CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY FROM Mr. and Mrs.ffra.P.i?.(lurley Cornell University Library arW37674 The American union speaker 3 1924 031 787 645 olin,anx Cornell University Library The original of tliis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924031787645 THE AMERICAN UNION SPEAKER; CONTAINING STANDARD AND RECENT SELECTIONS PROSE AND POETRY, FOB RECITATION AND DECLAMATION, IN SCHOOLS, ACADEMIES AND COLLEGES. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS ON ELOCUTION, EXPLANATORY NOTES. By JOHN D. PHILBRICK, SUPERINTENDENT OP THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF BOSTOH. BOSTON: TIIO:\[PSON, BIGELOW & BROWN. 1870. Entered according to Act of Congress, in tlie year 1865, by John D. Philbrick, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts EIVEESIDE, CAMBRIDGE: ■TEREOTYPED AND PRINTED BT H. O. HOUGHTON AND COMPANY. PREFACE. The design of this book is twofold, — to meet the present demand for new selections suited to the spirit of the hour, and also to furnish a choice collection of standard pieces for elocutionary exercises on which time has set its lasting seal. In the execution of this design no pains have been spared in selecting and preparing the best pieces, both new and old. The extracts from recent productions, numbering about one hundred, by more than fifty different authors, are now for the fii-st time presented in a Speaker. They are for the most part the eloquent utterances of our best oratoiji and poets, inspired by the present national crisis, and are therefore " all compact of the passing hour," breathing " the fine sweet spirit of nationality, — the nationality of America." They give expression to the emotions excited, the hopes inspired, and the duties imposed by this stormy and perilous period. They afford brilhant illustrations of the statesmanship of the crisis. Sumner exposes the origin and mainspring of the rebellion, Douglas strips off its pretext, Everett paints its crime, Boutwell boldly proclaims its remedy in emancipation, and Banks pronounces a benediction on the first act of reconstruction on the solid basis of freedom. to all. They furnish also an epitome of the conflict of arms. Bryant utters the rallying cry to the people, Whittier responds in the united voice of the North, Holmes sounds the grand charge, Pierpont gives the command " Forward ! " Longfellow and Boker immortalize the unconquerable heroism of our braves on sea and land, and Andrew and Beecher speak in tender accents the gratitude of loyal hearts to our fallen heroes. These new pieces will for a time receive the preference over old ones, and some of them will survive the period which called them forth. But to insure for the work, if possible, a permanent value as a Standard Speaker for students of common schools, higher seminaries and colleges, the greater part of the selections, nearly three hundred in number, have been chosen from those of acknowledged excellence, and of un- questionable merit as exercises for recitation and declamation. This department comprises every variety of style necessary in elocutionary culture. iv PREFACE. Another important feature of the collection is the introduction of those masterpieces of oratory — long excluded from books of this class, though now rendered appropriate by the new phase of public opinion, — which advocate the inalienable rights of man, and denounce the crime of human bondage. Aware of the deep and lasting power which pieces used for decla- mation exert in moulding the ideas and opinions of the young, it has been my aim to admit only such productions as inculcate the noblest and purest sentiments, teaching patriotism, loyalty, and justice, and firing the youthful heart with ambition to be useful, and with heroic devotion to duty. The text of the extracts has been made to conform to that of the most authentic editions of the works of their authors. Some pieces which have heretofore been presented in a mutilated form, are here restored to their original completeness. Where compression or abridg- ment has been necessary, it has been executed with caution, and with strict regard to the sentiments and' ideas of the authors. Fully convinced that elaborate treatises on elocution more appro- priately form separate publications, nothing of the kind has been included in this volume. A summary of practical suggestions to teachers and students was thought to form a more useful introduc- tion. For the sake of artistic beauty in the page, as well as for the con- venience of the student, the notes and explanatory remarks necessary for the proper understanding of the pieces, have been thrown together at the end of the volume, and so arranged that reference to them can be easily made. This work, the preparation of which has been a recreation rather than a labor — an agreeable diversion from the daily routine of a laborious office, — is the embodiment of the experience and observa- tion of twenty-five years, with reference to this description of lite- rature. It originated in a desire to contribute something to the fur- therance of the right education of the young men of my country, and the extent to which it promotes this object, will in my estimation, be the measure of its success. Boston, July 4, 1864. CONTENTS. Introductory Remarks on Declamation xv STANDAED SELECTIONS. PEOSE. FAOI 1. The Noble Purposes of Eloquence Lord Brougham 3 2. Eolla to the Peruvians B. S. Shendan 4 3. Invective against Warren Hastings B. B. Sheridan 5 4. The Bible the best Classic T. S. Grimhe 6 5. What Tve owe to the Sword T. S. Grimke 8 6. Duty of Literary Men to their Country T. S. Grimke 9 7. America's Obligations to England Isaac Barre H 8. Webster's Plea for Dartmouth College C. A. Goodrich 12 9. The Foundersof Boston Pres. Qidncy 14 10. The American Sailor R. F. StocMm 16 ^11. The Foundation of National Greatness W. E. Channing 17 12. Intemperance W. £. Channing 18 13. Inconsistent Expectations Mrs. Barbauld 19 14. The Patriot's Sword vindicated T. F. Meagher 21 15. On being found Guilty of Treason T. F. Meagher 23 16. Address to the American Troops at L. I Wasliington 24 • 17. Character of Chatham ff. Graltan 2a -18. The Press and the Union B. Choate 27 » 19. American Literature and the Union JR. Choate 28 20. The Love of Beading B. Choate 29 21. Eloquence of the American Revolution B. Choate 30 22. Tribute to Webster £. Choate 32 23. Skilful Labor and Cultivated Intellect B. Choate 33 24. The Empire of Mind B. Choate 35 -25. The City of our Liberty B. Choate 36 26. Specimen of the Eloquence of James Otis Mrs. L. M. Child 37 27. Webster in the Dartmouth College Case G. S. HiUard 38 28. The Ambition of Webster G. S. Hillard 39 29. The Dangerof Exclusive Devotion to Business. . 