The term abrupt stress in the following 
 classes means initial, final, or compound stress. 
 The judgment of the reader must decide which is 
 appropriate to a particular word. 
 
 (1.) In Emotional Sellctions, pure quality of 
 voice, middle pitch, expulsive form, moderate force, 
 moderate rate, and smooth stress should be em- 
 ployed. Light descriptions should have the effu- 
 sive form. 
 
 (2.) Joyous or Animated Pieces should be read 
 with pure quality of voice, high pitch, effusive form, 
 loud force, fast rate, and smooth stress. 
 
 (3.) Pathetic and Grave Pieces embody almost 
 the same elements of expression. Pathetic selec- 
 tions should be rendered with the pure tone, middle 
 pitch, effusive form, gentle force, slow rate, aud 
 smooth stress. When pain or terror is expressed, 
 the falsetto should be used. Grave selections 
 should be read with the orotund tone, low pitch, 
 effusive form, gentle force, slow rate, and smooth 
 stress. When fear, aversion, or secrecy is express- 
 ed, the aspirate quality of voice and abrupt stress 
 should be used. 
 
 (4.) Impassioned and Bold Pieces embody some 
 similar elements. These selections should be ren- 
 dered with pure quality of voice, middle pitch, ex- 
 plosive form, loud force, moderate rate, and abrupt 
 stress when they express moderate anger, moderate 
 hate, or fearlessness. * The guttural tone should be 
 used when they express intense anger, strong hate, 
 defiance, or revenge. 
 
42 SCIENCE AND ART OF ELOCUTION. 
 
 (5.) Grand Selections should be read with the 
 orotund tone, effusive form, middle pitch, loud 
 force, slow rate, and smooth stress, 
 
 (6.) Ironic or Sportive Pieces admit much varie- 
 ty. Ironic pieces should be rendered with a guttu- 
 r;il tone, middle pitch, effusive form, slow time, and 
 compound stress. Humorous selections including 
 good-natured raillery or jest should be read with a 
 pure tone, higher pitch, and faster time. With 
 ironic and sportive selections, the force should vary 
 from moderate to loud according to their boldness. 
 
 Some elocutionist may take exception to our class- 
 ification of selections and to some elements as- 
 signed to some of the classes. Of course, I am 
 fully aware that a prose or poetic piece may em- 
 body such ideas and feelings that it could not per- 
 haps be wholly classified under any one of the 
 above classes. Such a piece would be called mixed. 
 The unemotional part of it should be read accord- 
 ing to the rule for reading unemotional pieces; the 
 bold, according to the rule for reading bold pieces; 
 other kinds, according to the rules given for them. 
 
 Elocution is not an exact science. Much depends 
 on the judgment, training, tact, and industry of the 
 student of elocution. After having examined sev- 
 eral authorities on classification of selections, I am 
 convinced from study and class work that the one 
 given in this work is most simple and useful for 
 students, readers, and speakers. I would suggest 
 that form of voice and stress may be omitted in the 
 study of a piece. This may be helpful to learners. 
 
EXPRESSION. 43 
 
 A thorough knowledge and readiness in classification 
 and use of tone, pitch, force, and rate are essential 
 to a good reader or speaker. The teacher should 
 lay great stress on these. It is advisable for those 
 who wish to excel in elocution to master all the ele- 
 ments contained in tbe classes. 
 
 Secondly, after a piece has been arranged in its 
 appropriate class and its elements are known, the 
 most important thoughts and their relative degree 
 of importance should be determined. This is es- 
 sential in order that proper emphasis may be used. 
 The question arises, What standard will guide us in 
 using emphasis ? The degree of force given to the 
 unemphatic words will seive as a starting point in 
 giving force to emphatic ones. In other Avoids, tbe 
 kind of force appropriate to each different class is 
 the standard force for the pieces of this class, We 
 stated that, in unemotional pieces, tbe standard 
 force is moderate ; in joyous or animated, loud ; in 
 pathetic and grave, gentle ; in impassioned and bold, 
 loud ; in grand, loud ; in ironic and sportive, it varies 
 from moderate to loud. 
 
 It is perfectly evident that some emphatic thoughts 
 in a piece are more important than others. If all 
 emphatic words in a given selection are read with 
 tbe same force, equal importance is given to all. 
 This would cause an author's thoughts to lose much 
 of their weight. We must, then, determine the rel- 
 ative importance of the emphatic words that tbe 
 ideas may be fully brought out. As we know the 
 standard force for any given piece, we may easily 
 give to each emphatic idea its appropriate degree of 
 
44 SCIENCE AND ART OP ELOCUTION. 
 
 force. It will be found advantageous at this junc- 
 ture to study with care that portion of the work 
 which treats of Emphasis. 
 
 Selections Analyzed. 
 
 An analysis of the following piece will serve to 
 illustrate how each selection in this work should be 
 studied and analyzed in an attempt to render it : 
 
 The stars and stripes of the union and liberty 
 wave their lustrous beauty over the German, not as 
 a German, but as an American citizen ; and the Con- 
 stitution, crimsoned with the blood of our ancestors; 
 the courts, made sacred by the scourgings of Divine 
 Providence, the salutary laws, purged and sanctified 
 by a million brave sons of Columbia, protect and 
 adorn us not as Colored-Americans, not as related to 
 Africa, but as American citizens. — From the Author. 
 
 First, let us ascertain the general spirit of this 
 piece, and place it under its appropriate class. As 
 the selection seems to embody the dignity of Amer- 
 ican citizenship, it belongs to the class denominated 
 grand. We have learned that grand pieces should 
 be read with the orotund tone, effusive form, mid- 
 dle pitch, loud force, slow rate, and smooth stress. 
 
 Secondly, let us now decide what words should be 
 emphasized, and what is their relative degree of im- 
 portance. The words printed in italics and small 
 capitals should receive emphasis. Those in small 
 capitals are considered more important than the 
 others. The standard force is loud. The words in 
 italics should receive additional force to distinguish 
 them from the unemphatic words. The words in 
 
EXPRESSION. 45 
 
 small capitals should receive more force than those 
 in italics. To express the general spirit and the 
 relative significance of the ideas of this paragraph, 
 we should use three distinct degrees of force. 
 
 It is not uncommon to meet selections of a mixed 
 character. Some portions may embody merely de- 
 scriptive or didactic matter while others may con- 
 tain sentiments of an animated, bold, grave, or hu- 
 morous nature. The reader should aim to properly 
 classify the different parts of a mixed piece and 
 read each part with its appropriate vocal elements. 
 The following extract from "Science, Art, and Meth- 
 ods of Teaching" illustrates this class of selections: 
 
 Let us look at the greatest of the world's great 
 religious teachers — Jesus Christ. His mission to 
 mankind was to save them from the curse and pen- 
 alty of violated law. Between a holy, righteous God 
 and unholy, sinful man, there could exist no fellow- 
 ship. He came to earth to reconcile man to his 
 God by making for him an atoning sacrifice. He 
 lived a life of self-sacrificing devotion to man 
 and holy rectitude. He alleviated the sick, and 
 gave the balm of joy to the disconsolate and the 
 distressed. He was feared and hated by the self- 
 styled religionists and the canting infidels of his time, 
 and, on a false charge, was nailed to a wooden 
 cross. The master of death, he burst the strong 
 bands of the grave, appeared for forty days among 
 men, and, at last, triumphantly ascended to Heaven. 
 He left to the world a philosophic system of holy 
 truth, which regenerates the life, ennobles mankind , 
 
46 SCIENCE AND ART OF ELOCUTION. 
 
 purifies governments, erects our grand institutions, 
 and advances our civilization. 
 
 In seeking to detect the general spirit of this 
 piece, we discover that the first paragraph ending 
 with sacrifice is unemotional ; that the part ending 
 with "a wooden cross" is 'pathetic ; and that the re- 
 maining is grand. The vocal- elements appropriate 
 to the unemotional part are pure tone, middle pitch, 
 expulsive form, moderate force, moderate rate, and 
 smooth stress. The vocal elements appropriate to 
 the pathetic part are pure tone, high pitch, effusive 
 form, gentle force, slow rate, and smooth stress. 
 The last part should be read with orotund tone, 
 middle pitch, effusive form, loud force, slow rate, 
 and smooth stress, Having properly classified each 
 portion, the next step consists in picking out the 
 words requiring emphasis and in deciding on their 
 relative importance. The selection maynowberen- 
 dered with correct expression. 
 
