py man (fays he,) whither shall I betake myself? Where fhall I go? Into the capitol? that flows with my brother's blood. Shall I go home, and behold my unhappy mother all in tears and defpair ?"

Though Gracchus had a very ill defign in that speech, and his view was to excite the populace against their governors, yet (as Cicero tells us) when he came to this paffage, he expreffed himself in fuch moving accents and geftures, that he extorted tears even from his enemies. Fear occafions a tremor and hesitation of the voice, and affurance gives it ftrength and firmness. Admiration elevates the voice, and fhould be expreffed with pomp and magnificence. "O furprifing clemency, worthy of the highest praise and greatest encomiums, and fit to be perpetuated in lafting monuments!" This is Cicero's compliment to Cefar, when he thought it for his purpose. And oftentimes this paffion is accompanied with an elevation both of the eyes and hands. On the contrary, contempt finks and protracts the voice.

All exclamations fhould be violent. When we address inanimate things, the voice should be higher than when animated beings; and appeals to heaven must be mnade in a loftier tone than thofe to men. Thefe few hints for expreffing the principal paffions may, if duly attended to, fuffice to direct our practice in others. Though, after all, it is impoffible to gain a juft and decent pronunciation of voice and gefture merely from rules, without practice and an imitation of the best examples which fhows the wifdom of the ancients, in training up their youth to it, by the affiftance of mafters, to form both their speech and actions. But here, as has been before obferved, great caution fhould be ufed in directing our choice of an example. An affected imitation of others, in pronunciation or gefture, especially of stage players, whofe pretenfions to literature are feldom confiderable, and who are generally too fond of fingularity, ought to be carefully avoided. For nothing can appear more difgufting to perfons of difcernment than affectation.

PRACTICAL PIECES FOR SPEAKING;

CONSISTING OF

ORATIONS, ADDRESSES, EXHORTATIONS FROM THE PULPIT, PLEADINGS AT THE BAR, SUBLIME DESCRIPTIONS, DEBATES, DECLAMATIONS, GRAVE AND HUMOROUS DIALOGUES, POETRY, &c. VARIOUSLY

INTERSPERSED.

EXTRACT

FROM AN ORATION ON

ELO

QUENCE, PRONOUNCED AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY, ON COMMENCEMENT DAY, 1794.

THE

THE excellence, utility and importance of ELOQUENCE; its origin, progrefs, and prefent ftate; and its fuperior claim to the particular attention of Columbia's free-born fons, will exercife for a few moments the patience of this learned, polite, and refpected affembly.

Speech and reafon are the characteristics, the glory, and the happiness of man. These are the pillars which fupport the fair fabric of eloquence; the foundation, upon which is erected the most magnificent edifice, that genius could defign, or art construct. To cultivate eloquence, then, is to improve the nobleft faculties of our nature, the richest talents with which we are intrusted. A more convincing proof of the dignity and importance of our subject need not, cannot be advanced.

The benevolent defign and the beneficial effects of eloquence, evince its great fuperiority over every other art, which ever exercised the ingenuity of man. To inftruct, to perfuade, to please; thefe are its objects.

To scatter the clouds of ignorance and error from the atmofphere of reafon; to remove the film of prejudice from the mental eye; and thus to irradiate the benighted mind with the cheering beams of truth, is at once the business and the glory of eloquence.

To promote the innocent and refined pleasures of the fancy and intellect; to strip the monster vice of all his borrowed charms, and expofe to view his native deformity; to difplay the refiftlefs attractions of virtue; and, in one word, to roufe to action all the latent energies of man, in the proper and ardent purfuit of the great end of his exiftence, is the orator's pleasing, benevolent, fublime employment.

Nor let it be objected, that eloquence fometimes impedes the course of justice, and screens the guilty from the punishment due to their crimes. Is there any thing which is not obnoxious to abufe? Even the benign religion of the Prince of Peace has been made the unwilling inftrument of the greateft calamities ever experienced by man. The greater the benefits which naturally refult from any thing, the more pernicious are its effects, when diverted from its proper courfe. This objection to eloquence is therefore its higheft eulogium.