6. S. HiUard 40 30. Speech in the Convention of Delegates of Virginia P. Eenry 41 31. The Same Concluded P.Henry 43 32. Reply to the Duke of Grafton Lord Thurlow 44 33. The Prospects of California Nathaniel Bennett 44 34. In Prospect of War Bobert Hall 46 35. The American Indians J. Story 47 86, Classical Learning J. Story 43 vi CONTENTS. FAOI 37. An Appeal in Behalf of Patriotism and Loyalty. J. Story 49 88. Our Duties to the Republic J- Story 50 39. Spartacus to the Gladiators £■ Kellogg bj 40. No Extension of Slave Territory R- C. Wmthrop 54 41. National Monument to Washington R- C WttUhrop 66 42. The Perfect Orator Amnymous 6( 43. Necessity of a Pure National Morality L. Beecher 58 44. On the Irish Disturbance Bill D. 0' Connell 59 45. Ca3sa-'s Pause upon the Rubicon J- S. Knowles 60 46. Gustavus Vasa to the Dalecariians Anmymous 61 47. Nobilitv of Labor 0. Mwey 62 4&. Salathiel to Titus G. Croly 63 49. An Appeal to the Loyalty of South Carolina A. Jackson 64 BO. The Same Concluded ^. Jacksoti 65 51. Burr and Blennerhassett fV- Wirt 66 52. Cause for Indian Resentment W. Wirt 69 53. Speech on the British Treaty F. Ames 70 54. Speech against a Libeller Griffin 72 65. New England and the Union S. S. Prentiss 74 56. On sending Relief to Ireland S. S. Prentiss 75 67. The New England Common School S. S. Prentiss 76 58. Christianity the Source of Reform E. II. Cliapin 78 59. Northern Laborers C. Nayhr 79 60. Brougham's Attack on Canning described Anmymous 80 61. South Carolina during the Revolution E. Y. Hayne 82 62. Incompetency of Parliament W. C. Plunkeit 83 63. Washington C. Phillips 85 64. Education C. Phillips 86 65. Character of Napoleon Bonaparte C. Phillips 37 66. A Collision of Vices G. Canning 88 67. " Measures not Men " G. Canning 89 68. Parliamentary Reform Lord Srougliam 91 69. Denunciation of Slavery iMrd Brougham 92 70. The Teachers of Mankind Lord Brougham 93 71. The Greatness of Washington Lord Brougham 95 72. Washington a Man of Genius E. P. Whipple 96 73. Irish .\liens and English Victories R. L. Sheil 97 74. The Iliad and the Bible Dr. Wayland. 99 75. On admitting California into the Union W. H. Seward. 100 76. A Highway to the Pacific T. H. Benton 102 77. Address to" Polish Exiles in London L. Kossuth 103 78. Kossuth on his Credentials L. Kossuth. 105 79. The Ides of March L. Kossuth 106 80. The Same Continued L. Kossuth 107 81. The Same Continued L. Kossuth 109 82. Tlie Same Concluded L. Kossuth 110 83. The Mayflower and the Pilgrims K. Everett Ill 84. The Discoveiy of America E, Everett 112 86. Adams and Jefferson E. Everett 113 86. The Indian Chief to the White Settler E. Everett 114 87. The Men of '• Seventy-Six" E. Everett... .'. ....'. 116 88 The Same Concluded E. Everett " ] 117 89. Our Common Schools E. Everett 119 90. Webster's greatest Parliamentary Effort E. Everett " 120 91. What Good will the Monument clo ? E. Everett. ........ . 122 92. Emancipation of the C'-itholics of Ireland J. P. Curran. ...... 123 93. The Public Informer J. P. Curran. [ '. , . . . 124 94. Red Jacket's Speech to the Missionary Cram i ! '. . '. 126 95. Partition of Poland C. J. Fox ...... .. 127 96. Nationiil Disgrace C. J. Fox] '. '. '. '. ' ' ." .' .' 128 97. A Political Pause C. J. Fox ' 129 98. Washington's Sword and Franklin's Staff J. Q. Adams '. 131 dS. The Right of Petition by Woman J. Q, Adams. ....." 139 CONTENTS. vii PAGE 100. Value of Popularity Lord Mansfield 134 101. Scorn to be Slaves J. Warren 135 102. Loss of the Arctic IT. W. Beecher 1:3B 103. The Glory and Grandeur of Peace C. Sumner 138 104. Ancient and Modern Productions €. Sumner 139 105. The Abolition of the Slave Trade W. Pitt 141 106. "Let there be Light" //. Mann 143 107. True Eloquence D. Webster 144 108. South Carolina and Massachusetts D. Webster 145 109. African Slave Trade D. Webster , 147 110. Supposed Speech of John Adams D.Webster 149 111. The Same Concluded D. Webster 151 112. Influence of the Character of Washington D. Webster 152 113. Public Opinion Z>. Webster 154 114. The ilurderer's Secret B. Webster 155 115. The Same Concluded D.Webster 150 116. Defence of American Clergymen D. Webster 157 117. Peaceable Secession impossible D.Webster 158 118. Liberty and Union D. Webster 160 119. Events Great, because of their Besults D. Webster 161 120. The Future of America D. Webster 103 121. Libertj- of Speech D. Webster 164 122. Washuigton to the Pre.sent Generation D. Webster 165 123. The Platform of the Constitution D. Webster 160 124. The Veterans of the Battle of Bunlter Hill D. Webster 168 125. Reply to the Reflections of Mr. Walpole Lord Chatham 170 126. Speech against the American War Lord Chatham 171 127. Speech against Employing Indians in War .... Lord Chatham 172 128. Honorable Ambition M. Clay 174 129. The Noblest Public Virtue B. Clay 175 130. Plea for the Union H. Clay 176 131. National Glory //. Clay 178 132. Brutus on the Death of Csesai Shakspeare 179 133. Hamlet's Address to the Players Shakspeare ISO 134. Falstaff's Description of his Soldiers Shakspeare 181 135. Soliloquy on Character Shakspeare 182 136. Death of Hamilton Dr. Nott 183 137. Invective against Mr. Flood H. Graltnn 184 138. Reply to Mr. Corry H. Grattan 187 139. Speech of Titus Quinctius to the Romans Ammpnaus 188 140. The Boston Ma.ssacie John Hancock 190 141. Enterprise of New England E. Burke 191 142. The Right of England to Tax America E. Burke 1D2 143. Description of Junius .' E. Burke 193 144. True Statesmanship E. Burke 194 145. The Queen of France and the Spirit of Chivalry E. Burke 195 146. Peroration of Opening Speech against Hastings E. Burke 196 147. Peroration of Closing Speech against Hastings E. Burke 198 148. The Crisis of the Nation CScero 199 149. Extract from Demosthenes Demosthenes 2I1U 150. Extract from Demosthenes on the Crown Demosthenes 202 151. Queen Elizabeth J- Mackintosh 203 152. The Free Press J. Mackintosh 205 153. The Liberty of the Press Lord Erskine 206 154. British Tyranny in India Lord Erskine 207 155. Declaration of Right B. Grattan 209 156. Politics and Religion J- M. Mason 210 CONTENTS. POETRY. 157. The Star Spangled Banner -?*• ,^- 5*^- ' • Vil 168. Aspirations of fouth J Montgomery 212 169. The Love of Country and of Home {; Montgomery. .. .21^ 160. TheBells i ^- p"' Vij 161. TheEaven f : 4/c ' •„• Son 162. Spirit of Patriotism Str W. Scott 220 163. Loohinrar f *■ S" f "" S 164. Marmion talsing leave of Douglas ^T 5i o , Hi 165. Highland War-Song ffz^^ivf Ill 166. David's Lament for Absalom N. P. WiUis 225 167. "Looli not upon the Wine" N. P. WdUs 226 168. The Leper.... -^- p K' fl 169. Parrhasius and the Captive N.P. Willis 230 170. Casablanca ^p- Bemam 232 m. The Bended Bow Mrs. Hemam 234 172. The Better Land Mrs. Eemam 235 173. Landing of the Pilgrim Fathers Mn. Remans 236 174. Bernardo Del Carpio , Mrs. Bemans 237 175. Bernardo and King Alphonso J- F THOUGHTS AND FBELINGS, INCLUDING THE QUALITIES AND MANAGEMENT or THE VOICE. This branch of vocal gymnastics comprises, first, the appropriate discipline of the voice for its formation and development, by strength- ening it, by extending its compass, and by improving its quality so as to render it full, sonorous, and agreeable ; and, secondly, the train- ing of the voice in those modifications which are used in the expression of thought and feeling, including all that variety of management which appears in the delivery of a good speaker. Strength. To secure the requisite strength of voice should be our first aim in a course of