 These directions for the analysis of a piece apply 
 to poetry as well as prose. In reading poetry, 
 enough attention should be given to quantity and 
 accent to fill out the time uniformly in each foot of 
 the poetic measure and to perceptibly mark its 
 rhythm.* Care should be exercised to avoid the of- 
 fensive sinking tone which is often heard in reading 
 poetry. To read poetry as emotional prose is pre- 
 ferable to a recital of it in an offensive sing-song 
 tone. 
 
 If the student of the selections of this work will 
 carefully master vocal elements and systematically 
 study to learn the nature of each piece and its em- 
 phatic words, he may reasonably hope that his ar- 
 tistic acquirements will render him an expressive 
 reader. 
 
LECTURE V. 
 
 GESTURE 
 
 Gesture Defined— The Natural Expression of Feeling — 
 Principles for Gesticulation — Position of the Body — Posi- 
 tion of the Head — The Hands and Arms — Front, Oblique, 
 Lateral, and Backward Gestures — Horizontal, Ascendivg, 
 and Descending Gestures — Exercises for Gesticulation. 
 
 '"To this standard make your just appeal : 
 Here lies the golden secret, — Learn to feel." 
 
 "The action of the hands is the common language of all 
 mankind, without which all gesture is weak and impotent." — 
 Quintilian. 
 
 Gesture may be defined as a motion of the body 
 or a part of the body expressive of sentiment or 
 passion, While the subject of gesture is less im- 
 portant than that of voice, it should be studied with 
 care. It is the natural expression of feeling, lacier 
 the impulse of joy, grief, anger, revenge, or any 
 passion, the eyes, face, body, and arms are more or 
 less affected. Unaided by language, it is possible 
 for an individual to intelligently express by gesture 
 alone almost any emotion or desire, Cicero advises 
 
48 SCIENCE AND ART OF ELOCUTION. 
 
 the orator to study with care the management of the 
 eye. Sheridan says, "With the hands alone, we can 
 demand a promise, call, dismiss, threaten, suppli- 
 cate, ask, deny, manifest joy, sorrow, detestation, 
 fear, and admiration." 
 
 The true key to the effective use of gesture is 
 earnestness. When the speaker is animated with 
 his subject, he will voluntarily gesticulate. In fact, 
 the general tendency is to employ gesticulation to 
 an excess. There should be no movement of the 
 hands which does not aid in expressing a thought. 
 It is no little accomplishment to be able to grace- 
 fully stand still. The following stanza well de- 
 scribes the man of ungraceful attitude : 
 
 "Awkward, embarassecl, stiff, without the skill 
 Of moving gracefully, or standing still — 
 Blessed with all other requisites to please, 
 He wants the striking elegance of ease." 
 
 It is very difficult to lay down any practical rules 
 for the expression of feeling by gesticulation. When 
 that matchless statesman — Toussaint Louverture — 
 called upon his people to repel the invading foe, he 
 needed no rules of art to teach him how to gesture. 
 The intense feeling which agitated his bosom pro- 
 duced appropriate gestures. A noted writer said, 
 "Nature can do much without art ; art, but little 
 without nature. Nature assaults the heart ; art 
 plays upon the fancy." 
 
 Principles For Gesture, 
 
 I. Position of the Body. The position of the 
 ]body should harmonize with the nature of the 
 
EXPRESSION. 49 
 
 thought. A firm posture is in harmony with vig- 
 orous utterance, and an easy, graceful attitude suits 
 beautiful, joyous sentiment. In general, when the 
 speaker's language is not impassioned at the begin- 
 ning, the whole weight of the body should be thrown 
 on either the right or left leg. One foot should be 
 a little in advance of the other, and a space of six or 
 eight inches should intervene between the feet. The 
 weight of the body should generally be sustained 
 by one foot, and the limb which does not support 
 the weight should be slightly bent. If the weight 
 of the body is borne by the right leg, the speaker 
 may, on uttering a new paragraph or division of his 
 subject, reverse his position, and use his left leg as 
 he did his right. 
 
 II. Position of the Head. The position of the 
 head should be easy and natural. Some orators use 
 the head with much effect. An excessive movement 
 of the head detracts much from the effectiveness of 
 delivery. When a speaker allows himself to stare 
 into vacancy, he displays timidity to his audience, 
 and is liable to lose control over them. The speaker 
 should fix his gaze on the people addressed. The 
 eyes should not be held entirely on the book during 
 reading, but should be raised from it ever and anon. 
 The whole expression of the countenance should be 
 in harmony with the thought. 
 
 III. The Hand and Aems. The hand and arms 
 are used frequently in gesticulation. The hand may 
 be supine, prone, vertical, pointing, or clenched. 
 Each of these positions possesses its own sig- 
 nificance. 
 
50 SCIENCE AND ART Oft ELOCUTION. 
 
 (1.) The Supine Hand is loosely opened with the 
 palm upward. It signifies honesty, an unfolding 
 of thought, or geniality. It is most commonly used. 
 
 (2.) The Prone Hand is loosely opened with the 
 palm downward. It expresses denial, suppression, 
 prostration, destruction, scorn, contempt, awe, so- 
 lemnity, probability, or aversion. 
 
 (3.) The Vertical Hand is thrown back upon the 
 wrist with the palm outward and away from the 
 speaker. It denotes repulsion, removal, or intense 
 abhorrence. 
 
 (4.) The Pointing Hand extends the fore-finger, 
 and is employed to designate a particular thing or 
 place and to express special emphasis, discrim- 
 ination, or a warning. 
 
 (5.) The Clenched Hand denotes great emphasis, 
 fierce determination, forcible declaration, defiance, 
 and anger. 
 
 Gestures of the hand and arm may be front, 
 oblique, lateral, or backward, (1.) Front gestures 
 are made in the direction of a line drawn straight 
 forward from the shoulder. They designate what 
 is near, and signify specific reference, unity, or great 
 emphasis. (2.) Oblique gestures extend to an angle 
 of forty-five degrees between the front and side. 
 They designate general reference and ordinary em- 
 phasis. (3.) Lateral gestures are made in the di- 
 rection of ninety degrees outward from the front, 
 straight out from the sides. They are significant of 
 distance, descriptive reference, withdrawal, and ex- 
 tension in time, space, or thought. (4,) Backward 
 gestures are made in a direction of forty-five degrees 
 
GESTURE. 51 
 
 backward from lateral. They denote remoteness 
 in space or time, retrospective ideas, and retrogres- 
 sion. 
 
 Each of these may be horizontal, ascending, or 
 descending. (1.) Horizontal gestures should be 
 level with the shoulders, Thev indicate equality, 
 and belong to the realm of the intellect. (2.) Ascend- 
 ing gestures should extend above the shoulders. 
 They signify superiority, grandeur, elevation, or 
 supplication, and belong to the realm of the imag- 
 ination. (3.) Descending gestures express inferior- 
 ity, determination, or great emphasis, and belong to 
 the realm of the will. 
 
 Every gesture with the hand should be given with 
 firmness, and should consist of a preparation, an 
 execution, and a return. In preparing for gestic- 
 ulation, the hand rises half way between the front 
 and side to a point a little above where the gesture 
 is to be given. In its execution, the hand is brought 
 down to the desired point with a stroke from the 
 wrist upon the emphatic word. In its return, the 
 hand slowly reaches its place at the side. Except 
 in conveying ideas of force or strength, the hand 
 should move in curved lines. 
 
 The motion of the arms should commence at the 
 shoulders, and should not be accompanied by any 
 action of the shoulder or swaying of the body. The 
 body should be kept square to the audience. When 
 the left foot is in advance, gesture is most graceful 
 with the right hand; bat with the left hand when 
 the right foot is in advance. 
 
52 SCIENCE AND ART OF ELOCUTION. 
 
 EXERCISES FOR GESTICULATION. 
 
 Ease and grace should characterize the move- 
 ments of the arm and hand. One hand should not 
 be used exclusively in gesticulation. An alternate 
 use of the right and left hand betrays the novice in 
 oratory. The right is naturally employed more 
 frequently than the left. Gestures should some- 
 times be made with two hands. While they embody 
 the same significance as single gestures, they may 
 be used for variety and greater effect. 
 
