situation in which he actually is, and not, to that for which he would prepare himself. Any system, on the contrary, of studied emphasis and regulation of the voice, may be learned in private practice as easily as singing.

CHAP. III. Considerations arising from the differences between Reading and Speaking.

1. Some additional objections to the method I have recommended, and some further remarks on the counterbalancing advantages of it will be introduced presently, when I shall have first offered some observations on Speaking, and on that branch of Reading which the most nearly approaches to it.

When any one delivers a written composition, of which he is, or is supposed to profess himself, the author, he has peculiar difficulties to encounter, if his

It must be admitted, however, that to the members of our Church) the difficulty of reading the Liturgy with spirit, and even with propriety, is something peculiar, on account of (what has been already remarked) the inveterate and long-established faults to which almost every one's ears are become familiar; so that such a delivery as would shock any one of even moderate taste, in any other composition, he will, in this, be likely to tolerate, and to practise. Some, e. g. in the Liturgy, read, "have mercy upon us, miserable sinners ;" and others, "have mercy upon us, miserable sinners;" both, laying the stress on a wrong word, and making the pause in the wrong place, so as to disconnect "us" and "miserable sinners ;" which the context requires us to combine. Every one, in expressing his own natural sentiments, would say, "have mercy upon us-miserable-sinners."

Many are apt even to commit so gross an error, as to lay the chief stress on the words which denote the most important things; without any consideration of the emphatic word of each sentence: e. g. in the Absolution, many read, "let us beseech Him to grant us true repentance;" because, forsooth, "true repentance" is an important thing; not considering that, as it has been just mentioned, It is not the new idea, and that to which the attention should be directed by the emphasis; the sense being, that since God pardoneth all that have true repentance, therefore, we should "beseech Him to grant it to us."

In addition to the other difficulties of reading the Liturgy well, it

Compara.

tages of

written and extempora

ses.

object be to approach as nearly as possible to the extemporaneous style. It is indeed impossible to produce the full effect of that style, while the audience are aware that the words he utters are before him: but he may approach indefinitely near to such an effect; and in proportion as he succeeds in this object, the impression produced will be the greater. It has been tive advan- already remarked, how easy it is for the hearers to keep up their attention-indeed, how difficult for them to withdraw it-when ry addres- they are addressed by one who is really speaking to them in a natural and earnest manner; though perhaps the discourse may be incumbered with a good deal of the repetition, awkwardness of expression, and other faults, incident. to extemporaneous language; and though it be prolonged for an hour or two, and yet contain no more matter than a good writer could have clearly expressed in a discourse of half an hour; which last, if read to them, would not, without some effort on their part, have so fully detained their attention. The advantage in point of style, arrangement, &c. of written, over extemporaneous, discourses, (such at least as any but the most accomplished orators can produce,) is sufficiently evident :* and it should be mentioned, that prayer, thanksgiving, and the like, even when avowedly not of our own composition, should be delivered as (what in truth they ought to be) the genuine sentiments of our own minds at the moment of utterance; which is not the case with the Scriptures, or with any thing else that is read not professing to be the speaker's own composition.

Practice in public speaking generally-practice in speaking on the particular subject in hand-and (on each occasion) premedita tion of the matter and arrangement, are all, circumstances of great consequence to a speaker.

Nothing but a miraculous gift can supersede these advantages The Apostles accordingly were forbidden to use any premeditation, being assured that it should be given them, in that same hour, what they should say ;" and, when they found, in effect, this promise fulfilled to them, they had experience, within themselves, of a sensible miracle. This circumstance may furnish a person of sincerity with a useful test for distinguishing (in his own case) the emotions of a fervid imagination, from actual inspiration. It is evident that an inspired preacher can have nothing to gain from

is evident also that other advantages, such as have been just alluded to belong to the latter. Which is to be preferred on each occasion, and by each orator, it does not belong to the present discussion to inquire; but it 's evidently of the highest importance, to combine, as far as possible, in each case, the advantages of both.

