iiii!i!lliliiiliii!lllililililli!lllilliilliil!!!lil'i :r(i)[[[iirEiiti'iCfiimiiiMi£FEmmiiim[FnitaEnirinnt<, is where the emphasis is placed on the radical or initial part of the sound. It is expressive of positive command, determination, and explicit communi- cation; as, Bring me the captive now! Ha! bind him on his back! Look! as Prometheus in my picture here! 68 THE POWER OF SPEECH Final stress, represented by this <, is where the emphasis is placed on the final or vanishing part of the sound. It is expressive principally of annoyance; as, I said no! do you not understand? Middle stress, represented by this sign <>, is where the emphasis is placed on the middle part of the sound and is expressive of reverence, sub- limity, and solemnity; as. Rise, oh, ever rise, Rise like a cloud of incense from the earth! Compound stress, represented by this sign [><^, is where the emphasis is placed on both the initial and final part of the sound and is expressive of astonishment, surprise, sarcasm, and contempt; as. And dars't thou then. To beard the lion in his den, The Douglas in his hall ? Thorough stress, represented by this sign tZZI , is where the emphasis is the same all through RULES OF EXPRESSION 69 the sound and is expressive of defiance, triumph, and rapture; as, The charge is repulsed, the battle is won! Tremulous stress, represented by this sign .^-.^ , is where the emphasis is intermittent and express- ive of sorrow, feebleness, and extreme tenderness; as, Dead! they are dead and gone. Delivery Delivery is the most important of the four rules of Expression, as it embraces them all. To possess a good delivery you must articulate clearly, modulate and emphasize properly, have thorough control of the voice, muscles of the face, and movements of the body; in fact, delivery is the finished product of voice and action. Examples of Delivery When public bodies are to be addressed on moment- ous occasions, when great interests are at stake, and strong passions excited, nothing is valuable in speech 70 THE POWER OF SPEECH — further than it is connected with high intellectual and moral endowments. Clearness, force, and earnestness are the quahties which produce conviction. True eloquence, indeed, does not consist in speech. It must exist in the man, in the subject, and in the occasion. . . . Then, patriotism is eloquent; then, self-devotion is eloquent. The clear conception, outrunning the deductions of logic, the high purpose, the firm resolve, the dauntless spirit, speaking on the tongue, beaming from the eye, informing every feature, and urging the whole man onward, right onward to his object — this, this is eloquence; or rather it is something greater and higher than all eloquence — it is action, noble, sub- lime, God-like action. The principles of self-defence, which pervade all animated nature, and act towards life the same part that is performed by the external mechanism of the eye towards the dehcate sense of vision — affording it on the approach of danger, at the same time, warn- ing and protection — do not require that action shall be withheld tiU it can be of no avail. When the rattle- snake gives warning of his fatal purpose, the wary traveler waits not for the poisonous blow, but plants upon his head his armed heel, and crushes out at once "his venom and his strength." When the hunter hears RULES OF EXPRESSION 71 the rustling in the jungle, and beholds the large green eyes of the spotted tiger glaring upon him, he waits not for the deadly spring, but sends at once through the brain of his crouching enemy the swift and leaden death. If war was declared against your country by an insulting foe, would you wait till your sleeping cities were wakened by the terrible music of the bursting bomb? tiU your green fields were trampled by the hoofs of the invader, and made red with the blood of your brethren? No! you would send forth your fleets and armies; you would unloose upon the broad ocean your keen falcons; and the thunder of your guns would arouse stern echoes along the hostile coast. INFLECTION INFLECTION There are but two inflections to the speaking voice, the rising and the falling, but there are degrees of inflection that materially qualify the expression in accordance with the degree of in- flection that is used; for instance, a decided rising inflection is given a direct question; as. Is the man guilty ? while a very slight rising inflection is given the simple negative; as. The man is not guilty. The two inflections (rising and falhng) can be used on the three registers, or divisions of the speaking voice, and the student must be careful not to confuse pitch and inflection as they are entirely separate and distinct. .Inflection is a bending of the voice, and it can only be inflected (or bent) up and down; whereas pitch is a dis- tinct location of sound, and consists of many tones 75 INFLECTION 77 Are you going to forgive me? Second. — When the answer is anticipated; as, Have I not routed your armies, burned your towns, and dragged your generals at my chariot wheels? Third. — When a direct question is repeated with marked emphasis; as. Has the gentleman done? has he completely done? In these three exceptions the voice takes the faUing inflection. Examples of Rising Inflection And have we come back sulky and sullen from the very field of honor ? And yet I cannot protect the dog nor save the woman without the exercise of force. Shall we gather strength by irresolution and in- action ? True eloquence, indeed, does not consist in speech. For I have neither wit, nor words, nor worth, Action, nor utterance, nor the power of speech. To stir men's blood. 78 THE POWER OF SPEECH If you have tears, prepare to shed them now. Nothing is valuable in speech — further than it is connected with high intellectual and moral endowments. Are aU the feelings of ancestry, posterity, and fellow citizenship; all the charm, veneration, and love bound up in the name of country; the delight, the enthusiasm, with which we seek out, after the lapse of generations and ages, the traces of our fathers' bravery or wisdom, are these aU "a legal fiction"? Falling Inflection The falling inflection is used wherever the quahty of certainty exists. Indirect Questions Indirect questions, or aU such as cannot be answered by yes or no, generally require the fall- ing inflection; as, What mighty work for the world, for himianity, even for ourselves, has ever been done with ease? Exception When a question is used to ask a repetition of what was not at first understood; as, INFLECTION 79 What did you say ? In this case the rising inflection is used. The falling inflection is given positive, com- plete, and exphcit remarks. Examples of Falling Inflection " God said, ' Let there be light,' and there was light." You cannot, my lords, you cannot conquer America. It is the nation's dearest lives yielded for the flag that makes it dear to us; it is the nation's most precious blood poured out for it that makes it precious to us. Look you here ! Here is himseK, marred, as