 A careful practice on the following exercises will 
 abundantly repay in ease and grace of movement. 
 The words up, down, high, low, and numbers may af- 
 ford advantageous practice in gesture. Repeat the 
 words up ! down ! high ! low ! using the left hand 
 on high and the right hand on the others. Also 
 count one, two, three, four, five, six, etc., using the left 
 hand on each third word and the right on the 
 others. These gestures may be descending front, 
 horizontal f ron t, ascending front, descending oblique, 
 horizontal oblique, ascending oblique, descending- 
 lateral, horizontal lateral, ascending lateral, descen- 
 ding back, horizontal back, and ascending back. 
 These are abbreviated thus : D. F., descending 
 front ; H. F., horizontal front ; A. F., ascending 
 front ; D. O., descending oblique ; H. O , horizontal 
 oblique ; A, O., ascending oblique ; D. L., descen- 
 ding lateral ; H. L., horizontal lateral ; A L., ascen- 
 ding lateral ; D. B., descending back; H. B , hori- 
 zontal back ; A. B., ascending back. Gestures are 
 made most frequently with the right hand palm up. 
 
GESTURE. 53 
 
 D. 
 
 F. 
 
 H. 
 
 F. 
 
 D. 
 
 0. 
 
 A. 
 
 0. 
 
 H. 
 
 L 
 
 D. 
 
 F. 
 
 A 
 
 F. 
 
 H. 
 
 0. 
 
 H 
 
 B. 
 
 The following exercises should be carefully prac- 
 ticed. 
 
 Right Hand Peone. 
 
 Crush such a vicious traitor. 
 
 Check the ignoble wish. 
 
 Let all who love America repress the doctrine. 
 
 God, withhold thy just wrath. 
 The clouds of adversity cast their shadow. 
 
 over his prosperity. 
 
 Right Hand Supine. 
 
 This doctrine I will hold to the end of life. 
 
 1 appeal to my Heavenly Father for the in- 
 tegrity of my motive. 
 
 Truth, integrity, justice encased him. 
 
 Read the records of the remotest nations for an 
 example like this. 
 
 H. L. The light wind wafted perfume on the air. 
 
 * 
 Right Hand Vertical. 
 
 H. F. Soldiers, meet and repel the enemy. 
 
 A. F, Forbid it Almighty God ! 
 
 H. O. His shield warded off the spear. 
 
 H. B. Begone, hideous wretch. 
 
 Both Hands Prone. 
 
 D. F. Lie lightly on his noble form. 
 
 H. F. May the blessings of a good mother rest on 
 
 thee. 
 A, F. We praise thy name, O Lord. 
 D. O. Man is but as a worm of the dust. 
 A. O, Let the rays of the sun play on its granite 
 
 brow. 
 
54 SCIENCE AND ART OF ELOCUTION. 
 
 H 
 
 L. 
 
 A. 
 
 L. 
 
 D. 
 
 F. 
 
 A. 
 
 F. 
 
 D 
 
 0. 
 
 Sail around the rocky crag. 
 
 Jerusalem opened wide her gates of pearl. 
 
 Both Hands Supine. 
 
 He laid away all ill-feeling. 
 
 Hail ! thou lord of day. 
 
 He surrendered all to the common weal. 
 
 Both Hands Vertical. 
 
 H. F. Go hence, vile man. 
 
 A. F. Cover your faces, holy angels ! 
 
 A. O. Angels of heaven, save us ! 
 
 A. L. May such doubts vanish. 
 
 The gestures given under right hand prone, right 
 hand supine, and right hand vertical may be prac- 
 ticed with the left hand also. More could be given, 
 but those illustrated above will serve the purposes 
 of practice. 
 
LECTUBE VI. 
 
 The Essential Qualifications of 
 An Orator. 
 
 (Delivered to tho Demostheno-Websterian Oratorical College 
 Class of the Y.N. C.I.) 
 
 "lean conceive of no accomplishment more to be desired 
 than to be able to captivate the affections, charm the under- 
 standing, and direct or restrain, at pleasure, the will of whole 
 assemblies." — Cicero. 
 
 "Magna eloquentia sicut fiamma ; materia alitur et motibus 
 excitatur et urendo clarescit." — Tacitus. 
 
 "Great eloquence is as a flame ; it is fed by fuel and aroused 
 by motion and brightens in burning." 
 
 "Always prepare, investigate, compose a speech pen in hand." 
 
 — Rufus Choate. 
 
 There are some who claim that the orator is born, 
 not made, and that no amount of intellectual work 
 can qualify one as such. This statement embodies 
 some truth and some error. While the highest 
 flights of oratory are, no doubt, much indebted to 
 native powers, assiduous study and continued prac- 
 tice are equally essential to it. Students of ancient 
 orators and oratory are well aware that the great 
 orators of Greece and Rome expended the greatest 
 
56 SCIENCE AND ART OF ELOCUTION. 
 
 effort in perfecting themselves in the art of eloquence. 
 But we need not refer to the diligence and perse- 
 vering toil of Hyperides and Hortensius, of De- 
 mosthenes and Cicero, for the biographers of Pitt, 
 Fox, and Mirabeau, of Sumner, Phillips, and Everett 
 assure us that our great modern orators were noted 
 for their close application to intellectual pursuits. 
 
 While we may admit that no amount of study of 
 oratorical rules can enable one devoid of oratorical 
 powers to become a great orator, the history of 
 public speakers, lecturers, and pulpit orators abun- 
 dantly proves that such study is an indispensable 
 aid to all who wish to present their views on any 
 subject in a clear, forcible, convincing manner. A 
 careful consideration of the leading characteristics 
 of graceful and effective oratory, as revealed in the 
 lives of the world's famous orators, imparts a know- 
 ledge of its principles and art. When one possesses 
 this knowledge, he is, at least, in the "royal road' ; to 
 pleasant and effective reading and speaking. 
 
 Firstly, A Sound Body. 
 
 The orator should possess a strong healthy body. 
 The nature of his art demands this. He must at 
 times speak for hours in succession. While speak- 
 ing, he frequently employs every muscle and limb, 
 and, when he has completed his discourse, he is 
 more or less exhausted. To meet the constant 
 wear and tear of his calling, he needs a vigorous 
 constitution. 
 
 The history of eloquence reveals to us the fact 
 that, as a general rule, the most powerful speakers 
 
THE ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS OF AN ORATOR. 57 
 
 were men of bodily vigor. They had a sufficiency 
 of physical stamina to hurl the catapults of their 
 thoughts with such force as to break down the walls 
 of opposition. That brilliant debater, Fox, was of 
 large mould, and Brougham possessed a body so 
 flinty that it stood the storms of public life for 
 eighty years. What shall we say of the iron con- 
 stitutions of the eloquent Mirabeau and the match- 
 less Webster, whom Sydney Smith described as "a 
 steam-engine in breeches ?" Were not the patriot 
 O'Connell, bold John Bright, and the scholarly 
 Chalmers men of massive frame ? Gladstone and 
 Blaine, Ingersoll and Frederick Douglass, Bishops 
 Arnett and Derrick are men of massive frame and 
 good digestion. Whether we contemplate the mas- 
 ters of the bar, the leaders of politics, or the ruling 
 spirits of the pulpit, we find that they are, for the 
 most part, men of brawny physique and great vi- 
 tality. 
 
 While some renowned orators are not endowed 
 with large physical constitutions, they have, at least, 
 active, healthy bodies, Though they may be of 
 small stature, they are noted for their remarkable 
 endurance. Dr. William Matthews says, ."Even 
 those orators who have not had giant frames have 
 had, at least, closely-knit ones, — the bodily activity 
 and quickness of the athlete." The renowned Lord 
 Erskine belonged to this class. The distinguished 
 Gurran possessed such physical endurance that he 
 could, after a session of sixteen hours with a slight 
 intermission, deliver a powerful argument before a 
 jury. The brilliant John M. Langston is noted for 
 
58 SCIENCE AND ART OF ELOCUTION. 
 
 agility and great endurance, and the same qualities 
 characterize Walter H. Brooks, Joseph 1C. Jones, 
 and John C. Dancy. While a majority of the most 
 distinguished orators, who figure conspicuously in 
 law, politics, education, and religion, are men of 
 brawny physique and great vitality, a good many of 
 them are endowed with small or medium-sized 
 physical frames of much vitality. 
 
 The instructive history of orators supplies us 
 with a few remarkable examples of men of weak, 
 unhealthy bodies who rose to supernal heights in 
 oratory. Richard Lalor Sheil possessed a small 
 frame and a shrieking voice, and yet he elec- 
 trified the Irish people by his silvery eloquence. 
 The matchless feats of the oratory of Summerfield 
 read like a romance ; and yet he was sickly all his 
 life, and, at last, died of consumption. The re- 
 nowned Alexander Stephens was carried into the 
 U. S. Senate in his chair ; but, when he addressed 
 that august tribunal, his rhetoric was a whirlwind, 
 his logic was a flame. The greatest orator of the 
 early church, the Apostle Paul, was weak in body, 
 but his logic and eloquence were well calculated to 
 delight and move all classes of people. These men 
 were remarkable exceptions to the general rule. 
 Other elements of oratory were so deeply embedded 
 in their souls that men forgot for a time their gaunt 
 figure, shrill voice, and uncouth action. 
 