The orator does not fucceed, as fome would infinuate, by dazzling the eye of reafon with the illufive glare of his rhetorical art, nor, by filencing her still fmall voice in the thunder of his declamation; for to her impartial tribunal he refers the truth and propriety of whatever he afferts or propofes. After fairly convincing the understanding, he may, without the imputation of difingenuoufnefs, proceed to addrefs the fancy and the paffions. In this way he will more effectually transfufe into his hearers his own fentiments, and make every fpring in the human machine co-operate in the production of the defired effect.

The aftonishing powers of eloquence are well known, at least to thofe who are converfant in ancient history. Like a refistless torrent, it bears down every obstacle, and turns even the current of oppofing ignorance and

prejudice into the defired channel of active and zealous compliance. It is indifputably the most potent art within the compass of human acquirement. An Alexander and a Cefar could conquer a world; but to overcome the paffions, to fubdue the wills, and to command at pleasure the inclinations of men, can be effected only by the all-powerful charm of enrapturing eloquence.

Though it be more than probable, that oratory was known and cultivated in fome degree in those eastern nations, where science firft began to dawn upon the world; yet it was not till Greece became civilized and formed into diftinct governments, that it made its appearance in its native, peerless majesty. Here we may fix the era of eloquence; here was its morn; here its meridian too; for here it fhone with fplendor never fince furpaffed.

It is a common and a juft remark, that eloquence can flourish only in the foil of liberty. Athens was a republic, where the affairs of state were tranfacted in the affembly of the whole people. This afforded to eloquence a field too fertile to remain long uncultivated by the ingenious Athenians. Orators foon made their appearance, who did honor to language, to Greece, to humanity.

But though the names of many have been tranfmitted to us, whofe genius and eloquence demand our veneration and applause; yet, like ftars when the fun appears, they are loft in the fuperior blaze of the incomparable Demofthenes. His ftory is well known; and his example affords the greateft encouragement to students in eloquence; as it proves, that by art, almost in defiance of nature, a man may attain fuch excellence in oratory, as fhall ftamp his name with the feal of immortality. Demofthenes and the liberty of Greece together expired; and from this period we hear very little more of Grecian eloquence.

Let us now direct our attention to that other garden of eloquence, the Roman Commonwealth. Here, as in Greece, a free government opened the lifts to fuch as wished to dispute the palm in oratory. Numbers

advance, and contend manfully for the prize. But their glory is foon to fade; for Cicero appears; Cicero, another name for eloquence itfelf. It is needless to enlarge on his character as an orator. Suffice it fay, that if we ranfack the hiftories of the world to find a rival for Demofthenes, Cicero alone can be found capable of supporting a claim to that diftinguished honor.

And when did Greece or Rome prefent a fairer field for eloquence, than that which now invites the culture of the enlightened citizens of Columbia? We live in a republic, the orator's natal foil; we enjoy as much liberty, as is confiftent with the nature of man; we poffefs as a nation all the advantages hich climate, foil, and fituation can bestow; and nothing but real merit is here required as a qualification for the moft dignified offices of ftate. Never had eloquence more ample fcope.

And fhall we reft fatisfied with only admiring, or at most with following at an awful diftance the most illuftrious orators of Greece and Rome? Shall every other useful and ornamental art fpeed fwiftly towards perfection, while oratory, that most fublime of all arts; that art, which could render one man more dreadful to a tyrant, than hoftile fleets and armies, is almoft forgotten? It muft not, cannot be. That refinement of tafte, that laudabie ambition to excel in every thing which does honor to humanity, which diftinguishes the Americans, and their free and popular government, are fo many fprings, which though not inftantaneous in their operation, cannot fail in time to raife Columbian eloquence "above all Greek, above all Roman fame."

With pleasure we defcry the dawning of that bright day of eloquence, which we have anticipated. The grand council of our nation has already evinced, that in this refpect, as in all others, our republic ac knowledges no exifting fuperior. And we truft, that, as our facred teachers make it their conftant endeavor