you see, by traitors. Completeness Completeness, conclusion, the arrival at a re- sult, require, as a rule, the falling inflection; as, It is now necessary to instruct the throne in the language of truth. Exception Where there are several complete positive thoughts grouped together, they all take the fall- 8o THE POWER OF SPEECH ing inflection except the next to the last, which takes the rising inflection; as, With wan, fevered face tenderly lifted to the cooling breeze, he looked out wistfully upon the ocean's chang- ing wonders; on its far saUs, whitening La the morning Ught; on its restless waves, rolling shoreward to break and die beneath the noon-day sun; on the red clouds of evening, arching low to the horizon; on the serene and shining pathway of the stars. Examples of Completeness On this occasion the enemy were La complete power in the district where the transactions occurred which are complained of in the indictment. They were unawed by the thing which we called an army, for it had fled in every direction. They were onmipotent. When the chill morning dawned, their dead lay cold and stark together; in the same deep pit their bodies were deposited ; the green corn of Spring is now break- ing from their commingled dust; the dew falls from Heaven upon their union in the grave. Incompleteness and Continuity Incompleteness and continuity require that the rising inflection should be used in order to sus- INFLECTION 8i tain the voice until a conclusion is reached in the thought; as, So when all the babble and glare of our age shall have passed into a fitting oblivion, when those who have enjoyed rare opportunities, and swayed vast empires, and been borne through life on the shoulders of shouting multitudes, shall have been lain at last to rest in golden coffins to moulder forgotten, the stately marble their only monuments, it will be found that some humble youth has uttered the thoughts which shall render the age memorable, by extending the means of enUghtenment to our race. Exception ■ In case a phrase is introduced in the thought in order to point out a contrast in that particular phrase, it must be delivered according to the rule of opposition; as. It will be found that some humble youth, who neither inherited nor found, but hewed out his oppor- tunities, has uttered the thought, etc. In this example "inherited" and "found" are in direct opposition vsrith "hewed out" and 82 THE POWER OF SPEECH therefore they must have opposite inflections, while the phrase itself, "who neither inherited nor found, but hewed out his opportunities," takes the rising inflection, being governed by the rule of continuity. Examples of Incompleteness Independent of all inquiry into the reasonableness of its cause, or the enormity of the oppression which produced it; regardless of the peculiar claims which Greece possesses upon the civilized world; and regard- less of what has been their own conduct toward her for a century; regardless of the Christian religion, — the sovereigns at Verona seized upon the case of the Greek revolution as one above all others calculated to illus- trate the fixed principles of their party. The most they could promise themselves was, that, having cast forth the seed of liberty, having shielded its tender germ from the stern blasts that beat upon it, having watered it with the tears of waiting eyes and the blood of brave hearts, their children might gather the fruit of its branches, while those who planted it should molder in peace beneath its shade. inflection 83 The Word "Or" Used Disjunctively and Conjunctively The disjunctive word "or," when used to separate words or phrases, requires the rising inflection before and the falling inflection after it; as, The true question is — Shall the judiciary be per- manent, or fluctuate with the tide of public opinion ? When the word "or" is used conjunctively, as is often the case, it requires the rising inflection both before and after it; as. Will it be the next week, or the next year ? the thought here being: — Will it be in a week, will it be in a year ? Positive Inflection All positive words, phrases, clauses and sen- tences require the falling inflection; as, For the innocent it is my right, my duty to speak. In this example the advocate states that not 84 THE POWER OF SPEECH only is it his right but also his duty to speak in behalf of the client whom he knows to be inno- cent, and therefore the falling inflection is placed on all words that have any bearing on the word "speak" as well as on the word itself. All orders or commands are invariably posi- tives, whether they state what shall or shaU not be done; as, Now Gushing, give them your canister! Now WoodrufE, tear them with your grape! Hall, to the rescue! 72nd, down on them like tigers! Flank them, Stannard! Crush them. Gibbon! Mash them, Webb! You have violated the commandment, "Thou shalt not kiU." Examples of the Positive Inflection It must be confessed, it will be confessed; there is no refuge from confession but suicide, and suicide is confession. This, my lords, is a perilous and tremendous moment. Gentlemen may cry "Peace, peace!" but there is no peace. The war is actually begun. INFLECTION 85 Ha! bind him on his back! Look as Prometheus in my picture here! Quick — or he faints! stand with the cordial near! Now bind him to the rack! Press down the poisoned links into his flesh! And tear agape that healing woxind afresh! Negative Inflection Negative words, phrases, clauses, and sentences require the rising inflection; as, The man is not guilty. In this example "guilty" is the word that is negatived and therefore requires the rising in- flection. Care must be exercised in order to place the negative inflection on the word that brings out the thought; as, I can legally say this is no affair of mine — it is not happening on my premises. Here the rising inflection must be placed on the words "mine" and "my," in order to properly interpret the thought, as it certainly is an "affair" 86 THE POWER OF SPEECH but no affair of "mine," and "happening on premises," but not on "my" premises. Exception The exception to the rule that the negative takes the rising inflection is when the thought is positive, though the word or words be negative, and in all such cases the falling inflection is used; as. That we here highly resolve that these dead shaU not have died in vain. Whenever emphasis is placed on the negative word "not," thus using it in the sense of a con- tradiction, the falling inflection must always be employed; as. The man is not guilty. Explanation Cassius. — I denied you not. (Simple nega- tive.) Brutus. — You did. (Positive.) Cassius. — I did not. (Negative, positively 'spoken.) INFLECTION . 