 Secondly, A Cultivated Voice. 
 
 A cultivated voice is a great assistant to a speaker. 
 The necessity of paying especial attention to it ap- 
 
THtf ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS OF AN ORATOR. 59 
 
 pears from the fact that it is the great instrument 
 of speech. When it is harsh, shrill, or indistinct, 
 the ideas advanced lose much of their force. When 
 it fails a public orator by virtue of being diseased 
 or easily wearied, the desired effects of a great ef- 
 fort may be completely neutralized. This Aeolian 
 harp should be so trained that it becomes clear, 
 distinct, strong, and capable of all the inflections 
 and modulations necessary to a full expression of 
 all thoughts and feelings. 
 
 It is an interesting fact that many of the most re- 
 nowned speakers have been greatly indebted to the 
 wonderful power of this instrument for much of 
 their success. The imperious William Pitt owed 
 much of his influence in the British Parliament to 
 the clearness and melody of his voice, A noted 
 writer affirms that Mirabeau governed the tumult- 
 uous assemblies of France more by the thunder of 
 his throat than by the lightning of his thought. 
 The voice of Henry Clay was as musical as Apollo's 
 lute, and easily won the sympathy of his audience. 
 Who can describe the wonderful effect of the deep, 
 sonorous flexible voices of O'Connell, Webster, and 
 Douglass? The magical voice of the illustrious 
 James G. Blaine was one of the secrets of his win- 
 ning magnetism. The voice of Professor B. T. 
 Greener is clear and musical ; that of Bishop Ar- 
 nett, deep and resonant. John C. Dancy's voice 
 has a penetrating, trumpet-like scund, and that of 
 Bev. Anderson Tajdor, has the sweetness of a 
 Dorian flute. 
 
 The question, How should the voice be cultivated? 
 
60 SCIENCE AND AKT OF ELOCUTION. 
 
 is answered in the preceding portion of this work 
 in the "Science and Art of Elocution." It may not 
 be out of place for me to state that special attention 
 should be paid to articulation in as much as the 
 evil effects of a weak or husky voice may be fre- 
 quently offset thereby. It is said that the famous 
 actor, Monvel, did not even possess teeth ; notwith- 
 standing this fact his articulation was so excellent 
 that he was a general favorite, Demosthenes had 
 very defective organs of speech. His voice was 
 iveak, and he frequently stammered in speaking. 
 He cured his defects by speaking with pebbles in 
 his mouth and declaiming on the sea-shore. These 
 and other cases which might be mentioned should 
 encourage those of defective organs of speech to 
 improve themselves. When we remember that the 
 distinguished actor, Kean, zealously labored to 
 remedy the bad effects of a feeble voice, and that 
 Talma by long practice cured himself of indistinct 
 articulation, certainly any one with energy and de- 
 termination should not despair of success. "Labor 
 omnia vincit." ("Labor conquers all things.") 
 
 Thirdly, Well-Disciplined Faculties. 
 
 Well-disciplined mental powers are indispensable 
 to an orator. His perceptive faculties should be 
 acute, his memory tenacious, and. his judgment ac- 
 curate and discriminating. His imagination and 
 fancy should be active and fertile, and his reason 
 should be strong and vigorous. Not only should 
 each and all of those powers of the mind be well- 
 trained, but they should be under such masterly 
 
THE ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS OF AN ORATOR. 61 
 
 control that they may be employed at any instant 
 the orator may desire to use them. In order to 
 achieve this readiness in the use of the mental 
 powers, he who aspires to oratorical excellence 
 should be well acquainted with the nature, laws, and 
 modes of development of all the intellectual fac- 
 ulties. 
 
 Yiscount Bolingbroke, who, according to the tes- 
 timony of Lord Brougham, "must be pronounced to 
 stand upon the whole at the head of modern or- 
 ators," excelled in acute perception, a logical un- 
 derstanding, and a tenacious memory. Lord Chat- 
 ham, the elder William Pitt, surpassed in a 
 vigorous imagination, while the younger Pitt was 
 gifted with a powerful reason and quick perceptive 
 faculties. Charles James Fox was the happy 
 possessor of strong and acute perceptive powers 
 and a vigorous reason. Among our own great or- 
 ators, Calhoun was blessed with an acute and vig- 
 orous reason, Clay, with a discriminating judgment, 
 and Webster, with a teeming imagination and a 
 vigorous understanding. John M. Langston excels 
 in acute perception and a fertile imagination. Fred- 
 erick Douglass is the happy possessor of a solid 
 judgment. Bobert B. Elliott and Samuel Ward dis- 
 played an active imagination and a vigorous reason. 
 Few orators have equaled George W. Williams in 
 strength of memory and discrimination of judg- 
 ment. 
 
 Fourthly, Special and General Knowledge. 
 
 A speaker should be well informed on the subject 
 
62 SCIENCE AND ART OF ELOCUTION. 
 
 of his discourse ; in fact, his mind should compre- 
 hend it in all its details. Socrates affirmed, "All 
 men are sufficiently eloquent in what they under- 
 stand," He might have more truthfully said that 
 no one can be eloquent on a theme on which he is 
 not well informed. A man may possess the polish 
 of Canning, the learning of Burke, and the energy 
 of Mirabeau, but those superb qualities do him 
 little service if he convinces his audience that he is 
 poorly enlightened on his subject. It is needless to 
 state that the kings of the senate and the forum of 
 all ages zealously and studiously aimed to thorough- 
 ly equip themselves whenever they addressed the 
 court, the senate, or the people. 
 
 General Knowledge. 
 
 A study of the lives of great orators reveals the 
 interesting fact that they were the possessors of great 
 knowledge. An orator should be doctissimus vir, a 
 most learned man. He who would rise to the Alpine 
 summit of oratory should be inspired by the 
 scholarly motto of Bacon : "All knowledge is mine.'' 
 His knowledge should embrace the leading prin- 
 ciples and facts of ancient and modern history, 
 mathematics, mental and moral philosophy, law 
 and the social, political, and religious institutions 
 under which he lives. To acquire correctness of 
 speech, clearness, force, and beauty of expres- 
 sion, and ability for correctly weighing an argu- 
 ment, he should thoroughly understand grammar, 
 rhetoric, and logic, 
 
THE ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS OF AN ORATOR. 63 
 
 A study of the lives, habits, and speeches of the 
 best speakers is highly conducive in imparting in- 
 spiration in the oratorical art. Grattan was ac- 
 customed to attend Parliament to hear the burning 
 eloquence of Chatham, That knowledge of words 
 and sentences which is derived from a translation of 
 Latin, Greek, or a modern language into English is 
 especially serviceable to a speaker. Writing is in- 
 dispensable to an orator. To the polished and 
 suave Choate, the pen was a constant companion. 
 O'Connell and Webster were delightful and in- 
 structive conversationalists. The knowledge which 
 springs from conversation is very serviceable to a 
 speaker. To this general information should be 
 joined a knowledge of the fact that an audience 
 admires ease and self-posse£sion in a speaker, and 
 is impatient with one who has little or no confidence 
 in himself. 
 
 The grave necessity for this special and general 
 knowledge is evident when we remember that a 
 given subject often demands for its elucidation some 
 information derived from the above mentioned 
 sources. It is well to hold in mind, too, that an 
 audience is more deeply interested in the thoughts 
 of a man who is Lnown to be an exact and thorough 
 scholar. Nor are we in want of illustrious examples 
 of learned orators. The immortal Demosthenes and 
 Cicero were men of much learning. Brougham 
 was cyclopaedic, and so were Fox and Burke, 
 Daniel Webster and Wendell Phillips were thor- 
 oughly educated, and delighted in general knowl- 
 
64 SCIENCE AND ART OF ELOCUTION. 
 
 edge. Hon, George W. Williams was a man of 
 cyclopaedic learning, and Robert Brown Elliott 
 was a scholar of the ripest kind. No well-informed 
 man questions the learning and scholarship of W. 
 B. Derrick, J. E. Jones, A Binga, H. H. Mitchell, 
 Z. D. Lewis, Alexander Crummell, and Frank J. 
 Grimke, and Rev. George Howard. 
 