A perfect familiarity with the rules laid down in the First Part of this Treatise, would be likely, it is hoped, to give the extemporaneous orator that habit of quickly methodizing his thoughts on a given subject, which is essential (at least where no very long premeditation is allowed) to give to a speech something of the weight of argument, and clearness of arrangement, which characterize good Writing.* In order to attain the corresponding advantage-to impart to the delivery of a written discourse, something of the vivacity and interesting effect of real, earnest, speaking, the plan to be pursued, conformably with the principles I have been maintaining, is, for the reader to draw off his mind as much as possible from the thought that he is reading, as well as from all thought respecting his own utterance ;--to fix his mind as earnestly as possible on the matter, and to strive to adopt as his own, and as his own at the moment of utterance, every sentiment he delivers :-and to say it to the audience, in the manner which the occasion and subject spontaneously suggest to him who has abstracted his mind both from all consideration of himself, and from the consideration that he is reading.

practice, or study of any kind: he, therefore, who finds himself improve by practice, either in Argument, Style, or Delivery-or who observes that he speaks more fluently and better, on subjects on which he has been accustomed to speak-or better with premedi tation, than on a sudden, may indeed deceive his hearers by a pre tence to inspiration, but can hardly deceive himself.

Accordingly, it may be remarked, that, (contrary to what might at first sight be supposed,) though the preceding parts, as well as the present, are intended for general application, yet it is to the extemporary speaker that the rules laid down in the former part (supposing them correct) will be the most peculiarly useful while the suggestions offered in this last, respecting Elocution, are more especially designed for the use of the reader

Most men

§ 2. The advantage of this NATURAL speak well MANNER, (i. e. the manner which one natu. in common rally falls into who is really speaking, in discourse. earnest, and with a mind exclusively intent on what he has to say,) may be estimated from this consideration; that there are few who do not speak so as to give effect to what they are saying. Some, indeed, do this much better than others--some have, in ordinary conversation, an indistinct or incorrect pronunciation-an embarrassed and hesitating utterance, or a bad choice of words: but hardly any one fails to deliver (when speaking earnestly) what he does say, so as to convey the sense and the force of it, much more completely than even a good reader would, if those same words were written down and read. The latter might, indeed, be more approved; but that is not the present question; which is, concerning the impression made on the hearer's minds. It is not the polish of the blade, that is to be considered, or the grace with which it is brandished, but the keenness of the edge, and the weight of the stroke.

There is, indeed, a wide difference between different men, in respect of the degrees of impressiveness with which, in earnest conversation, they deliver their sentiments; but it may safely be laid down, that he who delivers a written composition with the same degree of spirit and energy with which he would naturally speak on the same subject, has attained, not indeed, necessarily, absolute perfection, but the utmost excellence attainable by him. Any attempt to outdo his own Natural manner, will inevitably lead to something worse than failure.

On the contrary, it can hardly be denied that the elocution of most readers, even when delivering their own compositions, is such as to convey the notion, at the very best, not that the preacher is expressing his own real sentiments, but that he is making known to his audience what is written in the book before him

and, whether the composition is professedly the reader's own, or not, the usual mode of delivery, though grave and decent, is so remote from the energetic style of real Natural Speech, as to furnish, if one may so speak, a kind of running comment on all that is uttered, which says, "I do not mean, think, or feel, all this; I only mean to recite it with propriety and decorum:" and what is usually called fine Reading, only superadds to this, (as has been above remarked,) a kind of admonition to the hearers, that they ought to believe, to feel, and to admire, what is read.

Natural manner not

with the

§ 3. It is easy to anticipate an objection which many will urge against, what they will call, a colloquial style of delivery; viz. to be con that it is indecorous, and unsuitable to the founded solemnity of a serious, and especially, of familiar a religious discourse. The objection is founded on a mistake. Those who urge it, derive all their notions of a Natural Delivery from two, irrelevant, instances; that of ordinary conversation, the usual subjects of which, and consequently its usual tone, are comparatively gat;-ana, that of the coarse and extravagant rant of vulgar fanatical preachers. But to conclude that the objections against either of these styles, would apply to the Natural delivery of a man of sense and taste, speaking earnestly, on a serious subject, and on a solemn occasion-or that he would naturally adopt, and is here advised to adopt, such a style as those objected to, is no less absurd than, if any one, being recommended to walk in a natural and unstudied manner, rather than in a dancing step, (to employ Dr. A. Smith's illustration,) or a formal march, should infer that the natural gait of a clown following the plough, or of a child in its gambols, were proposed as models to be imitated in walking across a room Should any one, on being told that both tragic-acting and comic-acting ought to be a natural representation of man, interpret this to mean, that Tragedy ought to