87 "I denied you not" is the simple negative and requires the rising inflection. "You did" is posi- tive and therefore requires the faUing inflection. "I did not" is a contradiction, emphasis being placed on the word "not" in order to contradict "you did," and, as it is thus positively spoken, it takes the falling inflection. Qualifying Negatives Such words as "not alone," "not only," etc., I term qualifying negatives, and care must be taken to put the negative inflection on the words "alone," "only," etc., and not on the words in- closed among the positives; as, "Thou shalt not kill" is a commandment addressed, not to him alone, but to me, to you, to the court and to the whole commimity. In this example the commandment is addressed to him (the prisoner), as well as to me (the advo- cate), to you (the jury), to the court, and to the whole community; and therefore "alone" must be given the rising inflection and not "him," as "alone" is the word brought in contrast with 88 THE POWER OF SPEECH the concluding series which forms the opposition. (See chapter on Series.) Also: There is not only a question, then, whether the prisoner has shed the blood of his fellow man, but the question whether we shall unlawfully shed his blood. In this example "only" is the word negatived, and there is a double opposition between "pris- oner" and "we," and "fellow man" and "his." Examples of the Negative Inflection Not peace on earth at the expense of liberty and humanity. The Athenians of that day looked out for no speaker, no general, to prociffe them a state of easy slavery. Nor was it only in this that we discern their dis- interestedness, their heroic forgetfuhiess of self. Not only was the independence for which they struggled a great and arduous adventure, of which they were to encounter the risk and others to enjoy the benefits, but the oppressions which aroused them had assumed in their day no worse form than that of a pernicious principle. No intolerable acts of oppression had ground them to the dust. They were not slaves rising in desperation from beneath the agonies of INFLECTION 89 the lash, but free men, snuffing from afar "the tainted gale of tyranny." Conditional Clauses All conditional thoughts, whether expressed or implied, require the rising inflection; as, Sir, we are not weak, if we make a proper use of those means which the God of Natiire hath placed in our power. In this example the conditional phrase is "if we make a proper use," consequently it requires the rising inflection. A conditional clause depends upon another clause for its completion; as, If it does not rain, I shall go to town to-morrow. "If it does not rain" is the conditional clause, and "I shall go to town to-morrow" the con- cluding clause. The conditional clause always requires the rising inflection, and the concluding clause usually the falling; the exception being when the concluding clause is negative; as. 90 THE POWER OF SPEECH If the prisoner be guilty of murder, I do not ask remission of pimishment. Also, when a condition is conditional on an- other condition arising; as, If my error would thus be criminal, how great would yours be if you should render an unjust verdict? The thought, if amplified, would be as foUows: — My error would be criminal if through any fault or negligence on my part you bring in an unjust verdict, and therefore if my error is crimi- nal, how much more criminal is yours if, through any prejudice or other wrong motive, you render an unjust verdict. My error would be criminal for contributing toward the unjust verdict, but yours would be greater for rendering it, in case your conclusion is reached unjustly. Also, when the concluding clause of a con- ditional-sentence is a direct question; as. But had we been subdued, would not every right have been wrested from us? In these three instances, the rising inflection INFLECTION 91 should be given both to the conditional and con- cluding clauses. The sentence "Sir, we are not weak, if we make a proper use of those means which the God of Nature hath placed in our power," requires to be read as follows: The falhng inflection is placed on "weak" because of emphasis being given the negative word "not," and emphasis is placed on that word for the reason that it is spoken in a con- tradictory manner, Patrick Henry having said in a previous paragraph of his speech, "They tell us sir, that we are weak"; and then he contradicts their assertion and tells his listeners, "we are not weak," which necessitates emphasis being placed on the word "not" and the thought taking the falling inflection; "we are not weak" is prac- tically the concluding clause to the conditional clause "if we make a proper use," which clause, on account of its being conditional, takes the rising inflection, and "which the God of Nature hath placed in our power" requires the falling inflec- tion because it is positive. The thought amplified is as foUows: — The God of Nature hath placed those means within our power, and if we make a proper use of them we are strong. 92 THE POWER OF SPEECH Examples of Conditional Clauses If she woiild continue to mount higher and higher toward the summit of prosperity, she must continue the means by which her present elevation has been gained. But if I do, I am a coward and a cur, imfit to live and, God knows, unfit to die. If disastrous war should sweep our commerce from the ocean, another generation may renew it; if it exhaust our treasury, future industry may replenish it; if it desolate and lay waste our fields, still, imder a new cultivation, they may grow green again and ripen to future harvests. In the case of Stone, which was parallel with the point, the court said expressly, if the heart be pure, it matters not how incorrect the conduct. No, if these columns fall, they wUl be raised not again. If any prejudice of witnesses, or the imagination of counsel, or any iU-timed jest shall at any time have diverted your attention; or if any prejudgment which you have brought into the jury box, or any cowardly fear of popular opinion shall have operated to cause you to deny to the prisoner that dispassionate con- INFLECTION 93 sideration of his case which the laws of God and man exact of you, and if, owing to such an error, this wretched man fall from among the living, what wiU be your crime ? You have violated the commandment, "Thou Shalt not kUl!" If we cherish the virtues and principles of our fathers. Heaven will assist us to carry on the work of human liberty and human happiness. If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. Apposition Words and phrases that agree, or where the same idea is repeated in different language in order to more fully explain that which precedes, are in apposition; as, George Washington, President of the United States. In this instance, "President of the United States" explains who "George Washington" is, and as "George Washington" and "President of the United States" are one and the same, they must have the same inflection. 