vocal culture. So important was this element of elocutionary training considered by the Athenians, that they had a class of teachers who were wholly devoted to it as a specialty. The zeal and perseverance of Demosthenes in correcting the natural defi- ciencies of his voice, have passed into a proverb. How he was accus- tomed to run up the steepest hills, and to declaim on the sea-shore, when the waves were violently agitated, in order to acquire strength of voice and force of utteranoo. is known to every school-boy. ON DECLAMATION. xxi If strength of voice is of paramount importance to the speaker, il is also an element which is very susceptible of cultivation. Professor Russell says, — " The fact is familiar to instructors in elocution, that persons commencing practice [in vocal gymnastics] with a very weak and inadequate voice, attain, in a few weeks, a perfect command of the utmost degrees of force." As has already been intimated, the strength of the voice depends directly upon the condition and use of the respiratory organs, including the larynx, and indirectly upon the general health and vigor of the whole physical system. The volume of breath which can be inhaled, and the force with which it can be expelled, determine the degree of energy with which vocal sounds are uttered. This fact affords a clear indication of the proper mode of developing the strength of the voice. It is evident that the exercises which have for their object the strengthening of the voice, should also be adapted to develop and perfect the process of breathing. The stu- dent should be frequently trained in set exercises in loud exclamations, pronouncing with great force the separate vowel sounds, single words, and whole sentences, and at the same time taking care to bring into vigorous action, all the muscular apparatus of respiration. Shouting, calling, and loud vociferation, in the open air, both while standing, and while walking or running, are, with due caution, eflfective means of acquiring vigor of utterance. Children when at play are instinctively given to vociferation, which should be permitted, whenever practi- cable. One of the most remarkable examples of the extent to which the power of voice may be developed, is that of the B.ev. Mr. White- field, the celebrated itinerant preacher. Having listened to his preaching in the open air, in Philadelphia, on a certain occasion, Dr. Franklin found by computation, that he might well be heard by more than thirty thousand auditors. It is said that the habit of speaking gave to the utterance of Garrick so wonderful an energy, that even his imder-key was distinctly audible to ten thousand people. Dr. Porter sums up this matter thus : — " The public speaker needs a powerful voice ; the quantity of voice which he can employ, at least can employ with safety, depends on his strength of lungs ; and this again depends on a sound state of general health. If he neglects this, all other pre- cautions will be useless." Compass. When a person is engaged in earnest conversation, his voice spontaneously adopts a certain key or pitch. This is called the natural or middle key, and it varies in different persons. Pitt's voice, it is said, was a full tenor, and Fox's a treble. When a speaker is incapable of loud and forcible utterance on both high and low notes, his voice is said to be wanting in compass. ' Webster's voice was remarkable for the extent of its compass, ranging with the utmost ease, from the xxii INTKODUCTORY REMARKS highest to the lowest notes, required by a spirited and diversified delivery ; and such was said to be the versatih'ty of Whitefield's vocal power, that he could imitate the tones of a female, or the infant voice, at one time, and at another, strike his hearers with awe, by the thunder of his under-key. The want of compass is more frequently the result of bad habits of speaking and imperfect training than of incapacity of the vocal organs. Mr. Murdock, the well-known actor and elocutionist, tells us that, by appropriate vocal training, he gained, within the space of some months, to such an extent, in power and depth of voice, as to add to its previous range a full octave ; and this improvement was made at a period after he supposed himself nearly broken down in health and voice, by over-exertion on the stage. A command of the low notes is essential to the fullest effect of impressive eloquence. The strongest and deepest emotions can be expressed only by a full, deep-toued utterance. Speaking on one key, with only slight variations, either above or below it, is perhaps the most common, and, at the same time, the most injurious fault both of declaimers and of public speakers. As a means of acquiring compass of voice, the student should pro- nounce with great force the vowel sounds on both the highest and lowest notes he can reach. This elementary drill should be followed by practice in reading and declaiming selections requiring the extreme notes of the compass. For practice on the low notes, passages should be selected expressing deep solemnity, awe, horror, melancholy, or deep grief. The following fine simile affords an excellent example for practice on the low notes : — " So when an angel, by divine command, With rising tempests shakes a guilty land. Such as of late o'er pale Brittania passed. Calm and serene he drives the flurious blast; And, pleased th' Almighty's orders to perform, Bides in the whirlwind and directs the storm." The development of the top of the voice requires practice upon passages expressing Irish, gay, and joyous emotions, and the extremes of pain, fear, and grief . The following examples may serve as illus- trations : — Last came Jot's ecstatic trial: He, with viny crown advancing, First to the lively pipe his hand addressed: But soon he saw the brisk, awakening viol, Whose sweet entrancing voice he loved the best. They would have thought, who heard the strain ON DECLAMATION. xxiii They saw, in Tempi's vale, her native maids, Amidst the festal-soimding shades, To some unwearied minstrel dancing ; While, as his flying fingers kissed the strings, Love framed with Mlkth a gay fantastic round- Strike — till the last armed foe expires; Strike — for your altars and your fires ; , Strike — for the green graves of your sires, — God — and your native land ! Quality. A voice may possess the properties we have considered, strength and compass, and yet be very far from perfection. It may be neither loud, nor round, nor clear, nor full, nor sweet. While, on the other hand, it may be hollow, or aspirated, or guttural, or nasal, or possibly it may be afflicted with a combination of these faults. As one of the most important conditions of success in the cultivation of the voice, it is necessary that the student should acquire a distinct conception of the qualities and characteristics of a good voice, as a standard, a beau-ideal, which he may strive to reach. This must be derived mainly from the illustrations of the teacher, or from listening to the speaking of an accomplished orator. No mere description is adequate to convey it to the learner without the aid of the living