 Fifthly, Wit and Humor, . 
 A capability of displaying wit and humor may 
 greatly assist an orator. I come to this conclusion 
 partly from my own experience in addressing 
 audiences, but chiefly from the fact that many of the 
 great orators possessed the faculty of ridicule, sar- 
 casm, and pleasantry to a remarkable degree. It is 
 said that the polished irony of Canning and the 
 sarcasm of Pitt greatly aided them in overcoming 
 opposition. Under the rose leaves of the eloquent 
 rhetoric of Disraeli was concealed the viper of ridi- 
 cule. Some of our Colored-American orators 
 evince to a high degree the power of wit and 
 pleasant humor. The refined sarcasm of R. T. 
 Greener, the bold invectives of H. M. Turner, and 
 the sunlight humor of J. C. Price and E. E. Smith 
 add much to their public speeches. A public 
 speaker may acquire by persevering study a good 
 command of wit and humor. For their highest ex- 
 hibition, there must exist innate talent. iEsop's 
 Fables, Arabian Nights, the works of great humor- 
 ists, and striking anecdotes of distinguished men 
 may be made great aids in developing this talent. 
 Witty and humorous sayings and anecdotes should 
 
THE ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS OF AN ORATOR. 65 
 
 not be so used as to wound men's feelings, en- 
 courage levity, or mock at religion. They should 
 aid the orator in informing the intellect, moving 
 the feelings, and directing the will. 
 
 Sixthly, Force and Feeling. 
 
 Of all the qualifications of oratory, none, perhaps, 
 is more essential than force, which may be denned 
 as that energy with which a speaker employs his 
 various powers to make an audience feel what he 
 says. This energy should spring principally from 
 deep feeling and intense earnestness. It is the ex- 
 pression of his inmost character. When the orator 
 is swayed by this physical and intellectual energy, 
 he impresses upon his listening audience the ideas, 
 emotions, and affections which burn in his own soul. 
 
 The intense earnestness of Demosthenes received 
 its life from his almost superhuman energy. The 
 matchless victories of Brougham, who was weak in 
 his logic and careless in his statements, were due 
 mainly to his gladiator-like power. Intense vigor 
 characterizes the addresses of "Webster, Clay, Blaine, 
 Beecher, and Gladstone, John M. Langston and 
 John C. Dancy speak with the agony of Erskine. 
 Frederick Douglass and H. M. Turner exhibit great 
 force. Mirabeau who guided the storm of the 
 French ^Revolution was, perhaps, the most vehe- 
 ment speaker who ever addressed a popular as- 
 sembly. 
 
 Force in speaking may be greatly enhanced by 
 gesture of hands, movement of body, and gaze of 
 eyes. Interrogation, exclamation, and brief and im- 
 
66 SCIENCE AND ART OP ELOCUTION. 
 
 pulsive apostrophe also greatly aid a speaker. 
 Energy may also be augmented by a careful se- 
 lection in the number and arrangement of words. 
 The greatest force, however, comes from a deep 
 feeling, an unquestioned earnestness. Sheridan 
 once said, "I go to hear Kowland Hill because his 
 ideas come red hot from the heart," Dr. William 
 Mathews well said, "Force is the life of oratory, 
 which gives it breath and life and power. It is the 
 electrical element — that which unites, penetrates, 
 and thrills/' 
 
 Seventhly, A Noble Character 
 
 "In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy 
 paths." — Solomon in Proverbs iii : 6. 
 
 Ancient and modern rhetoricians agree that a 
 good character has much weight with an audience. 
 Quintilian, that erudite rhetorician of Rome, de- 
 clared that goodness is an essential attribute of an 
 orator. So high an authority on oratory as Dr. 
 William Mathews says, "There is no doubt that a 
 reputation for integrity gives to an orator's words 
 a weight and potency which he cannot afford to 
 despise." What thoughtful person has not ob- 
 served that a preacher, advocate, or public speaker 
 whose actions are inconsistent with his words has 
 little influence with his fellow-men ? Demosthenes 
 was more indebted to his reputation for integrity 
 and patriotism for his signal victory over the bril- 
 liant Aeschines than to any other agency. 
 
 He who would exert strong and lasting influence 
 with his fellow men should entertain and cultivate 
 
THE ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS OF AN ORATOR. 67 
 
 noble thoughts, pure affections, and laudable de- 
 sires. He should be recognized as a person of 
 truthfulness and honesty. The inaccuracy of 
 Brougham and the dishonesty of Themistocles de- 
 tracted from their public influence. Phocion's 
 reputation for honesty often offset the brilliant ora- 
 tory of his foes. He who impresses his hearers 
 that he speaks and pleads for their benefit cannot 
 fail to exert some influence with them. The great 
 orators had the reputation of being great patriots. 
 It was this which more than anything else added 
 power and fame to Pitt, Webster, Calhoun, and 
 Blaine. 
 
 The orator should supplement these moral 
 qualities with respect and veneration for the prin- 
 ciples and institutions of the religion of his people. 
 Demosthenes, in his famous oration on the crown, 
 often referred to the gods of the Athenians, and 
 Cicero, in the peroration of his first oration against 
 Catiline, earnestly expressed his confidence in the 
 supreme god of the Romans in these words : "Tu, 
 Juppiter, hunc et hujus socios a tuis ceterisque tem- 
 plis, a tectis urbis ac moeuibus, a vita fortunisque 
 civium arcebis." The translation of these words is: 
 Thou, O Jupiter, wilt ward off this man and his allies 
 from your temples and those of others, from the 
 roofs and walls of the city, from the lives and for- 
 tunes of the citizens." The leading orators of 
 England and America with a few exceptions were 
 men who respected to some degree the claims of 
 our common Christianity. Many of them were pro- 
 fessed followers of the cross, and others frequently 
 attended Christian worship. 
 
68 SCIENCE AND ART OF ELOCUTION. 
 
 Some General Kemarks. 
 
 We must not suppose that the qualifications 
 mentioned have never been found in any one orator. 
 While they may never have existed in one person 
 in all their entirety and fulness, yet some ancient 
 aud modern orators embodied to some extent all of 
 them. It is true that some orators excelled in some 
 excellencies, and others surpassed in others ; and 
 yet good health with a pleasing voice, well-dis- 
 ciplined faculties, abundant knowledge relieved by 
 wit and humor, deep feeling evinced by sufficient 
 force, and a reputation for an ordinary good char- 
 acter have been the striking characteristics of the 
 majority of the favored sons of eloquence. Even 
 those few renowned orators who were deficient in 
 some of the qualities mentioned would have exerted 
 greater influence if they had possessed all. 
 
 In thus describing these leading qualifications of 
 the orator, we do not desire to convey the impression 
 that true eloquence can be attained by a mere study 
 of them by one who is devoid of some natural talent 
 for speaking. Lofty oratory, like music, sculpture, 
 and painting, is primarily a gift of the Creator. 
 That gift must be watched and cultivated to pro- 
 duce the richest fruits. Those who possess this 
 inborn talent for eloquence are exceedingly few ; 
 the great mass of mankind do not and cannot pos- 
 sess it : nevertheless the average person may by 
 diligence and application become an orator of in- 
 fluence and power. 
 
 Therefore, let no one despair because he fears that 
 
THE ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS OF AN ORATOR. 69 
 
 he is not the happy possessor of this innate talent, 
 for of ten this God-given power is only revealed by 
 careful and systematic study, practice, and ex- 
 perience. Then again, even if one does not possess 
 this inborn genius of a real orator, he will, by aim- 
 ing to perfect himself in these qualifications, greatly 
 improve in his ability to please, move, and convince 
 an audience. He may not become a Cicero, a Web- 
 ster, a Gladstone, or a Conkling, and yet he maybe- 
 come a clear and effective speaker. We heartily 
 concur in the statement of Lord Chesterfield that 
 "any one of fair ability may be an orator ; that is, a 
 pleasing and forceful speaker." 
 
LECTUEE VII. 
 
 METHODS OF TEACHING 
 ORATORY. 
 
 (Used with the Demostheno-Websterian Oratorical College 
 Class.) 
 
 "Let them enjoy their persuasion who think that to be born 
 is sufficient to make a man an orator: they will pardon our la- 
 bor who think that nothing can arrive at perfection unless when 
 nature is assisted by careful cultivation." — Quintilian. 
 
 "The heart must glow before the tongue can gild." 
 