94 THE POWER OF SPEECH Examples of Apposition And with these forms, the spells of persuasion, the keys of power, are put into his hands. To the rightly constituted mind, to the truly devel- oped man, there always is, there always must be opportunity. That which was unconscious truth becomes, when interpreted and defined in an object, a part of the domain of knowledge, a new weapon in the maga- zine of power. Oppositions Single Opposition. — Words or phrases in opposition are those that oppose, contrast, or point out a difference; as, There is a vast difference between city and country life. Here the life as passed in the city is con- trasted with the life as passed in the countr}'^, and the contrast must be shown by emphasis and inflection. All words or phrases in opposition require emphasis, and opposite inflections of the voice;, as, INFLECTION 95 There is a vast difference between city and country life. As a rule the first word or phrase in opposi- tion takes the rising inflection and the second the falling; but when one word or phrase is negative and the other positive, the negative must take the rising and the positive the falling inflection, irre- spective of their positions; as, I said an elder soldier, not a better. Here "elder" is the positive and 'consequently takes the falling inflection; while "better," being the negative, takes the rising. Double Opposition. — Where two phrases are in opposition, one phrase containing two words in opposition with two in the other phrase, the two phrases must be brought clearly in oppo- sition by giving the first phrase the rising inflec- tion and the second the falling; and as the four words as well as the two phrases are in opposition, this necessitates the first word in opposition taking the falling inflection, the second the rising, the third the rising, and the fourth the faUing; as. It blesseth him that gives and him that takes. 96 THE POWER OF SPEECH This brings "him" and "him" Into opposition (they being two distinct persons) and "gives" and "takes." Exception When one is a iiegative phrase and the other a positive the negative will take the rising and the positive the falling inflection, irrespective of their position; as, He loved Rome more, not Caesar less. Sometimes two or more negatives will be in opposition with one positive; as, At first sight there was nothing impressive or impos- ing about him — except that his great stature singled him out from the crowd. Here both "impressive" and "imposing" are in opposition with "great stature" — as he was not impressive, he was not imposing at first sight, but his great stature singled him out immediately from the crowd; and being positive, the words "great stature" take the falling inflection, while the two words negatived, "impressive" and "im- posing," require the rising inflection. INFLECTION 97 Two negatives may be in opposition with two positives; as, It is easily seen that there is nothing lucky or ca- pricious in the analogies, but that they are constant and pervade nature. Positives in the same manner may be placed in opposition with negatives in any number, just as the negatives are placed in opposition with the positives, but when there are three or more posi- tives, they must be delivered as a series in oppo- sition with a number of negatives; as. In that I agree with Webster and Hamilton and Lincoln and Washington and Marshall, and not with Calhoun or the Democrats of the time of the war of the rebellion and since. In this example, the series is positive because it consists of a group with whom the speaker agrees, and, as the sense is complete with the conclusion of the series, it is a concluding series. "Cal- houn," "rebellion" and "since" all take the rising inflection, because they are negative, as he does not agree with "Calhoun or the Democrats of the time of the war of the rebellion and since." 98 THE POWER OF SPEECH This reading dearly brings the series in opposition with the negatives. (See chapter on Series.) Examples of Opposition It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. Man is greater that he fcan see this, and the universe less, because time and space relations vanish as laws are known. This xmiversal soul, he calls Reason; it is not mine, or thine, or his, but we are its. With no attempt at ornament or rhetoric, without parade or pretence, he spoke straight to the point. Water is good to drink, coal to burn, wool to wear, but wool cannot be drunk, nor water spxm, nor coal eaten. But every difference of opinion is not a difference of principle. The man dies, but his memory hves; that mine may not perish, that it may Uve in the respect of my country- men, I seize upon this opportunity to vindicate myself from some of the charges alleged against me. By a revolution of power, we might change places, though we never could change characters. INFLECTION 99 Partakers in every peril, in the glory shall we not be permitted to participate? God forbid that war, civil or foreign,, should come again in this, our time. He survives through the mercy, not of the murderer, but of God. I will not do them wrong; I rather choose To wrong the dead, to wrong myself, and you, Than I will wrong such honorable men. Man should develop himseM, not for the sake of securing honor, or titles, being elected to office, of filling high positions, but from simple regard to what is due to his own nature. At the close of a half century since the declaration of our independence we are assembled to commemorate that great and happy event. We come together, not because it needs, but because it deserves these acts of celebration. We do not meet each other and exchange our felicitations because we should other- wise fall into forgetfulness of this auspicious era, but because we owe it to our fathers and to our children to mark its retiurn with grateful festivities. Triple Opposition. — Triple oppositions are lOO THE POWER OF SPEECH exceedingly rare, but in the few instances that they have been employed are wonderfully effec- tive. A triple opposition requires that the first word or phrase in opposition should take the rising inflection, the second the falling, the third the rising, the fourth the falling, the fifth the rising, and the sixth the falling; as. The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. This brings "The world wiU little note nor long remember" in opposition with "but it can never forget," "we" with "they," and "say" with "did." SERIES SERIES A SERIES consists of a group of three or more important, positive words, or phrases, of different meanings. To constitute a series you must have in the first place emphatic words or phrases posi- tively spoken; in the second place, there must be at least three of them; in the third place, they must be of different meanings; and in the fourth place, they must be grouped. A number of independent sentences should not be considered a series; as. It may acquire it by purchase. It may acquire it by treaty. It may acquire it by conquest. The following are examples of series: — Clearness, force, and earnestness, are the qualities which produce conviction. The words "clearness," "force" and "earnest- ness" constitute the series, being a group of three important words of different meanings. 