voice. And yet, such a quaint and charming description of both the negative and positive qualities of a good voice, as the following, from a coUoquy between Professor Wilson and the Ettrick Shepherd, is worth studying : — North. (Professor Wilson.) " James, I love to hear your voice. An Esquimaux would feel himself getting civilized under it — for there 's sense in the very sound. A man's character speaks in his voice, even more than in his words. These he may utter by rote, but his ' voice is the man for a' that,' and betrays or divulges his peculiar nature. Do you like my voice, James ? I hope you do." Shepherd. (James Hogg.) " I wad ha'e kent it, Mr. North, on the tower o' Babel, on the day c the great hubbub. I think Socrates maun ha'e had just sic a voice — ye canna weel ca 't sweet, for it is ower intellectual for that — ye canna ca 't saft, for even in its aigh notes there 's a sort o' birr, a sort o' dirl that betokens power — ye canna ca 't hairsh, for angry as ye may be at times, it 's aye in tune frae the fineness o' your ear for music — ye canna ca 't sherp, for it 's aye sae nat'ral — and flett it cud never be, gin you were even gi'en ower by the doctors. It 's maist the xxiv INTKODDCTORY REMARKS only voice I ever heard, that I can say is at ance persuawsive and commanding — you micht fear 't, but you maun love 't ; and there s no a voice in all his Majesty's dominions, better framed by nature to hold communion with friend or foe." The quality of voice to which I would here call special attention, is caUed pure tone, which, in its perfection, accompanied with strength and compass, comprises nearly all the requisites of a good voice. " True utterance and pure tone," says Professor Russell, " employ the whole apparatus of voice, in one consentaneous act, combining in one perfect sphere of sound, — if it may be so expressed, — the depth of effect produced by the resonance of the chest, the force and firmness im- parted by the due compression of the throat, the clear, ringing property, caused by the due proportion of nasal effect, and the softening and sweetening influence of the head and mouth.'' The orotund quality which is so effective in impassioned utterance, and in the expression of deep, forcible, and sublime emotions, is nothing more than pure tone increased in extent of volume, and in intensity of force. This modification of pure tone is very full, very round, very smooth, and very highly resonant or ringing. It is what Dr. Rush regarded as the highest perfection of speech-voice, and as the natural language of the highest species of emotion. Volume and energy are its distinguishing characteristics. The piece from Webster, on page 160, is a good illustration of its use. In cultivating purity of tone, it is necessary, in the first place, to ascertain the elements of impurity, and their causes and remedies. To this negative process must be added the positive, namely — attention to the due and proportionate employment of all the vocal organs. Depth is increased by the expansion of the pharynx ; round- ness and volume are promoted by the enlargement of the oral cavity, especially its back part ; and smoothness is the result of the free vibration of the vocal chords, while resonance is produced by the proper expan- sion of the chest. Modulation. This has reference, not to the qualities of the voice itself, but to its management in delivery. It includes those modifications and variations which are requisite for the expression of thoughts and feel- ings, and are therefore denominated by some elocutionists, the elements of expression, in distinction from the elements of utterance, which we have already considered under the preceding heads. The principal expressivt modifications of the voice, are pitch, force, rate, pause, and inflection. The voice should be exercised on these elements sepa- rately, till each can be produced in all its varieties and degrees. The middle pitch, or key-note, is that of common discourse, but h) ON DECLAMATION. xxr practice it may be rendered effective in public speaking. Neglect to cultivate and develop the power of speaking on this key, often leads speakers to adopt the high, shouting note, which is heard so commonly and with so much disapprobation, at exhibitions of declamation. Every one can speak on a high key, although without training few can do it pleasingly ; but command over the low notes of the voice is a rare accomplishment, and an unequivocal characteristic of the finished speaker. It is well to pay some attention to the very high and very low notes, not so much for their own utility in public speaking as for the purpose of giving strength and firmness to the notes which are intermediate between the natural pitch and either extreme, and which are designated as simply high and low, without any qualifying term. After accustoming the ear and voice to the different notes, the student should learn to make sudden transitions from one key to another. Force. The principal degrees of force requiring attention, are three : the moderate, the declamatory, and the impassioned. The degrees lower than moderate are, the suppressed and the subdued ; and those higher than impassioned are, shouting and calling. But these are not very important in practical delivery. Rate has reference to the kinds of movement iu delivery, including the rapid, the moderate, and the slow. Mrs. Siddons's primary rule for good reading was, " take time." Excessive rapidity of utterance is, undoubtedly, a very prevalent fault, both in speaking and in con- versation. Deliberate speech is usually a characteristic of culture and good - breeding. This excellence is greatly promoted by giving due quantity, or prolongation of sound, to the vowels. Pauses. Besides the pauses required by the syntactical structure of the sentence, and denoted by grammatical punctuation, there are tlie pauses of passion, and the pauses at the termination of the clusters into wliich words are grouped in good speaking. The pauses of emotion occur in impassioned delivery. They usually consist in lengthening the stops indicated by the punctuation marks, especially those of the points of exclamation and interrogation, and the dash. Pauses of this description constitute one of the most im- portant of the elements of emphatic expression, and yet they are, by many speakers, altogether neglected, or so abridged as to destroy their effect. The young student is particularly apt to disregard them. The pauses wMch mark the grouping of words according to the sense, and afford rests for taking breath, should generally be introduced before the nominative, if it consists of several words, or if it is one important word ; before and after an intermediate clause ; before the relative ; before and after clauses introduced by prepositions ; before conjunc- tions ; and before the infinitive mood, if any words intervene betwixt it and the word governing it. xxvi INTRODUCTORY REMARKS Inflections. The two chief inflections or slides are the rising and the failing. The voice, when properly managed, usually rises or falls on each emphatic syllable. These upward and