had not done it, and he did not charge them with it; but he found no solace for his grief till one of them remarked, 'My lord was walking in the garden this morning, and I saw him pluck the flower and carry it away.' Then, truly, the gardener found he had no cause for his trouble. He felt that it was well his master had been pleased to take his own; and he went away smiling at his loss, because his lord had taken delight in the flowers."

See Judges ix. 7-21; 2 Sam. xii. 1-6. See Trench on The Parables. The frequency with which the Master used this dexterous and weighty kind of speech will justify its more common appearance in modern popular and pulpit address.

6. Fable. It is essentially the same as the parable. The name of Jesus, however, is so associated with parables, and that of Æsop with fables, that the distinction between the two figures has come to seem very broad. Comparing the world's fables with the Christian parables, it will appear that often in the fable, but rarely in the parable, are the attributes of humanity given to brutes; in the fable, raillery is frequently indulged in, but not in the parable; thus, also, prudential rather than religious truths are exemplified in the fable. Æsop is the master of fables. Demosthenes sometimes employed them, (see "Fable of Sheep, Dogs, and Wolf," in Plutarch's Lives, article on Demosthenes.) In the calmer forms of sacred eloquence, especially in an address to children, the fable can be profitably introduced.

V. Art of acquiring Skill in the Use of Poetic

Speech.

To the principles found under Laws XII., XIII., and XIV., pp. 64-67, and the directions given under Cultivation of Style, p. 143, there need be added but two rules for acquiring skill in poetic represen

tation.

1. Cultivate figure-making habitudes. This is done by asking the spiritual import of every physical object seen (Rom. i. 19, 20); also by forming the habit of constantly metaphorizing. Knock at the door of anything met which interests, and ask, Who lives here? The process is to look, then close the eyes, then look within. Emerson, Spurgeon, and many others, carry blank books in which they note on the spot anything of a character to furnish an illustration.

In this figure-making drill, carry out all the minutest details of the picture; though this is rarely to be done before an audience, except in certain parts of the picture.

2. Store the mind with information. To produce a mental picture from natural objects, one must have an acquaintance with such objects. Objects of sight are the most fruitful. An increase of such information is like enlarging one's vocabulary. Strict scientific analysis of natural objects may also be of service. To one who understands the chemical properties of light, the announcement, "I am

the Light of the world" (John viii. 12) presents a picture both evangelizing and grand.51

"Science," says Macaulay, "is admirably fitted to give majestic contributions to poetic representations." Modern scientific works are extremely suggestive, such as those of Darwin and Huxley, Dawson and the Duke of Argyll.

CHAPTER X.

PROSE SPEECH.

PROSE SPEECH is used in ordinary conversation, and forms the basis of all didactic and oratoric address. It is treated under the following topics:

I. Classification in Prose Speech; Rhetorical Form.

1. Narration. It is the representation of a succession of events observed in the order of their occurrence. It deals with facts, and includes more departments of literature than any other class of rhetorical composition. Rarely is a speech of any great length heard, in which narration is wanting. Note the constant recurrence of narration in the speeches and orations of Demosthenes, Cicero, Burke, Pitt, Webster, and Everett. When the orator would move to tears, he neither employs syllogisms nor challenges admiration through oratory, but simply narrates a pathetic anecdote. Such real or parabolic narrations as the Prodigal Son or Good Samaritan, elicit both tears and resolves to go and do better, as no demonstration or argumentation could do.

The following directions may be of service:

(1) Narration should be unfolded in order of time. (2) It should be such as to bring objects vividly before the mind of the one addressed. (3) The rule of art is to place the principal objects in the strongest light possible. (4) Important matters should be brought out in fulness of detail. Hence the rule to select the important and then carefully specify the details immediately involved. (5) Unimportant matters should be unnoticed, or be merely touched upon. (6) The development of the narrative throughout should be such in spoken address as not to interfere with oratorical effectiveness.

For examples under these rules, see Demosthenes On the Crown, (beginning, "What commotion there was in the city"); Everett's Hist. Orations; the various New Testament narrations, such as those of the Young Ruler, Woman of Samaria, and Syrophoenician Woman. See also King Lear, Act III. Sc. II., Lear's second speech; and in Sc. vI., Lear's eighth speech; Hamlet, Act 1. Sc. I.; 1 Sam. ii. 19; 2 Sam. xii. 34; xiv. 7, 14; Zech. viii. 5; Matt. xxiv. 17, 18; xxv. 35-44; Luke xi. 5-8; xiv. 18-20, 31; xvi. 24; xvii. 34-36; Acts v. 35-39; vii.; xiii. 13, etc.; xxvi.52

That narration is classified under Prose Speech does not exclude its use in poetry. See all popular ballad poetry.

2. Description. It is the representation of events or things observed at a given point of time. It is sometimes defined as a "shortened narration." Description is used for the purpose of generating or