103 I04 THE POWER OF SPEECH It must exist in the man, in the subject, and in the occasion. This is a group of three important phrases of different meanings and therefore a series. There are two kinds of series, the commencing and the concluding. Commencing Series A commencing series is one where the sense is incomplete with the conclusion of the series, and requires something more than the series to com- plete the sense; as, Clearness, force, and earnestness, are the qualities which produce conviction. "Clearness, force, and earnestness" constitute the series, but as it leaves the sense incomplete and requires "are the qualities which produce conviction" to complete the sense, it is a com- mencing series. A commencing series requires the falling in- flection on every member of the series except the last, which takes the rising inflection to show the incompleteness; as. SERIES 105 Clearness, force, and earnestness, are the qualities which produce conviction. Examples of Commencing Series With solemnities suited to the occasion, with prayers to Almighty God for his blessing, and in the midst of this cloud of witnesses, we have begun the work. The most horrid forfeitures, confiscations, and at- tainders would have been pronounced against us. For no cause, in the very frenzy of wantonness, by the red hand of murder, he was thrust from the full tide of this world's interest, from its hopes, its aspira- tions, its victories, into the visible presence of death — and he did not quail. And that government of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth. These thousands of human faces, glowing with sym- pathy and joy, and from the impulses of a common gratitude, turned reverently to heaven in this spacious temple of the firmament, proclaim that the day, the place, and the purpose of our assembly have made a deep impression on our hearts. I call upon you as honorable men, as you are just, as you value your liberties, as you prize your consti- I06 THE POWER OF SPEECH tution, to say — and say it promptly — that my client is not guilty. The blood of England, Scotland, and of Ireland flowed in the same stream and drenched the same field. Concluding Series A concluding series is one where the sense is complete with the conclusion of the series. It requires the falling inflection on every member of the series except the next to the last, which takes the rising inflection; as. It must exist in the man, in the subject, and in the occasion. A series always consists of positive words or phrases, and is never composed of negatives. A negative may be grouped with the positives in making up a series, but when such is the case, it loses its negative quality; as, For no cause, in the very frenzy of wantonness, by the red hand of murder, he was thrust from the full tide of this world's interest, into the visible presence of death. SERIES 107 The first member of this series is a negative, but as it is positively spoken, it loses its nega- tive quality and becomes a part of the series. Examples of Concluding Series Let us think alone of our God, our country, oiu' conscience, and our glorious union. This indictment charges Hodges with having done certain things wickedly, maliciously, and traitorously. Most students need encouragement to sustain, instruction to aid, and directions to guide them. England depopulated, its inhabitants stripped of the dearest privileges of humanity, degraded with the most ignominious badges of bondage, and totally deprived of the power of resistance to usurpation and tyranny. Bhnd indeed is he who sees not the hand of God in events so vast, so harmonious, so benign. The next moment he lay wounded, bleeding, help- less; doomed to weary weeks of torture, to silence and the grave. io8 THE POWER OF SPEECH Series of Single Oppositions Commencing Sink or swim, live or die, survive or perish, I give my hand and heart to this vote. The three phrases, "Sink or swim, live or die, survive or perish," constitute the series, and, as the series is a commencing one, the first and second members require the faUing inflection, while the final requires the rising, and, as "sink" is opposed to "swim," "live" with "die," "survive" with "perish," they must have opposite inflections; and in order to produce the series properly, "sur- vive" must take the falling inflection, allowing "perish" to rise and thus show the series is ended, and that "I give my hand and heart to this vote" completes the thought left incomplete by the conclusion of the series. Concluding I give my hand and heart to this vote whether I sink or swim, live or die, survive or perish. The three phrases, "sink or swim, live or die, survive or perish," here form a concluding series SERIES 109 of single oppositions, and, in order to produce the contrasts and at the same time preserve the series, "sink" must take the rising inflection, "swim" the faUing, "hve" the falling, "die" the rising (thus giving the next to the last phrase the proper inflection to form a concluding series), "survive" the rising, and "perish" the falling, thus forming the series with the conclusion of the thought. Series within Series A series within a series is where one member of a series consists of three or more members, making it practically a series in itself and yet so strongly related to the main series as to become a part of it. Example There are those who insist that we can stand idly by and see that island devastated and depopulated, its business interests destroyed, its commercial inter- course with us cut ofiE, its people starved, degraded, and enslaved. This, in the main, is a concluding series of phrases pertaining to the island, its business interests, commercial intercourse and its people. no THE POWER OF SPEECH but, as the last member of the series states that its people are starved, degraded, and enslaved, these three words, individually explanatory of the state of the people, form a concluding series of their own, while still remaining collectively the concluding member of the main series. PARENTHESIS PARENTHESIS Parenthesis is where the main idea is mo- mentarily suspended while a secondary matter is introduced, in order to amplify or explain, and then a return is made to the main thought; as. The opinion which the chief justice has just delivered is not, and I thank God for it, the law of the land. The main thought is: — The opinion which the chief justice has just delivered is not the law of the land. The parenthetical is: — And I thank God for it. Care must be taken to show clearly just when the main thought is suspended and when resumed. The parenthetical thought requires a distinct change in the pitch of the voice from that employed in expressing the main idea, and the inflection depends entirely on the sense as expressed in the parenthesis. For instance: If the parenthetical thought is negative, uncertain or conditional, it must be given the rising inflec- tion, irrespective of the main thought, and if "3 114 THE POWER OF SPEECH positive, it must be given the falling. If it is of a happy character, while the main thought is gloomy, the pitch of the voice used for expressing the parenthesis must