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formly requires the emphatic falling, and the negative member the emphatic rising, inflection, as,

Did he do it voluntarily, or ìnvoluntarily ?
He did it vòluntarily, not involuntarily.
Did he act jústly, or ùnjustly?

He acted justly, not unjustly.

4. GESTURE AND ACTION.-By gesture is meant a suitable conformity of the countenance, the eyes in particular, and of the parts of the body generally, with the sentiments uttered; and we have the authority of Cicero, that

"Its power is greater than that of words."

The seat of these gestures is not fixed to this or that particular portion of the body-the soul exercises an equal power over all the muscles; every one of them may be figuratively said to speak in the celebrated Group of the Laocoon.*

Nothing can be more absurd and unnatural than that a boy should stand motionless while he is pronouncing the most impassioned language, or, in a careless or awkward position, with an ungainly and desultory action. What then remains, but that such a general style of action be adopted as shall be easily conceived, and easily executed; and this can be best achieved by reference to the diagrams accompanying these remarks. The leading positions are as follow:

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A speaker about to address his auditory, should, before beginning his speech, cast a diffident glance

* Siddons on Gesture and Action.

around him, and then take up, as nearly as possible, the position represented in diagram 1. The whole

DIAGRAM I.-OPENING POSITION.

weight of the body should be thrown upon the right leg, which should be a little in advance of the left, the other just touching the ground, the feet being separated about six or eight inches; the knees should be straight and braced, and the body-though perfectly straight-not perpendicular, but inclining as far to the right as a firm position on the right leg will permit. The right arm must then be extended, with the palm of the hand open, the fingers slightly curved, and the thumb almost as distant from them as it will easily go, and the flat of the hand neither horizontal nor vertical, but exactly between both, the left hand hanging gracefully by the side; the extended arm should drop apparently lifeless, but not too abruptly, when the last emphatic word is pro

nounced. When the pupil has delivered one sentence of moderate length, or one paragraph in this attitude, he should, at the moment of commencing a fresh one, reverse his position; doing with the left arm, hand, and leg, what he has just done with the right.

A perpetual see-saw of the arms, which may be too frequently remarked in the elocutionary tyro, is to be studiously avoided:

"Let your discretion be your tutor: suit the action to the word, the word to the action; with this special observance, that you o'erstep not the modesty of nature.' SHAKESPERE.

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When both hands are used, except under certain circumstances, which will be explained under diagram 4, the advanced foot should be drawn rather back, and the speaker should stand in a firm and erect posture. Occasionally, also, when speaking of ourselves, in contradistinction to others, or when giving utterance to some pathetic sentiment, the right hand should be placed on the left breast. When anything low is mentioned, the eye and hand should be directed downwards. It is almost impossible to give minute instructions to meet every case; but, as a general rule, the action and utterance should be strictly in unison with the sentiment uttered.

Diagram 2.-When the pupil has acquired some little proficiency in the use of the hand and arm, he should be taught to move them in accordance with the general directions just given. This diagram represents a position suitable for the delivery of a passage of this kind:

'Not that I might draw envy upon that illustrious order of which the accused happens to be."—CICERO v. Verres. or, indeed, any passage where a corrective idea is to be expressed, or one moderately emphatic.

Generally, also, as the action becomes more ener

getic, the distance between the feet should be gradually

increased.

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DIAGRAM II.-DEPRECATORY POSITION.

Diagram 3.-Represents a position suitable for the delivery of a highly emphatic sentiment. The arm should be gradually raised from the position shown in diagram 1, until the hand is at the level of the head, the palm of the hand being presented flat, or nearly so, towards the audience, diagram 3 (a), the arm should then be brought, suddenly and with decision, to the position shown in diagram 3 (b). Care must be taken that the body is maintained in a straight line with the leg on which it bears, and not suffered to lean to the opposite side. The attitude represented in this diagram would be suitable for the delivery of passages similar to these:I'll keep them all;

By Heaven! he shall not have a Scot of them;
No, if a Scot would save his soul, he shall not:
I'll keep them by this hand."

SHAKESPERE.

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The blood-thirsty prætor, deaf to all he could urge in his own defence, ordered the infamous punishment to be inflicted."-CICERO V. VERRES.

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Diagram 4.-The invocatory position should be used when the speaker has to make a vehement appeal to Heaven; or when sentiments of a very elevated or patriotic character have to be delivered, as is frequently the case in the perorations of the speeches of the great orators of antiquity. It must be remembered, also, that the eyes, and the countenance generally, should be directed upwards, following, as it were, the lead of the hand. The position represented in this diagram would be proper in delivering such passages as follow:

"Hail, holy light! offspring of heaven first born,"

MILTON.

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