downward movements of the voice are what we mean by inflections. The student should practice on them till he can inflect with ease and in a full sonorous voice. Persons who are deficient in tune do not readily perceive the difference between the rising slide and loudness of voice, or the fall- ing and softness. It is a very useful exercise to pronounce the long vowel sounds giving to each first the rising then the falling slide. The prolongation of these sounds is most profitably connected with the slides, the voice being thus strengthened in its whole range of compass, and, at the same time, accustomed to utter the musical sounds of speech with due quantity. In inflecting the vowels, the voice, in order to rise, begins low ; and, in order to fall, it begins high. The rising and falling slides combined form the circumflex, or wave, which is a very impressive and significant modification of the voice. It is chiefly used in sarcasm, raillery, irony, wit, and humor. It well deserves careful study and practice. The monotone, is the repetition of nearly the same tone on successive syllables, resembling the repeated strokes of the bell. This element belongs to very grave delivery, especially where emotions of awe, sub- limity, grandeur, and vastness are expressed, and is peculiarly adapted to devotional exercises. The following example well illustrates its use : — " He bowed the heavens also, and came down ; and darkness was under his feet, -^ And he rode upon a cherub and did fly ; yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind. He made darkness his secret place ; his pavilion round about him were dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies." In practical delivery, the elements of expression are never used independently of each other, two or three being always combined, even in the utterance of the shortest passage. The perfection of vocal training, therefore, requires a command, not merely of each individual modification of the voice, but of all their numerous combinations. The following example requires the union of declamatory force, low pitch, Blow rate, monotone, and orotund quality : — " High on a throne of royal state, which far Outshone the wealth of Ormus and of Ind, Or where the gorgeous East with richest hand. Showers on her kings barbaric pearl and gold, Satan exalted sat." What has been said thus far, relates wholly to preparatory training in the elements of elocution. I have dwelt upon this theoretical depart- ON DECLAMATION. xxvii ment ol my subject, because of its transcendent importance. But 1 do not mean to imply, in anything that has been presented, that the pupil should be confined exclusively to this disciplinary drill, for a long period, without attempting practical exercises in reading and decla- mation. On the contrary, I would recommend that this practice on the vocal and expressive elements be carried forward together with practice in speaking pieces. Exercises in vocal gymnastics, such as I have now indicated, should be commenced with the first stages of education, and continued, with gradations adapted to the age and progress of the pupil, through the whole course of instruction, whether longer or shorter. The value of thorough elementary training is well illustrated by the following anecdote respecting the education of the ear and the singing voice : — " Porpora, one of the most illustrious masters of Italy, having con- ceived a friendship for a young pupil, exacted from him the promise that he would persevere with constancy in the course which he should mark out for him. The master then noted upon a single page of ruled paper, the diatonic and chromatic scales, ascending and descending ; the inter- vals of third, fourth, fifth, &c. This eternal page occupied master and pupil until the sixth year, when the master added some lessons in articulation and declamation. At the end of this year, the pupil, who still supposed himself in the elements, was much surprised when Por- pora said to him, ' Go, my son, you have nothing more to learn ; .you are the first singer of Italy, and of the world.' The master had spoken the truth, for this singer was Caffarelli, the greatest singer of the eighteenth century." EXPRESSION. This term is used here, not in its limited and technical meaning, but in its largest sense, as a convenient one to denote the practical appli- cation of the principles of vocal culture which I have recommended. We will suppose the student to be thoroughly trained in enunciation, that his utterance is distinct and his pronunciation is correct, and that his voice is fully developed and well modulated. The question now arises, How is he to be guided in the right use of his powers of speech in the delivery of a given piece f On this point there is a wide differ^ euce of opinion among writers on elocution. On the one hand there are those who contend that, in the delivery of every sentence, the fipplication of emphasis, pause, pitch, inflection, &c., should be gov- erned by definite rules. In accordance with this theory, they have formed complex systems of elocutionary rules, for the guidance of pupils in reading aloud and in decleimation. On the other hand, there are authorities of eminence, who regard all specific rules for the man- xxviii INTRODUCTORY REMARKS agement of the voice in speaking as not merely useless, but positively injurious. Most prominent among the latter class is Archbishop Whately, who, in speaking of the method of teaching expressive delivery by rules, says : — " Such a plan not only directs us into a circuitous and difficult path, towards an object which may be reached by a shorter and straighter, but also in most instances completely fails of that very object, and even produces oftener than not, effects the very reverse of what was designed." Reprobating very emphat- ically all systematic attention to elocution as an art, this eminent author advocates what he calls the natural manner of speaking, for the attainment of which he prescribes the rule, " not only to pay no studied attention to the voice, but studiously to withdraw the thoughts from it, and to dwell as intently as possible on the sense, trusting to nature to suggest spontaneously the proper emphasis and tones." The true course seems to me to lie midway between these two oppo- site extremes. While it is useless to attempt to reduce to exact system all the modifications of voice to be employed in the delivei-y of both plain and rhetorical language, still there are many Lnportant elocutionary rules and principles which are eminently useful for the guidance of the student. Because Walker fell into the error of attempting to carry his principles too far, and perplexed the student with an endless list of rules, it does not follow that all rules should be disregarded. His rules for inflections are, no doubt, too complex and artificial for ordinary instruction in elocution, but those found in the works of Dr. Porter and Professor Russell are calculated to afford important aid; and Professor Mark Bailey, in his Introduction to " Hillard's Sixth Reader," has still further simplified the subject. The