be higher, and if the reverse should be the case, the pitch of the voice should be reversed. In short, parenthetical thoughts are governed by the same rules as main thoughts; that is, entirely by the sense. They stand alone, and must be governed by what they themselves contain. Parenthesis is marked by the comma, dash or brackets, and all interjected remarks, of whatever character, should be delivered parenthetically. Examples of Parenthesis But would the honest patriot, in the full tide of successful experiment, abandon a government which has so far kept us free and firm, on the theoretic and visionary fear that this government, the world's best hope, may by possibility want energy to preserve itself? I trust not. I believe this, on the contrary, the strongest government on earth. And so highly do you esteem such conduct, as charac- teristic of the Athenian spirit, that those of your ances- tors who were most eminent for it are ever the most favorite objects of your praise. PARENTHESIS 115 It comes, if it come at all, like the outbreaking of a fountain from the earth. Tell me if for an instant, when to hesitate for an instant was to be lost, the "aliens" blenched? What Lowell called "the grand simplicities of the Bible," with which he was so familiar, were reflected in his discourse. Are all memory and reverence for the great dead, whom living we admired and adored, to be now for- gotten? THE PAUSE THE PAUSE In using the pause a speaker should be governed entirely by the sense and not the grammatical construction, as many pauses not set down by the grammarian are ofttimes necessary in order to properly interpret the thought. The differ- ence in pauses consists in the length of their duration. It is not necessary to always come to a full stop and drop the voice at a period, nor keep the voice up and run quickly over the comma. The speaker should be governed by the meaning and not the mere construction, by the spirit dinA not the body of the language; and for this reason a pause is often employed by the speaker that is not used by the writer; as, I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that — is the lamp of experience. In this example I have placed a dash after the word "that," where no pause was called for by the grammarian, but where the rhetorician insists 119 I20 THE POWER OF SPEECH that one should be placed, and therefore these pauses are called rhetorical. They generally follow an emphatic word, and are followed in their turn by an emphatic word or phrase; as, I know of no way of judging of the future — but by the past. The voice is suspended for a moment after the emphatic word "future" and driven forth with increased power on the balance of the. sentence, thus making the thought stand out boldly. The rhetorical pause calls attention particularly to what follows it. Examples of Rhetorical Pause The proper study of mankind — is man. Some — strike for hope of booty, Some — to defend their all; I — battle for the Joy I have To see the white man — fall. 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! THE PAUSE 121 The enemy will endeavor to intimidate by show and appearance; but remember — they have been repulsed on various occasions by a few brave Ameri- cans. READING READING Read thoughts, not words. Look to the soul of the matter, and not the mere symbols. Many readers disjoint the thought by separating the words and reading them individually instead of collectively. Children are now wisely taught to join their letters into words, and see the word instead of the letters that make it up. In like manner the reader should see the phrase and not the individual words that constitute it. True, many words are sign-posts that show the manner in which the voice should be inflected, and indi- cate what word should receive the emphasis, in order clearly to convey the thought; but attention to these guide-words will not prevent the reader grasping the thought in its entirety, and presenting it to the listener without breaking its continuity. Reading and speaking by phrases will impress the listener with the reader's or speaker's grasp of his subject, and cause the thought to be in- stantly and clearly conveyed from one mind to another. I2S 126 THE POWER OF SPEECH The reader should think only of the end, and not of the means of accomplishing that end; he should bear in mind the thought, and put away all consideration of the means of conve)dng that thought. He should think of the means while practicing, but as soon as he attempts to execute, all thought must be taken from the means, and concentrated on the end, which, of course, is the effective conveying of the vocal message by ex- pression. By giving attention to this point of reading by phrases, and mastering the rules of articulation, modulation, emphasis, and delivery, so that the rules may be forgotten while their influence has become a part of the reader's nature, a free, expressive, and natural delivery will be secured. ORATORY ORATORY The study of oratory has interested man in all climes and all ages, — the more enlightened the period the greater the knowledge of this noble art. Its methods have been investigated since the dawn of civiHzation, and its rules are as ancient as those of any known science. Emo- tions are experienced by men to-day the same as in past ages, and the expression of them, in all material particulars, is similar. Man thinks, speaks, and moves by the same means now as he did in the past, and the mental processes by which emotions are engendered and outward expression given them are the same as they have always been. Human nature is similar all the world over, and has undergone no essential change, further than that of slow development, since the beginning of history. The feelings of man being the same in different ages, there is no good reason why his vocal expression of them should change, nor has it changed materially. 129 I30 THE POWER OF SPEECH Oratory, in all essential particulars, is the same to-day as it was in the times of Pericles, Demos- thenes, and Cicero. True, the style of delivery, as pertains both to voice and action, has been modified or aflfected by outside influences, but in its material qualities it has not changed. Ancient orators differed from modern orators more in expression than in language, the latter being constructed on the same lines, and accord- ing to the same principles, to-day, as before the birth of Christianity. The same rules for the construction of sentences, whereby thought is expressed, apply to-day as closely as they did two thousand years ago. Language is marshaled under the same banners of opposition, apposition, negative, positive, commencing and concluding series, and the many other formations of words, phrases, and sentences, that show the action of the speaker's mind, interpret his thought, and con- vince or move the listener. The delivery of the ancient orators embraced a voice that partook both of the singing and speak- ing tones, and gestures that were restricted to the right arm and