 I. A Method of Teaching Essays and Orations. 
 
 Sometimes members select their own subjects ; 
 at other times, subjects are given to them. They 
 are advised to read books and papers bearing on 
 their different subjects. After reading on them, 
 they prepare and present to me neatly arranged 
 outlines of them. I carefully examine each skele- 
 ton in the presence of the student, who states to me 
 the general ideas and illustrations which he pro- 
 poses to advance under each head. I then make 
 whatever corrections or suggestions I deem neces- 
 sary. 
 
METHODS OF TEACHING ORATORY. 71 
 
 The student then writes Lis oration or essay in 
 accordance with the approved outline. As soon as 
 it is finished, he presents it to me. I then, in his 
 presence, carefully examine every sentence, making 
 all necessary suggestions and corrections. He then 
 re-writes it carefully, correcting all errors and mak- 
 ing such insertions or omissions as suggested ; after 
 which it is again handed to me when I again exam- 
 ine w T ith care all matters of punctuation, capitaliza- 
 tion, spelling, the formation of sentences, historic 
 data, ideas advanced, and, in fact, everything of any 
 consequence. He again corrects it, and hands it to 
 me for a final examination. Much of the labor of 
 correcting essays or orations is now saved by the 
 help of two of the most advanced students who, af- 
 ter I have examined the skeleton with the student, 
 correct all errors in his presence. The student then 
 brings a corrected copy to me. I then see that all 
 errors are expunged. 
 
 II. Instruction in the Science and art of Elocution. 
 
 The whole class received sj^stematic instruction 
 in the science and art of elocution. I gave prepared 
 lectures on vocal culture, articulation, expression, 
 and gesture. The students were collectively and 
 individually drilled in these fundamental principles. 
 As soon as an essaj^ or oration was prepared, he 
 was drilled with reference to its proper expression. 
 He expressed for me each sentence, using the 
 gesture or gestures which seemed appropriate to 
 himself. I would then make all necessary cor- 
 rection in voice, force, time, emphasis, or gesture, 
 
?2 SCIENCE AND ART OF ELOCUTION. 
 
 repeating the sentence as I thought its idea de- 
 manded ; after which he repeated it correctly, I 
 would thus proceed until I had rehearsed him 
 through the entire discourse. Thus he was led to 
 thoroughly analyze his essay or oration. 
 
 I found it helpful to the student to mark em- 
 phatic words with one line under them, those more 
 emphatic with two lines, and the very emphatic 
 ones with three. I frequently marked the portions 
 which were to be delivered in a conversational voice 
 and those which were to be rendered in a lower or 
 more rhetorical tone. At the first rehearsal, I fre- 
 quently practiced and drilled a student on about 
 two pages of his oration or essay, and urged him to 
 carefully practice himself on them before meetiug 
 me again. At the next rehearsal, I reviewed him on 
 the pages studied, and drilled him on about 
 two or three more. After he had carefully 
 committed these four or five pages and practiced 
 himself on them, I gave him another rehearsal on 
 three more. I thus continued until he was thorough- 
 ly drilled on the whole production. I then gave 
 him about two more rehearsals, making about six 
 rehearsals in all. Much of the labor of rehearsing 
 students is now done by two of the most advanced 
 members of the class, but I always personally drill 
 the members of the Junior and Senior College 
 Classes. 
 
 III. Class Exercises. 
 
 1. Original Exercises. About once in three or 
 four weeks, one of the divisions read essays, gave a 
 
METHODS OF TEACHING ORATOEY. 73 
 
 debate, and delivered orations. These productions 
 were supposed to be of a superior kind. At the 
 opening of the class several critics were appointed 
 for the purpose of offering scholarly criticisms on 
 voice, articulation, pronunciation, force, time, em- 
 phasis, and gesture of the reader or speaker. Each 
 critic delivered his criticism immediately after the 
 speaker or reader was seated. If the critic gave 
 unjust or untrue criticism, I corrected him, and re- 
 ferred to the merits or demerits of the delivery. 
 This kind of exercise enabled them to apply their 
 knowledge of elocutionary principles. 
 
 2. Selections and Extemporaneous Exercises. On 
 some occasions, certain ones would commit choice 
 selections from some noted writers and speakers. 
 These selections would embody poetry and prose. 
 They would train themselves, and then deliver their 
 selections in the presence of the class, receiving 
 needed corrections. When I deemed it expedient to 
 do so, they would deliver these criticised selections 
 about a week or two afterward. 
 
 About once a term, I had an extemporaneous ex- 
 ercise on current religious, social, educational, and 
 political topics. Remarks on these occasions would 
 be limited to five minutes unless they were ex- 
 ceptionally good ; in that case, more time was given. 
 Both of these exercises were highly conducive in 
 inspiring the young men with self-confidence. 
 
 3. Day for Humor and Poetry. About once a 
 term, one exercise was devoted entirely to humor. 
 Each member came prepared to tell some humorous 
 
74 SCIENCE AND ART OF ELOCUTION. 
 
 story or fable and show what thought it illustrated. 
 The question which I held before their minds was, 
 What service may an orator make of stories, fables, 
 and general witticisms? I called their attention to 
 noted men who were in the habit of employing 
 humor and wit in their speeches. They were taught 
 that humorous incidents or stories should not be 
 told to encourage levity or mock at religion, but 
 that they should serve a legitimate end to an 
 orator. They were encouraged to read iEsop's 
 Fables and the works of noted humorists. 
 
 One exercise a term was also given to poetic se- 
 lections with the intention of showing how poetry 
 may assist a speaker. Each member of the class 
 quoted from memory a few poetic lines. He was 
 then urged to show what thought it was calculated 
 to beautify or enforce. Attention was also called to 
 the fact that many great orators delighted to read 
 Virgil, Shakespeare, Milton, Longfellow, and other 
 celebrated poets, and that such reading tends to 
 develop thought and beautify language. In pre- 
 paring essays and orations, they applied their 
 knowledge by embodying with discretion some 
 story or poetic stanza in their composition. 
 
 4. Day for Spelling and Articulation. About 
 once' a month, one exercise was devoted to spelling 
 and articulation About twenty-five or thirty 
 lessons in Heed's Speller were carefully studied 
 with reference to the elementary sounds of the 
 words. They were thus taught that distinct artic- 
 ulation and correct pronunciation are great assist- 
 
METHODS OF TEACHING ORATORY. 75 
 
 ants to an orator. I aimed to show them that no 
 one can reasonably hope to have a good knowledge 
 of the English language unless he is a careful and 
 systematic student of a standard dictionary. This 
 instruction greatly assisted them in the power of 
 articulating, pronouncing, and spelling correctly. 
 
 IY. Courses of Lectures. 
 
 During the fall and winter terms, I usually de- 
 livered to the class prepared lectures on some of the 
 world's great orators. Discourses covering the 
 most salient features of Grecian and Eoman oratory 
 were delivered. I aimed to show the general and 
 special qualifications of the great orators of an- 
 tiquity. The leading qualities of the oratory of 
 Themistocles, Pericles, and Gorgias ; of Antiphon, 
 Lysias, and Isocrates ; of Demosthenes, Hyperides, 
 and Aeschines were carefully explained and freely 
 discussed. The growth and power of Eoman elo- 
 quence was also traced in the lives and speeches of 
 M. Porcius Cato, Caius Gracchus, and M. Antonius; 
 of L. Crassus, Q. Hortensius, and Cicero ; of Julius 
 Caesar, Pollio, and the younger Pliny. 
 
 After a course of four lectures on Grecian and 
 Eoman orators, ten lectures were delivered on 
 English, French, and American oratory. I shall 
 never forget the intense interest displayed by the 
 class as they listened to short descriptions of match- 
 less Bolingbroke, fiery Chatham, and argumentative 
 Fox ; of earnest William Pitt, learned Brougham, 
 and imaginative Burke. The leading oratorical 
 
76 SCIENCE AND ART OF ELOCUTION. 
 
 characteristics of these together with those of Sher- 
 idan, Grattan, and O'Connell were clearly delineated. 
 Many interesting and instructive facts were brought 
 out in explaining the striking and forceful eloquence 
 of Mirabeau, Rochambeau, and Massillon ; of Cal- 
 houn, Clay, and Webster ; of Phillips, Sumner, and 
 Blaine. Nor was I unmindful of that high order of 
 oratory which has been displayed on so many 
 occasions by distinguished Colored-Americans 
 Four lectures were devoted to an investigation of 
 the leading characteristics of the style of Douglass, 
 Crummell, and Langston ; of Elliott, George W- 
 Williams, and Price ; of Walter Brooks, Arnett, and 
 Bishop Hood ; of John Mitchell, John Smith, and 
 Grimke ; of E. E. Smith, Scott W T ood, and others. 
 
