CHAPTER III

ORATORICAL DELIVERY.

DELIVERY and Pronunciation are synonymous terms, when applied to Oratory; and, as action is the foundation of both, it is called the eloquence of the body. Demosthenes, the prince of orators, was so fully convinced of this, that being asked what was the chief quality of an orator, he answered action; and being asked what were the second and third qualities, he again answered, action; wishing to convey his opinion, that it was not only the principal quality, but that it included all others. "As for me," says Quintilian, who relates this, "I do not hesitate to say, that an indifferent speech, set off with all the energy and graces of action, will be more effectual than the finest discourse destitute of it." *

As an instance of the powerful effects of action, we may mention Hortensius. Although greatly inferior to Cicero in other respects, Hortensius was long his rival as an orator; but what contributed to the success of the former, was the excellence of his action; and the Roman actors were so sensible of his bodily eloquence, that they attended at the bar to copy his delivery.

Those who, either through modesty or indolence, imagine that action, whether applied to the tongue, the features of the face, or the limbs of the body, is

66 Equidem vel mediocrem orationem, commendatum viribus actionis, affirmaverim plus habituram esse momenti, quam optimam eadem illa destitutam."-QUINT. de Inst. Ora. lib. xi. c. 3.

Translation.

Pour moi, je ne fais pas de difficulté d'avancer qu'un discours médiocre, qui sera soutenu de toutes les forces, de tous les agréments de l'action, fera plus d'effet que le plus beau discours qui en serait dénué. -L'ABBÉ GEDOYN.

Chapter III. ORATORICAL DELIVERY.

entirely out of their power, will do well to consider attentively what were the means employed by Demosthenes to conquer the difficulties under which he lay, owing either to pusillanimity or organic defects. He not only took lessons from the best masters of Elocution, but he employed very singular precautions to overcome the obstacles arising from a defective formation of the organs, from awkward habits, and other causes affecting materially the articulation of sounds, and the proper employment of gestures.

r.

Being born with an impediment of speech, it was with some difficulty he could pronounce the consonant The method he employed to cure this defect, was by putting gravel into his mouth, and obliging himself frequently to pronounce several periods with the pebbles in his mouth, until he could pronounce them in the most distinct manner.

Having a difficulty of breathing, he thought of improving it, by reading several lines without stopping, and this was not done standing only, but while ascending steep mountains; and that he might be inured to the tumultuous noise of popular assemblies, he went to the sea-beach to make speeches, so as to exercise his voice, that it might be heard above the roaring noise of the billows.

To correct the bad habit of shrugging his shoulders, there was in his house a spear, fixed to the ceiling, the point downwards, under which he put his shoulder whilst in the act of delivery, so that, if he happened to give way to his defective habits, he might be punished by the spear entering into his shoulder. Thus the eminence to which Demosthenes arrived, was owing more to constant labour and self-controul, than to any gift from nature.

The above strictures on this illustrious Greek orator, are intended merely to show the learner, that any circumstances calculated to impede or weaken ora

Chap. III. ORATORICAL DELIVERY, Section I. OF THE VOICE. torical delivery, may be overcome by perseverance and industry.

Delivery, or Action, consists of two parts, viz. the Voice and the Gesture; the first strikes the ears, and the second the eyes, the two senses by which we convey our thoughts to the minds of others. The present part will be divided into two chapters: 1st, the Voice; 2d, the Gesture.

SECTION I.-THE VOICE.