hand. The reason this chant- ing tone was employed was that the orators ORATORY 131 generally spoke in the open air, and used the many- waves and circumflexes of the voice (thus making it much like singing) in order to cause the voice to carry a greater distance, whereas our speaking is done indoors, and the exaggerated mode of delivery is no longer required or desired, and the human voice, through not being forced or strained, now produces tones far more beautiful and con- vincing. The reason the old Grecian and Roman masters ruled that the right arm should be the oratorical weapon, and that the left should never be used alone, and sparingly even in conjunction with the right, was that their mode of dress precluded the free use of the left arm, as it was generally occupied holding the toga; but with the passing away of the ancient garment which occasioned the rule, the rule itself passed out of vogue. In all enlightened countries oratory has been looked upon with great favor, and honors have been heaped upon those who, by the force of their eloquence, have been able to sway the masses, and control the destinies of nations. Oratory has been more potent in shaping the course of events, and bettering the hfe of man, 132 THE POWER OF SPEECH than any earthly agency, not even excepting war itself, for in most cases where liberty struggled with oppression, force was but the son of elo- quence, owing its being to it; and without elo- quence liberty never would have come to pass. The American Revolution was caused by man's desire for liberty, and proved to him that he could achieve it: but it was the eloquence of Patrick Henry, Richard Henry Lee, Samuel Adams, James Otis, and their feUow patriots, which taught this doctrine of the universal Mberty of man, and made that Revolution possible by welding into an irresistible and indestructible mass the many forces of opposition to tryanny throughout the Colonies. Oratory burns with its brightest Hght during the travails, mighty struggles, or death throes of a nation. It slumbers in times of peace. No nation ever came into existence without its approach being preceded by throes and up- heavals, nor ceased to exist without warning of the approach of its death, and these symptoms were the voiced thoughts of the orator. Oratory is the spoken word, and it goes forth upon its errand impregiiated with the life, the ORATORY 133 very spirit of its Creator. It seems to live, to breathe, and it appeals with divine power direct to the heart of man. It is not like the written word, merely an opinion, but it is an opinion that is analyzed and interpreted by the living voice, which explains by its tone the meaning of the uttered words. The reader is allowed to form his own opinion from the written message, but the listener has the spoken word interpreted for him by the orator, who does the thinking for him, and, unconsciously to the auditor, colors his opinion and molds his judgment by controlhng the current of his thoughts. The difference be- tween the spoken and the written word is as great as that between Hfe and death, the soul and the body. There are two schools or styles of oratory, that of Cicero, the Roman, and that of Demosthenes, the Athenian. Cicero was the able advocate pleading his cause, while Demosthenes was the representative demanding that justice should pre- vail. The Roman could speak equally well on either side of a question, as he possessed a more subtle knowledge of the art of persuasion than the Greek, 134 THE POWER OF SPEECH and a far stronger imagination; and for these reasons he was not governed so much by feehng as was Demosthenes. The Roman could work himself up to his cause, while the Greek must be moved by his. The latter depended upon the circumstance to bring forth his eloquence, whUe the former breathed eloquence as if by nature endowed. Cicero opened his speeches with lengthy exordiums because he wished to explain what he thought his listeners did not know. He skilfully handled his subject by demonstrating his position or cause, and by logically deducting his conclusions through argumentative discourse, which made his auditors feel that Cicero was agreeing with them instead of forcing them, by the magic of his delivery, to agree with him. His perorations were powerful and stirring, and what he sometimes failed to do by reason, he accomplished by appealing to the passions of his listeners, whether in the Senate or the forum; and he moved them by the force of his eloquence more than by the righteousness of his cause. Cicero possessed all the attributes of the actor and therefore was able to give expression to emotions he did not feel. His speeches consist, ORATORY 135 as a rule, of a statement of facts colored to suit his cause, and not a mere statement; then his deductions and arguments from and on these facts; and finally a burst of passionate eloquence that swayed his audience and compelled it to do his bidding. He was skilful in debate, never at a loss for words to express his thoughts, and on the lookout at all times to find and take advan- tage of a weak point in his adversary's argument or cause. He was an oratorical warrior who was ever ready either for defense or attack. His quiver was always full of arrows, he lost no chance to discharge them, and his unerring aim directed them straight to the vulnerable point in his oppo- nent's argument. He was equally at home in debate or harangue, and could wield the rapier of language as effectively as the broadsword. Demosthenes lacked the cunning and alertness of Cicero. He needed time for preparation, and would polish and repolish his speeches before delivering them. He could not speak to advan- tage on the spur of the moment, and had no con- fidence in himself except after long and careful consideration of his subject. He seldom made use of a lengthy introduction or conclusion, but 136 THE POWER OF SPEECH generally went right into his subject without preface and ended without any great effort of language or expression. He spoke what he had to say and departed. He told his countrymen plain truths, and told them without a coating of any kind. He had nothing to receive, but all to give. He asked no favor of them, but urged them, for their own sakes, to rouse themselves and save their country from the threatened thraldom of Philip of Macedonia. His perora- tions were simply assertions, not excitatory out- bursts. He lacked the argumentative skill of Cicero, but excelled him in assertive delivery. His sentences, as a rule, are short and to the point, leading him on a straight path direct to his object, whereas Cicero's are long and ofttimes circui- tous; and for those reasons, unless delivered by a master, the thoughts are likely to be lost or con- fused by the listener, who fails to keep the main point in view through endeavoring to follow the many explanations and amplifications introduced by the orator. Long sentences, particularly those containing parenthetical thoughts, are difficult to deliver, and should only be used