II.-SPEECHES AND SOLILOQUIES. 1. Hamlet's advice to the players, 2. Douglas' account of himself, 4. Sempronius' speech for war, 6. Hotspur's account of the fop, soliloquy on the contents of a letter, 8. Othello's apology for his marriage, 9. Henry IV's soliloquy on sleep, 10. Bobadil's method of defeating an 12. Soliloquy of Hamlet on death, 13. Falstaff's encomiums on sack, 14. Prologue to the tragedy of Cato, 15. Cato's soliloquy on the immortality 16. Lady Randolph's soliloquy, 21. Brutus' harangue on the death of Cæsar, 22. Antony's oration over Cæsar's body, 23. Falstaff's soliloquy on honour, Tragedy of Richard III. Shakespeare's Henry V. ib. before the battle of Agincourt, 19. Soliloquy of Dick the apprentice, Farce of the Apprentice, ib. 4. Calisthenes' reproof of Cleon's flattery to 5. Caius Marius to the Romans, 6. Publius Scipio to the Roman army, 9. Canuleius to the Roman consuls, Q. Curtis, Hooke, ibid. ibid. Page. 247 249 251 253 256 259 264 268 271 276 277 278 279 280 282 285 290 Sallust, 287 Milton, 300 ibid. 302 West Indian, 303 II.-SPEECHES AND SOLILOQUIES. 6. Cardinal Wolsey and Cromwell, 7. Sir Charles and Lady Racket, Three Weeks after Marriage, 320 1. Hamlet's advice to the players, 2. Douglas' account of himself, 4. Sempronius' speech for war, 6. Hotspur's account of the fop, 7. army, 11. Soliloquy of Hamlet's uncle on 1 Henry the IV. soliloquy on the contents of a letter, ibid. 8. Othello's apology for his marriage, Tragedy of Othello, 9. Henry IV's soliloquy on sleep, - 12. Soliloquy of Hamlet on death, 13. Falstaff's encomiums on sack, 14. Prologue to the tragedy of Cato, 21. Brutus' harangue on the death of Cæsar, 22. Antony's oration over Cæsar's body, 23. Falstaff's soliloquy on honour, Shakespeare's Henry V. ib. before the battle of Agincourt, 19. Soliloquy of Dick the apprentice, Farce of the Apprentice, APPENDIX-Containing concise lessons on a new plan, ib. ib. Advertisement TO THE STEREOTYPE EDITION. THOUGH the merit of the Lessons, a new edition of which is now presented to the public, is well appreciated, yet complaints have been made, and very justly, that most of the editions, in common use, are not only badly executed, but extremely incorrect. The present edition, it is believed, will be found free from both these objections. Its typographical execution addresses itself to the eye, and cannot fail, it is thought, to make such an impression, as will supersede the necessity of verbal commendation. And it is presumed, that on examination, its correctness will be found to be equal to its mechanical execution, the greatest care having been given to produce an accurate, as well as a handsome edition of the work. There is added, to the present edition, an abridgment of Mr. Walker's rules for the pronunciation of the Greek and Latin proper names, with a list of such classical names as are to be met with in this and other elementary works. Boston, March 13th, 1823. ELEMENTS OF GESTURE. SECTION I. On the Speaking of Speeches at Schools. ELOCUTION has, for some years past, been an ob ject of attention in the most respectable schools in this country. A laudable ambition of instructing youth, in the pronunciation and delivery of their native language, has made English speeches a very conspicuous part of those exhibitions of oratory, which do our seminaries of learning so much credit. This attention to English pronunciation, has induced several ingenious men to compile exercises in elocution, for the use of schools, which have answered very useful purposes: But none so far as I have seen, have attempted to give us a regular system of gesture, suited to the wants and capacties of School-boys. Mr. Burgh, in his art of Speaking, has given us a system of the passions; and has shown us how they appear in the countenance, and operate on the body; but this system, however useful to people of riper years, is too delicate and complicated to be taught in schools. Indeed the exact adaptation, of the action to the word, and the word to the action, as Shakespeare calls it, is the most difficult part of delivery, and therefore, can never be taught perfectly to children; to say nothing of distracting their at tention with two very difficult things at the same time. But that boys should stand motionless, while they are pronouncing the most impassionate language, is extremely absurd and unnatural; and that they should sprawl into an awkward, ungain, and desultory action, is still more offensive and disgusting. What then remains, but that such a general style of action be adopted, as shall be easily conceived and easily executed; which, though not expressive of any particular passion, shall not be inconsistent with the expression of any passion; which shall always keep the body in a graceful position, and shall so vary its motions, at proper intervals, as to see the subject operating on the speaker, and not the |
Get this book in print
0 Reviews Reviews aren't verified, but Google checks for and removes fake content when it's identified Write review |