THE voice must be correct, so that the pronunciation may be easy, natural, and agreeable; and it ought to be accompanied with a certain air of politeness and delicacy, which the ancients called urbanity. Correct pronunciation consists also in removing from the voice every foreign and rustic sound. The provincial accent is a great obstacle to good pronunciation; it is more or less vicious; and it is the duty, especially of all young persons, to get rid of it as much as possible. To speak correctly, there must be no accent, says the French axiom; the meaning of which is, that a provincial accent is not tolerated, and that the accent of the capital (Paris) is the only one which is allowable. One of the causes contributing to a proper pronunciation, is the right articulation of every syllable, for some are suppressed, others are lightly touched upon, and a third kind emphatically sounded. It is not by violence and great exertion we make fourselves understood, but by a clear and distinct utterance; and the principal skill is shewn, in artfully managing the different sallies of the voice, in beginning with a tone that may be raised or depressed without difficulty or constraint, and so governing the voice, that it may be fully exerted in passages where the discourse requires great force and vehemence.

By pronunciation a speech acquires an evident superiority over a written discourse. The modulations

Chap. III. ORATORICAL DELIVERY, Section I. OF THE VOICE.

of the voice, the features of the countenance, and the gestures of the body, are wanting in writing. When the above three bases of delivery are well managed, a speech, when pronounced, is far more clear than when written. Being the natural interpreters of the imagination, these three bases enrich it with the most lively colours, fortify it with the deepest impressions, and operate upon us as the most powerful means of persuasion. The principal points which ought to be insisted upon, to render the pronunciation exact, are, 1st, That the voice should agree with the grammatical character, and the syllabical power of words. 2d, That it should attend scrupulously to the places of rest belonging to periods. 3d, That it should be analogous to the idea expressed in each word in the speech, from which results three other essential points connected with the voice, namely, Pause, Inflection, and Imitative Harmony.

Many of those who have a partiality for the French language, and an inclination to make progress in its acquisition, may perhaps wish to know whether there is such a thing in France as a pronunciation for conversation, familiar reading, serious reading, pulpit delivery, stage delivery, and singing. There is not the smallest doubt, that each of the above cases has a special pronunciation.

But the limits of the present work not allowing us to dilate at length on all these different kinds, we have condensed the whole under six heads; namely, 1st, Familiar Reading or Conversation; 2d, Serious Reading or Lecturing; 3d, Oratorical Delivery; 4th, Rhetorical Pauses; 5th, Rhetorical Inflections; 6th, Emphasis;-followed by Exercises on Pauses and Inflections.

I. FAMILIAR PRONUNCIATION OR CONVERSATION.

In Conversation or Familiar Reading, the mouth of The person who speaks being near the ear of the per

Chap. III. ORATORICAL DELIVERY, Section I. OF THE VOICE. son addressed, it evidently requires but little effort to be understood. The sounds not being impeded by any obstacles of any consequence, ought to be emitted in a gentle and graceful manner, and each syllable ought to be pronounced with a flexibility of voice suitable to the ideas to be conveyed. In familiar delivery, less extent is given to the long syllables than in others, the broadness of sounds is reduced, and the connection of words, so essential in oratory, is not attended to, except in such expressions as vous avez, mon ami, les usages, aus idées, avis important, bien aimé, sans argent, on a, tout est, &c. where the final letter is connected with the initial of the following word, as vou zavé, mo nami, &c.

Familiar pronunciation admits also of the hiatus; for instance, in aimer à faire du bien; mes plaisirs et vos chagrins; votre sœur m'a envoyé quelques pommes; ils peuvent y aller; il fait un froid extrême; r in aimer, s in plaisirs, r in votre, l in quelques, t in peuvent, d in froid, are suppressed in familiar pronunciation, whether the suppression creates a gaping or not. This theory applies to many other cases.

From the above sketch, we may draw the following inferences; first, that the accent is scarcely felt; secondly, that the greater part of unaccented e's are mute; thirdly, that final consonants are in general mute, and have no connection with the following word; fourthly, that a marked inflection of the voice would appear ridiculous, if not pedantic. Such are the general features of Familiar Pronunciation, or Reading.

II. SERIOUS READING OR LECTURING.

To ensure a successful delivery, either in Serious Reading or Lecturing, the principal object is to be easily and completely heard by all those present, and this cannot be accomplished but by filling with the voice, the space containing the assembly. There are