If a perfon adopt any of the forms of addrefs which derive their beauty, force, and efficacy, from their feeming to be extemporary, as well as those which exprefs great earneftness and vehemence; all his gestures, the air of his countenance, and his whole manner, fhould correfpond to them; because certain geftures and motions of the countenance univerfally accompany natural vehemence, and genuine extemporary expreffion. When these things, which have fo strong a connection in nature, are not united, the whole must appear extremely unnatural, the imperfect artifice will be easily seen through, and the impoftor be defervedly expofed.

If a perfon never attempt these forms of speech but when his temper really corresponds to and dictates them, he will seldom fail in point of propriety; because the state of mind being strongly affociated with those correfpondent motions, they are excited mechanically and juftly. No attention can supply the place of this. The external expreffions of paffion, with all their variations, corresponding to the different degrees of their emotions, are too complex for any perfon in the circumstances of a public speaker to be able to attend to them. Or, were it poffible, the difference between a genuine automatic and a voluntary motion, is fufficiently apparent. All motions that are automatic have a quickness and vigour which are loft when they become voluntary, witness fighing, laughing,

Laughing, the geftures peculiar to anger, &c. and the fame when imitated. The difference is too apparent to escape any person's observation.

If thefe obfervations be fufficiently attended to, they will deter any prudent and confiderate perfon from attempting phrases and modes of addrefs, expreffive of earneftnefs, when they do not really feel thofe emotions, which will of themselves fuggeft the proper attitudes and gestures correfponding to them.

These cautions are given in this place, because they peculiarly relate to thofe forms of addrefs which exprefs earnestness, extreme confidence in the goodness of one's cause, and that quick conception and animated delivery natural to extemporary fpeaking, which have now been explained. They are, indeed, applicable, but not in the fame degree, to the remaining forms of address which are adapted to gain belief.

LECTURE

LECTURE XVI.

Of OBJECTIONS, SUPPRESSION of what might be faid, and Marks of CANDOUR.

WE more eafily give our affent to any propo

fition when the person who contends for it appears, by his manner of delivering himself, to have a perfect knowledge of the fubject of it, fo as to be apprized beforehand of every thing that can be objected to it, and especially if he seem to be master of more arguments than he chufes to produce. For we naturally prefume that a perfon thus furnished hath studied the question in debate, that he cannot but have weighed the arguments that appear to be fo familiar to him; and therefore that he hath determined juftly concerning it. These forms of addrefs, as well as thofe which are natural to a person who is greatly in earnest, have been obferved, and the advantage attending them may be had by thofe perfons who adopt, or imitate them, with judgment.

Thus an able orator will fometimes difarm his antagonists, and gain his hearers, by anticipating all they can allege for themselves, and by obviating their cavils before they have had any opportunity to start them; by which means his argument proceeds without interruption.

The

The chief art of an orator in answering objections confifts in introducing them at a proper time, just when it may be fuppofed they may have occurred to his hearers; before they could have had time to influence their minds, and leffen the weight of his arguments. By this means an orator seems to read the very thoughts of his audience; and a proof of fuch a perfect acquaintance with his fubject, and even with the fentiments of his hearers, and of his adverfaries, about it, cannot fail to operate powerfully in his favour.

In an oration afcribed to Junius Brutus, exhorting the Romans to throw off the yoke of the Tarquins, we have an example of an objection anticipated in a very happy, mafterly, and fpirited manner. After demonstrating to the people the power they were poffeffed of to redress their grievances, the urgent neceffity, and peculiarlyfavourable opportunity for exerting it; he makes. a fudden pause, as if he had juft perceived fome figns of diffidence in the countenances of his audience, and had discerned the very thoughts which occafioned them; and fays, "Some of you are, perhaps, intimidated by the army which Tarquin "now commands. The foldiers, you imagine, "will take the part of their general. Banish fo દ groundless a fear. The love of liberty is natu"ral to all men. Your fellow-citizens in the

..

camp feel the weight of oppreflion with as quick

a fenfe as you that are in Rome. They will

"as easily feize the occafion of throwing off the yoke. But let us grant there may be fome

te

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..

among them who, through bafeness of spirit,

or a bad education, will be difpofed to favour "the tyrant. The number of these can be but

small, and we have means fufficient in our hands "to reduce them to reason. They have left us. hoftages more dear to them than life. Their "wives, their children, their fathers, their mo"thers, are here in the city. Courage, Romans, "the gods are for us," &c.

An example of the fame nature we have in St. Paul, difcourfing about the refurrection. "But "fome will fay, How are the dead raised? and "with what body do they come? Thou fool, that "which thou foweft is not quickened except it "die," &c. 1 Cor. xv. 35, 36.

If it be not convenient to speak at large to an objection juft at the time when it may moft probably be supposed to occur to the audience, when yet it might be attended with fome inconvenience, and it would not be prudent, wholly to overlook it; it may, in fome measure, take off the force of it, if, at that time, the orator only hint his being aware of it, and promife to difcufs it more particularly afterwards. In this cafe the hearer is engaged to drop his attention to it, and to defer the confideration of it till the speaker himself take notice of it.

Sometimes there may be an appearance of impropriety in the very circumstances of the oration,