 I aimed to deduce from the history of leading 
 orators the chief qualities of effective oratory. The 
 class took copious notes on the various lectures, and 
 were advised to imitate the excellencies and avoid 
 the defects of the great orators of whom they had 
 learned. I am convinced that the course of lectures 
 imparted inspiration to the class, enabled them to 
 mould thought in the light of hicjh ideals, and 
 greatly improved them in the art of speaking. 
 
LECTURE VIII. 
 
 SOME SUBJECTS WITH THEIR 
 OUTLINES. 
 
 "Recollect that trilles make perfection, and perfection is no- 
 trifle.'' — Michael Avc/elo. 
 
 It may prove helpful -to students in selecting sub- 
 jects and forming outlines to have before them as 
 examples some subjects with their framework. The 
 following subjects were selected from graduating 
 orations prepared by Senior College students, whose 
 names appear in connection with them My aim 
 Avas to present the subjects of all the graduates of 
 the College Department, but the orations of two 
 could not be found. The reader must remember 
 that these outlines, or skeletons were formed by the 
 student after he had gained by reading and think- 
 ing the desired knowledge for his subject. The 
 skeleton was then carefully examined by the in- 
 structor in the light of the principles and facts which 
 the student proposed to consider urn In- each division. 
 
 Rhetoricians usually treat an essay or oration in 
 three parts — the introduction, or exordium, the dis- 
 cussion, and the conclusion, or peroration. The in— 
 
78 SCIENCE AND ART OF ELOCUTION, 
 
 troduction, or exordium should aim to prepare the 
 hearer for the ideas to be advanced. Tt should 
 generally be brief and agreeable. The discussion 
 should embody whatever principles, facts, and illus- 
 trations the writer or orator intends to state. It 
 should be divided into such sub- topics as will best 
 convey the ideas presented, and they should be ar- 
 ranged in an order at once logical and clear. The 
 conclusion, or peroration should recapitulate the 
 discussion, draw an inference from it, or make an 
 application of some idea contained in .it. The fol- 
 lowing subjects with their framework will more fully 
 show the three essential parts of an essay or an ora- 
 tion. 
 
 (1.) SYSTEM ESSENTIAL TO PKOGBESS 
 
 IN SCIENCE. 
 
 (By Alexander Dickerson ) 
 
 TOPICAL OUTLINE. 
 
 I. Introduction. Definition of System and 
 .'Science. 
 
 II. Discussion. 
 
 1. System essential to progress, 
 
 2. System has enabled men to progress in dif- 
 ferent sciences. 
 
 3. Great Jeaders of all kinds of knowledge have 
 been systematic in study. 
 
 III. Conclusion, An exhortation to work in a 
 svstematic manner. 
 
SOME SUBJECTS WITH THEIR OUTLINES. 79 
 
 (2.) THE GENIUS OF OUR CIVILIZATION. 
 
 (By Robert G. Chissell.) 
 
 FRAMEWORK. 
 
 I. Introduction. Civilization defined. 
 
 II. Discussion. 
 
 1. A comparison of ancient and modern civiliza- 
 tion, 
 
 2. The principal characteristics of the present 
 civilization. 
 
 3. The fruits of our civilization. 
 
 (a.) Civil and religious liberty, (b.) Individual 
 and national progress (c.) The progress of the 
 women of our country. 
 
 III. Conclusion. We are advancing. 
 
 (3.) TWENTY-EIGHT YEARS OF FREEDOM. 
 
 (By Emmet Fitzgerald.) 
 
 SYNOPSIS. 
 
 I. Exordium. The condition of the Colored 
 People when liberated. 
 
 II. Discussion. 
 
 1. Their progress in population, industry, moral- 
 ity, religion, business, and the professions. 
 
 2. How they may attain their highest devel- 
 opment. 
 
 III. Pkroratton. A summary and an appeal. 
 
80 SCIENCE AND ART OF ELOCUTION. 
 
 (4.) CONSCIENCE— ITS NATURE AND FUNC- 
 TIONS. 
 
 (By Charles D. Haynes.) 
 
 FRAMEWORK, 
 
 1. Exordium. Conscience defined. 
 
 II. Discussion. 
 
 1 Conscience is original and universal. 
 
 2. It is capable of training. 
 
 v>. It is a supreme judge, and should be obeyed. 
 
 III. Peroration. It is a strong evidence of the 
 existence of God. 
 
 (5.) THE VALUE OF A CLASSICAL EDUCA- 
 TION, 
 
 (By Hubert H. Hunter.) 
 
 TOPICAL OUTLINE, 
 
 1. Introduction. The definition of a classical 
 -education. 
 
 II. Discussion. 
 
 "1. It adds greatly to our general knowledge. 
 
 2. It broadens our knowledge of the English 
 language. 
 
 3. It disciplines the intellectual faculties. 
 
 4. It better prepare us for the various duties of 
 life. 
 
 III. Conclusion. Their hold upon the world, and 
 an appeal to highly value them. 
 
SOME SUBJECTS WITH THKIR OUTLINES. 81 
 
 (6.) THE TREND OF AMERICAN THOUGHT. 
 
 (By David L. Hawks.) 
 
 SYNOPSIS. 
 
 I. Exordium. A definition of the subject, 
 IT. Discussion. 
 
 1. Our international relations regarding peace 
 with all nations and American dignity should be 
 guarded. 
 
 2. Protection benefits American labor, and free- 
 trade injures it. 
 
 3, Mobs and lynch -law are dangerous to our in- 
 stitutions. 
 
 4, Honest elections preserve the liberty of the 
 masses. 
 
 6. Race antagonisms should be discountenanced. 
 III. Peroration. The future of our Country. 
 
 (7.) THE EVILS THAT MENACE OUR RE- 
 PUBLIC. 
 
 (By W. H. Hughes. Jr.) 
 
 FRAMEWORK, 
 
 I. Introduction. We are inclined to think that 
 our country is free from serious dangers. 
 ' II. Discussion. 
 
 1. The power of the whiskey traffic. 
 
 2. Wealth with luxury fosters corruption of the 
 body politic. 
 
 3. Immigration is the parent of anarchy, mor- 
 monism, and much crime. 
 
 4. The general effect of these evils. 
 
 III. Conclusion. The removal of these evils is 
 a patriotic duty. 
 
82 SCIENCE AND ART OF ELOCUTION. 
 
 (8.) SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE 
 ESSENTIAL TO A NATION'S PROSPERITY. 
 
 (By Josiah C. Robertson ) 
 
 TOPICAL OUTLINE 
 
 I. Exordium. Church and state defined. 
 
 II. Discussion. 
 
 1. The effect of church and state union in France,. 
 Spain, and England. 
 
 2. Church and state separation is a cardinal 
 doctrine of our government. 
 
 3. Freedom of Worship Bills aim to bring about 
 church and state union. 
 
 4. Peroration. The duty of American citizens 
 to oppose such legislation. 
 
 (9.) SOME SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS— THEIR 
 EFFECT UPON THE REPUBLIC. 
 
 (By Aniasa Knox.) 
 
 SYNOPSIS. 
 
 I. Introduction. The seed of our Country's pro- 
 gress. 
 
 II. Discussion. 
 
 1. The establishment, growth, and effect of 
 Schools, 
 
 2. Home is the foundation of society. 
 
 3. Business marts bring about material pros- 
 perity. 
 
 4. The Church is the true foundation of govern- 
 ment. 
 
 III. Peroration. Republics live by virtue. 
 
SOME SUBJECTS WITH THEIR OUTLINES. 83 
 
 (10.) LIBERTY VERSUS LICENSE. 
 
 (By Elliott S. Pogue.) 
 
 FRAMEWORK. 
 
 I. Introduction. 
 
 II. Discussion. 
 
 1. License in political affairs. 
 
 2. Liberty and license in religion. 
 
 3. License in society and the home, 
 
 4. Lessons from history. 
 
 III. Peroration. License must be eliminated. 
 
 (11) DANGERS THREATENING OUR RE- 
 PUBLIC. 
 
 (By Walter P. Steptoe.) 
 
 OUTLINE. 
 
 I. Introduction. Our success and danger. 
 
 II Discussion. 
 
 The causes hastening the downfall of our country: 
 {a) Immigration., (b.) Anarchy, (c.) Pauper- 
 ism, (d ) Avarice. 
 
 III. Peroration. A sure remedy. 
 
 (12.) FOrBLES OF CIVILIZATION. 
 