following principles which he lays down for regulating the in- flections are at once comprehensive and practical. " The ' rising ' and ' falling ' slides separate the great mass of ideas into two distinct classes ; the first comprising all the subordinate, or incomplete, or, as we prefer to name them, the negative ideas ; the second comprising all the principal, or complete, or, as we call them, the positive ideas. " The most important parts of what is spoken or written, are those which affirm something positively, such as the facts and truths asserted, the principles, sentiments, and actions enjoined, with the illustrations, and reasons, and appeals, which enforce them. All these may properly be grouped into one class, because they all should have the same kind of slide in reading. This class we call ' positive ideas.' " So all the other ideas which do not affirm or enjoin anything posi- tively, which are circumstantial and incomplete, or in open contrast with the positive, all these ideas may be properly grouped into another single ON DECLAMATION. Xiix class, because they all should have the same kind of slide. This class we call ' NEGATIVE ideas.' " Positive ideas should have the falling slide ; Negative ideas should have the rising slide. " All sincere and earnest, or, in other words, all upright and downright ideas demand the straight, or upright and downright slides. " All ideas which are not sincere or earnest, but are used in jest, or irony, in ridicule, sarcasm, or mockery, in insinuation or double-mean- ing, demand the crooked or circumfiex slides.'' These rules taken in connection with the accompanying brief b'.it clear and precise explanation of the meaning attached to the words positive and negative, constitute the most admirable generalization that I have met with in elocutionary works of more recent date than that of Dr. Kush. And, indeed. Professor Bailey's whole treatment of that part of elocution now under consideration, is the best illustration I can name of the middle course which I recommend. Avoiding alike the ultra " artificial " system of Walker, and the ultra " natural " system of Whately, he combines in his instruction the excellencies of both, without their faults. He is both philosophical in his theory, and practical in its application. He attempts only what is practicable. He insists on analysis, but his analysis is at once simple and comprehensive. He classes the different kinds of composition with respect to the emotions, as follows, — 1. Unemotional ; 2. Bold ; 3. Animated or joyous i 4. Subdued or pathetic ; 5. Noble ; 6. Grave ; 7. Ludicrous or sarcastic, 8. Impassioned, — and then indicates the modifications of voice appropriate for each. Now such a course of training based on such principles, especially if pursued under a competent instructor, cannot fail to be highly bene- ficial. Experience has proved it. Whately is evidently in error in wholly proscribing attention to the voice in speaking. In learning to dance, the pupil must pay attention to the motions of his limbs, but when practice has made the movements familiar, his mind is withdrawn from them. They then become natural. Just so with the student of elocution. In his disciplinary exercises he must attend to his voice. He must become accustomed to the correct application of tones and in- flections in the delivery of passages which illustrate them. But when he comes to practical delivery, then the mind should be withdrawn from the manner of utterance, and concentrated intensely upon the matter, — the thoughts and feelings to be expressed. In private rehearsals, the management of the voice will be a very prominent object of atten- tion. Declamation is a sort of transition stage, or intermediate exer- cise between private rehearsal and practical delivery at the bar, in the pulpit, or on the platform, and will require more or less attention XXX INTRODUCTORY REMARKS to the voice, in proportion to the progress already made by the pupil. Judicious practice will gradually carry him to that point where he will •wholly cease to think of his manner, and become entirely absorbed in his subject. He then becomes natural But even the most accom- plished orator must occasionally give some thought to his voice.^ When he rises to address an audience in a new place he must consider the circumstances, — the capacity of the apartment, the nature and temper of his auditors, &c., and pitch his voice accordingly. In other words, the speaker must on all occasions give a general attention to his voice, — sufficient, at least, to adapt it to the requirements of the position in which he is placed, modifying it in the progress of the discourse, as the necessity of the case demands. If the matter of his discourse is very familiar, the skilful speaker may greatly augment the effective- ness of his delivery by more particular attention to the manner, while he will seem wholly absorbed in the spirit and sense of what he utters. The limited space allotted to this introduction will not permit a full discussion of this topic, and I must content inyself with presenting a few general observations concerning it. The little child, in the unconscious freedom of childhood, before his actions and manners have been modified by the restraints of artificial life, affords the best model of gesture. His instinct prompts him to that visible expression of his thoughts and feelings " Which we are toiling all our lives to find." And it may be assumed as a general fact, that external expression, unless repressed by habit or design, usually corresponds with internal emotion. The great desideratum in gesture is to make the visible expression in delivery harmonize with the audible, or, as Shakspeare has it, to " suit the action to the word, and the word to the action." Professor Russell, in his excellent analysis of this subject says, " The true speaker must have a true manner ; and of the five great attributes of genuine expression in attitude and action, tkuth stands first, fol- lowed by FIRMNESS, FORCE, FREEDOM, and PROPRIETY. Grace, which is sometimes added as a sixth, is, in all true manly eloquence, but another name for the symmetry which flows from appropriateness ; and, in masculine expression, should never be a distinct object of at- tention.'' In order to speak well, the orator must be able to stand! well, that is, ne should assume a firm but easy and graceful attitude, the weight of the body resting principally on one foot. The distance between tha ON DECLAMATION. xxxi feet should be such as to give both firmness and freedom to the posi- tion. One foot should be in advance of the other, the toes beinj; turned outward. The attitude should vary with the thoughts and emo- tions expressed. Unemotional thoughts require an attitude of repose, the body resting on the retired foot. Bold and impassioned languiiy:e requires the reverse of this. The body is thrown forward, resting on the foot advanced. In turning from side to side, the toes should be kept apart and the heels together. The principal feature of bodily action consists in the proper use of the hands. '' Have not," says Quintilian, " our hands the power of exciting", of restraining, of beseeching, of testifying approbation, ail- miration, and shame ? Do they not, in pointing out places and persons, discharge the duty of adverbs and pronouns ? ^o amidst the great diversity of tongues pervading all nations and peoples, the language of the hands appears to be a language common to all men.'' We stretch forth and clasp the hands when we importunately entreat, sue, beseech, supplicate, or ask mercy. To put forth the right hand spread open is the gesture of bounty, liberality, and a free heart ; and thus we reward, and bestow gifts. Placing with vehemence the right tist in the left palm is a gesture commonly used to mock, chide, insult, re- proach, and rebuke. To beckon with the raised hand is a universal sign of craving audience and entreating a favorable silence. To wave the hand from us, the palm outward, is the gesture of repulsion, aver- sion, dismissal. To shake the fist at one signifies anger and defiance and threatening. The hands are clasped or wrung in deep sorrow, and outstretched with the palms inward to indicate welcoming, approv- ing, and receiving. In shame, the hand is placed before the eyes; in earnestness and ardor, the hands reach forward : in joy, they are thrown up, widely apart ; in exultation and triumph, the right hand is waved above the head. " In the rhetorical actions of the hand, the happy medium ought to be observed ; for the action of the hand should be full of dignity and magnanimous resolution, making it a liberal index of the mind." A French writer admirably remarks that we should move the arms'ie- cause we are animated, but not try to appear animated by moving the arms. The countenance, especially the eye, should be made to speak as well as the tongue. It is said of Chatham, that such was the power of his eye, that he very often cowed down an antagonist in the midst of his speech, and threw him into- confusion. It is through the eye, scarcely less than through the tones of voice, that intercourse of Boul is carried on between the speaker and hearers. To secure this intercourse the speaker should let his soul beam from his eye. Nor xxxii INTKODUCTORY KEMAKKS should he fail to look at his hearers, if he would have his hearers look at him. Among the faults to be avoided in the management of the eye, Dr. Porter notices particularly that unmeaning look which the eye " bent on vacuity " has, resembling the inexpressive glare of the glass eye of a wax figure ; that indefinite sweep of the eye which ranges from one side to the other of an assembly, resting nowhere ; and that tremulous, roving cast of the eye, and winking of the eyelid, which is in direct contrast to an open, collected, manly expression of the face. Among the faults of action to be noticed are: — 1. Want of action; 2. Want of expression of countenance ; 3. A stiff, or a careless, attitude ; 4. Want of appropriateness ; 5. Exjeas of motions of the hands and arms ; 6. Too great violence of action ; 7. Too great complexity ; 8. A mechanical uniformity; 9. Tardiness, the action /oHowin^ the utterance, when it should accompany it, or slightly precede it. It must not be supposed that it is necessary for the pupil to receive training in a technical system of gesticulation before he commences his exercises in declamation. If the student designs to qualify himself to be a professor of elocution, he will need to study the laws of gesture in " Austin's Chironomia," and be instructed in their application by a skilful teacher. But this course is neither practicable nor necessary for the mass of students. Instruction in this department should gen- erally be of a negative nature, and occupy itself mainly in the correc- tion of faults. When the pupil commences his exercises in declamar tion, the less said about action the better. Freedom is the first thing to be secured, and, to attain this end, few directions should be given and few criticisms be made, at the outset. When the speaker has acquired some confidence, and freedom of action, his faults may be gradually pointed out, and his attention called to some general princi- ples of gesture, such as have been presented respecting the language of the hands. Pupils should be taught to observe accurately the action of accomplished orators, not with the view to imitating their peculiari- ties, but to learn their method of producing efiect by means of atti- tude and gesture. DECLAMATION. Declamation should be attended to in all grades of educational insti- tutions, from the primary school to the college, and every pupil should be required to take his turn in the performance of the exercise. It would be highly beneficial, if well taught. The reason why so many teachers have no taste for it, is because they have not taken pains to qualify themselves to teach it. Want of time is sometimes offered as an excuse for neglecting it. But if a part of the time which is devoted to teaching reading, were appropriated to declamation, the progress ON DECLAMATION. xxxiii in reading itself would be more rapid, to say notbing of other advan- tages whicli would result from this course. I cannot too earnestly urge upon every teacher the importance of qualifying himself for teaching well both reading and declamation. There is no accomplishment which more effectively promotes the success of the teacher than that of elocu- tionary culture, — a good voice skilfully managed in conversation and in teaching. Without special attention to the subject, teachers are apt to acquire certain characteristic faults of voice, such as nasality, sharp ness, harshness, and thinness of tone, of which they are quite uncon- scious. Whereas, by constant attention to the manner of using the voice, since they are in constant practice, it might be perfected in its modulation. For want of culture in the elocutionary art, many teachers are greatly deceived, thinking their pupils read and declaim well when they do not. In the management of declamation much care should be taken in the selection of the pieces. It is best for the pupil, in the first place, after proper advice, to exercise his own taste in the selection of his piece, which should then be submitted to the teacher for approval. If the selection is very appropriate, the pupil should be commended and told why the piece is considered suitable. If the selection pre- sented is not suitable, the pupil should be informed on what ground it is objected to, so as to aid his judgment in another attempt. If the pupil has made proper effort without success, he should be assisted by the teacher. It is very important that the selection should be suited to the capacity and progress of the pupil. Beginners should take simple pieces, and not be allowed, as is sometimes the case, to murder a pas- sage from Paradise Lost, or Macbeth. Sometimes a fault is committed on the part of the teacher, by permitting a pupil to confine his selec- tions to one favorite class. I have observed in certain schools, that one particular boy would always appear in a comic piece, another in a tragic, and so on. .It would be better for the teacher