 (By George Booker.) 
 
 SYNOPSIS. 
 
 I Introduction. My impression. 
 
 II Discussion. 
 
 1. Social foibles and their evil result. 
 % Religious hypocrisy is a bane. 
 3. Our educational system suffers from existing 
 evils 
 
 III. Conclusion. The blessings nf virtuous living. 
 
84 SCIENCE AND ART OF ELOCUTION. 
 
 He who wishes to prepare readable essays or arti- 
 cles should syztematically pursue the method given. 
 He should, after selecting a subject, carefully find 
 diligently obtain ail information possible bearing on 
 it. When he is gathering such knowledge, he 
 should freely take notes. A logically-arranged 
 framework embodying the introduction, the dis- 
 cussion, and the conclusion should be formed. The 
 outline should be comprehensive enough to embrace 
 all points to be discussed. The essay or article 
 should be then written in accordance with the 
 framework. When one thus prepares a discourse, 
 he evinces an acquaintance with the science and 
 art of essay writing, and executes his work with less 
 labor and greater thoroughness. 
 
SCIENCE AND ART 
 
 —OF— 
 
 ELOCUTION. 
 
 Also Containing Lectures on the Essential Qualifications 
 
 of an Orator and Methods of Teaching Oratory 
 
 and Elocution Used with the Demostheno* 
 
 Websterian Oratorical College 
 
 Class of the V.N.&C.l. 
 
 — BY— 
 
 PROFESSOR DANIEL BMCLH WILLIAMS, I H. PI), 0,, 
 
 Dean of the College Department, Professor of Ancient Languages, 
 and Instructor in Pedagogy and Oratory in the V. N. & C. I. 
 
 ALSO 
 
 Author of "Outlines of School Management," "Freedom and 
 Progress," "Science, Art, and Methods of Teaching," etc., etc. 
 
 WITH EXTRACTS FROM SKETCHES 
 
 Written by Robert W. Whiting, John Mitchell, Jr., Professors 
 D. W. Davis, I. G. Penn, and Robert G. Chissell, 
 
 x'lsasT EaDiwioasT. 
 
 PETERSBURG, VA. 
 
THE WILLIAMS CORRESPONDENCE SCHOOLS 
 
 OF LdTIN &Hb ELOCUTION. 
 
 Latin and Elocution may be studied at home 
 by an approved method. 
 
 SOME; TESTIMONIALS. 
 
 "1 think the nchool is most beneficial to teachers, preachers, 
 md others,"— J. G. Scott. 
 "I have learned nearly enough to write a Latin letter."— E. 
 \ Johnson. 
 
 "I highly commend your correspondence methods of teach- 
 ing Latin." — J. A. Jone^. 
 "I have made excellent success." — Rev. J. F. Lee. 
 "All teachers should hail this exceptional chance to obtain 
 the keys of the treasury of this useful study."— J. E. Dodson. 
 
 TERMS MODERATE. 
 
 Address, 
 
 DANIEL B. WILLIAMS, 
 V. N. & C. I., - - - ETTRICK, VA 
 
 1 II M. tL I. Clllf I return 
 
 PUBLISHED QUARTERLY AT 
 
 631 Pine Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 
 
 Contains the Best Thoughts of 
 Leading Scholars. 
 
 Circulation of 3,000, and extends to all parts of the TJ. 8:» to 
 Europe, Asia,, Africa, Canada, Nova Scotia, Bermuda, Hayti, and 
 St. Croix. 
 
 SUBSCRIPTION PRICE, $1.50 A YEAR IN ADVANCE. 
 SINGLE COPY, 40 CENTS. 
 
 L. J. COPPIN, D. D, Editor and Manager. 
 
 BOX 1526. 
 
POPULAR WORKS 
 
 •FOR- 
 
 (Ske l^shool, the f^ome, Baiifte^ 
 and professional fjfei?, 
 
 -BY- 
 
 PROF, OANIEL B, WILLIAMS, S, II, Ph, D., 
 
 (AUTHOR AND PUBLISHER,) 
 
 Dean of the Collegiate Department, Professor of Ancient Languages* 
 Instructor in Pedagogy and Oratory in the V. N. and U. I. 
 
 Z. 23a.-a.cati03a.al. 
 
 
 
 (I.) SCIENCE, ART, AND METHODS OP 
 TEACHING. Revised Edition now ready 
 for the public. It has been adopted in 
 the following school courses: (I). For 
 six years, it has been used with the Se- 
 nior Class of the V. N. and 0. I. (2). 
 For the same time it has been used in 
 the B, P. D. I. School of Petersburg, Va. 
 (3.) It is a Text-book in the Virginia 
 Teachers' Association. (4.) It is a Text- 
 book in the summer Session of the V, 
 N. and C. I. (5.) It was used in the Je- 
 rusalem High School, Verderey, 8. C. 
 (6.) It was introduced in the Helena Normal School, Helena, 
 Aru. (7.) It is used in the course for ministers by Mr. W. II. 
 Anderson. (8.) It was recently adopted as a text-book in the 
 Normal and Industrial School at Lawrenceville, Va. It will 
 soon be put in several other schools. 
 
 Any person having an old edition may obtain a newly revised 
 one by remitting 75 cents and the old copy. Price $1. 
 
 (2.) OUTLINES OP SCHOOL MANAGEMENT. This is servicea- 
 ble for normal elasses and for teachers, Price 25 cents. 
 
 (3.) PE8TAL0ZZI AND EROEBEL. Popular with teachers. 
 Price 10 cents. 
 
 (4.) SCIENCE AND ART OP ELOCUTION. Useful for teach- 
 ers, pupils, speakers, and readers generally. A reliable 
 text-book. Price 50 cents. 
 
II. Historic. 
 
 (5.) ETHIOPIANS-PIONEERS Iff CIVILIZATION. Itis a valua- 
 ble work on the Race question. Has a wide circulation. Price 
 15 cents. 
 
 (6.) FREEDOM AND PROGRESS. This work forcibly describes 
 the unparalelled progress of the colored people as Soldiers, 
 Freemen, Citizens, in population, education, literature, wealth, 
 invention, religion, and morality. It has a wide circulation in 
 the nation. Sells fast to white and colored. Price $1. 
 
 III. IBeligi-o-CLS. 
 
 (7.) WHY WE ARE BAPTISTS* This work is in no sense big- 
 oted. Read by all denominations and highly commended. 
 Price 10 cents. 
 
 (8.) JERUSAL EM DESTROYED : OR, JHE DIVINITY OF CHRIST. 
 A most striking Prophecy of Christ. Price 10 cents. 
 
 ITT. ScIerLtifi-c. 
 
 (9.) THE SOLAR SYSTEM: OR, DOES THE SUN MOVE /{ROUf/D 
 THE EA.RTH- It is Astronomy in a nutshell. Price 15 cents. 
 
 "V". IMHscellSLXxeo-u-s. 
 
 (10) EMANCIPATION ADDRESS- A standard oration. Price 
 25 cents. 
 
 Agents sell these books fast among the people. Liberal 
 terms are given to ladies and gentlemen who agent even in 
 their spare time. Agents get circulars at 20 cents a hundred. 
 Any one not wishing to agent and receiving this circular may 
 receive one or all of these works at 20 per cent, discount. Send 
 money by money order or registered letter. Postage stamps 
 may be sent for sains less than 25 cents. Postal notes for sums 
 less than $i. Every agent should have at least 100 circulars. 
 Address, 
 
 D. B. WILLIAMS, 
 
 V. N. and C. I., Ettrick, Va. 
 
 W49 
 
°, w 
 
 
 
 
 O N O 
 
 
 ■%. *•"* <* 
 
.** ^L>v A"" * 
 
 
 %^ • ' 
 
 £ V o ° " ° * ^ 
 
 * -€? ^, o^ 
 
 ve* 
 
 ^L»v AW' V (\ ^^ « *«. «S> <». ^* Jf^^^«* TL«v AW » 
 
 \/*V 
 
 VV 
 
 M*V 
 
 »• <\>^ -*^i^ e ^^n o%%f0^* a>«* 
 
 >9 
 
 ,'o ^ A* ♦ < 
 
 ***£&>* A^SJml'X G*\«^% J 
 
 0* »!••» 
 
 
 
 t A 
 
LIBRARY 
 
 I 
 
 mm 
 
 ■■ 
 
 I 
 
 ■ 
 
 ■ 
 
 Iffil 
 
 ■ 
 
 ». 
 
 HM 
 
 ■ 
 
 I 
 
 
 1 
 
 tiiffi