to require each pupil to speak a variety of pieces, so as to secure a more general and comprehensive culture than would result from practice on a single class of selections. The choice of the piece should be determined upon a considerable period previous to the day appointed for the public performance on the stage, so as to afford ample time for preparation. The piece should be accurately committed to memory, without the variation of a syllable. It should be made familiar, so that in the delivery no effort will be required in recalling it. The young pupil should be instructed in the best method of learning his piece. It will generally be found best to take one sentence at a time. The teacher's chief work consists in at- tending to individual private rehearsals. The rehearsal should be a c xxxiv INTRODUCTORY REMARKS drill. The piecQ should be analyzed more or less minute.y, the allu- sions and difficult points being explained. It should be tbe first aim to make the pupil understand it, not only in its general spirit and scope, but in its particular ideas. His attention should then be turned to the emotions which it expresses. Let it be remembered that the paramount object should be to make the pupil understand the meaning and feel the spirit of the piece. If he is timid and diffident he should be encouraged. Tell him that oven Daniel Webster could not make a declamation at the first attempt ; but that he did not despair ; he did not cease his efforts ; he persevered and succeeded. After the rehearsal, the pupil should have time to practice by him- self and apply and confirm the instruction received from his teacher. It must be impressed upon his mind that if he would attain excellence he must practice, practice, practice. He must be made to understand that the repetition of a piece three or four times is no adequate prep- aration, and that it is necessary to go over with it twenty, thirty, or ^fty times, if he would excel, and take a high rank. When the declamation takes place, excepting on public occasions, the criticisms ought to be made immediately after the performance of each speaker. The faults of the diffident should be mildly criticized. It is very important to call attention to points of special excellence in any performance. It should be remembered that judicious commend- ation is a most powerful stimulant to exertion. The most difficult task in teaching declamation is to develop that indescribable fervor, that unaffected earnestness of manner which always captivates the hearers, and wins the highest marks at an exhib- ition for prizes. There will always be one speaker in a school who excels all the rest in this quality. The teacher should point out the peculiar excellence of this speaker, and show wherein it differs from loudness of voice, and violence of action, and affected passion. Let it be remembered that the perfection of declamation consists in de- livering the piece as though it were real speaking. The speaker must " put himself, in imagination, so completely into the situation of him whom he personates, and adopt for the moment, so perfectly, all the sentiments and views of that character, as to express himself ex- actly as such a person would have done, in the supposed situation." Give the speaker every other quality — let his enunciation, his modu- lation of voice, and his action be faultless, and yet without earnestness, real earnestness, — not the semblance of it, not boisterous vociferation, not convulsive gesticulation, but genuine emotion felt in the heart, car- rying the conviction to the hearers that the sentiments uttered are real, the spontaneous, irrepressible outpouring of the thought and feel- ing of the speaker, — without this sovereign, crowning quality, he ON DECLAMATION. XXXV cannot be said to speak with eloquence. To bring put and develop this highest quality of delivery, requires the highest skill in the teacher. Unless the teacher possesses some degree of this quality himself, he cannot develop it in his pupils. The best immediate preparation for speaking is rest. I have often noticed that speakers at exhibitions have in many cases failed to do themselves justice from sheer exhaustion. A day or two of repose previous to speaking, enables the speaker to bring to the performance that vigor of the faculties which is indispensable to the highest success. Webster "fold the Senate, and truly, no doubt, that he slept soundly on the night previous to the delivery of his second speech on Foote's reso- lution, which is considered his greatest parliamentary effort. It is well for the speaker to remember what Mr. Everett said in allusion to this fact : " So the great Condd slept on the eve of the battle of Rocroi, so Alexander slept on the eve of the battle of Arbela, and so they awoke to deeds of immortal fame."* The best training cannot make good readers and good speakers of all pupils, but it can do much. And it is a fact worthy of observation that those who are most sceptical as to the possibilities of elocutionary culture, are invariably those who are themselves unskilful teachers in this branch. BOOK FIRST. STANDARD SELECTIONS FOR RECITATION AND DECLAMATION IN PKOSE AND POETEY. BOOK FIRST. STANDARD SELECTIONS. PEOSE. I. THE NOBLE PURPOSES OF ELOQUENCE. TF we consider the noble purposes to which Eloquence may be made subservient, we at once perceive its prodigious import- ance to the best interests of mankind. The greatest masters of the art have concurred, upon the greatest occasions of its display, in pronouncing that its estimation depends on the virtuous and rational use made of it. It is but reciting the common praises of the Art of Persuasion, to remind you how sacred truths may be most ardently promul- gated at the altar — the cause of oppressed innocence be most powerfully defended — the march of wicked rulers be most tri- umphantly resisted — defiance the most terrible be hurled at the oppressor's head. In great convulsions of public affairs, or in bringing about salutary changes, every one confesses how impor- tant an ally eloquence must be. But in peaceful times, when the progress of events is slow and even as the silent and unheeded pace of time, and 'the jars of a mighty tumult in foreign and domestic concerns can no longer be heard, then, too, she flour- ishes — protectress of liberty — patroness of improvement — guardian of all the blessings that can be showered upon the mass of humun kind ; — nor is her form ever seen but on ground con- secrated to free institutions. To me, calmly revolving these things, such pursuits seem far 'nore noble objects of ambition than any upon which the vulgar ird of busy men lavish prodigal their restless exertions. To diffuse useful information, to further intellectual refinement. THE UNION SPEAKER. sure forerunner of moral improvement, — to hasten the coming of the bright day when the dawn of general knowledge shaU chase away the lazy, lingering mists, even from the base of the great social pyramid ; — this indeed is a high calling, in which the most splendid talents and consummate virtue may well press on- ward, eager to bear a part. L