by expert speakers, and this is one reason why Cicero's ORATORY 137 orations are so hard for the inexperienced orator * to deUver with satisfaction. Each school has its advocates, but it is well for a speaker to be versed in both. The Ciceronian will be the most useful to the teacher and advocate, while the Demosthenian will be more effective for the poli- tician; but there are times when a blending of the two schools will be advantageous to orators of all classes. The primary object of a speech is to make an immediate impression, and for this reason, more depends on the manner than the matter. The language must be good, of course, but its excel- lence is secondary to the delivery. An indif- ferent speech, eloquently delivered, will make a far greater immediate impression than an elo- quent speech indifferently delivered. Many great speeches read poorly, and Charles Fox, the able English parliamentarian orator, said, "No good speech ever read well." This is a very sweeping assertion, and while I do not wholly agree with it, I confess it appeals to me as possessing much truth. I should say that a speech which rested mainly on its literary merit would read better, but not sound so well as one which depended 138 THE POWER OF SPEECH more on the action or life of its words than the beauty of its language. An oration must be active, and the orator must not halt too often by the roadside to pluck the pretty flowers which are ever at hand for the fanciful speaker. He must bear in mind that he has a mission to per- form, a message to deliver; and he should go directly on his errand and not take a roundabout course leading over grassy fields and along flowery lanes. This wiU not conflict with the necessity, at times, of preparing the listener for the message, instead of bluntly thrusting it upon him. Take, for instance, that greatest of speeches, Marc Antony's oration over the body of Caesar, and note how carefully the orator prepares his audi- ence to receive the assertion that Brutus is not honorable in accusing Caesar of having been actuated by ambition and not by love of country. The position of Marc Antony before the Roman populace was one of extreme peril, and required very tactful handling in order to enable him to obtain a hearing. They were not ready to re- ceive his message, and he was forced to prepare skilfully the way for its delivery. He knew the people at that moment were favorable to Brutus ORATORY 139 and his partisans, and if he said one word against them, until he had won the fickle populace to his way of thinking, he would be stoned to death, or at least driven from the forum. Therefore, he artfully contrived to gain a hearing for his cause by hiding his real object until he had gained the mastery over the minds of his listeners. This was true art, and denoted the consummate orator. As another instance, I would cite the skilful manner of the eminent divine and marvelous orator, Henry Ward Beecher, in delivering an address before an English audience of southern sympathizers at Liverpool, during the dark days of our Civil War. He stood Uke a lion at bay while the wild mob howled itself hoarse in its efforts to drown his voice. By his manliness, adroitly leading up to his subject, and a clever appeal to "English fair play," he finally managed to prevail on the howling mass of humanity to listen to him, and as soon as this was accom- pHshed, the victory was won, for by the witchery of his eloquence, and the truth of the message he brought them, this genuine American duplicated the triumph of Antony, the Roman. i40 the power of speech Pulpit Oratory These messages, which were so ably delivered, were earthly messages, but God's messengers, bearing His divine word to man, are charged with a more glorious and important mission than any concerning the welfare or life of nations, as they .strive for the salvation of immortal souls. This being the case, how necessary it is that, be- fore taking up his holy work, the clergyman should prepare himself to deliver the message properly. He should not only gain the knowledge, which is the message, but should also provide a vehicle to carry it, and this is the power of expression. He will not always have fertile fields, in the shape of willing minds, in which to plant the seed, but ofttimes will find it necessary to hew down a dense forest of ignorance and prejudice, or remove rocks of stubborn bigotry before the ground wiU be ready to receive the seed which is committed to his hands by Almighty God. And in order to enable him to make a pathway for the message of love, and deliverance from evil, he must know how to wield the ax, the drill, the dynamite of oratory. ORATORY 141 Forensic Oratory In prder properly to represent his client, the lawyer must prepare himself to present the cause entrusted to him in its strongest and most favor- able light. Most lawyers at some time in their career desire to be advocates, and in order to gratify that ambition they must learn to put their thoughts into words, and become speakers. They must translate their thought into action by con- verting it into speech. The advocate must first gain the confidence of those whom he addresses by dispelling all antagonistic feeling, then con- vince them of the truth of his argument, and finally persuade them to do as he desires. In order to accomplish these things, he must possess not only logical skill, and a vast store of information from which to draw at will, but also expression of voice and gesture. Political Oratory The politician who desires to be a leader of men should learn to govern them through con- trolling their wills, by making an impression on their minds through the power of speech. More 142 THE POWER OF SPEECH thinking is being done to-day toward devising means of bettering the condition of the masses of mankind than at any time in history, and he only who is able to give expression to the thought within him will be advanced as leader in the political struggle. Objects of Oratory Oratory possesses two important objects: To convince the person or persons to whom the appeal is made that it is just that it should be granted, and to urge compliance with it. Oratorical Purpose Every oration should be controlled by a single purpose, which must be the unit around which are gathered the many thoughts. Divisions of an Oration An oration should consist of three divisions or processes: Opening, or statement; body, or argu- ment; conclusion, or appeal. The opening states the ground of contention, or defines the points at issue. The body of the speech must consist of ORATORY 143 the argument on the facts as stated in the opening. The conclusion urges a decision in favor of the deduction as reached by the advocate from his argument on the facts. These general rules apply to the clergyman expounding the scrip- tures, the lawyer arguing his case, and the states- man delivering his speech. The manner, of course, must befit the person, time, theme, and place, but the construction, in all cases, should consist of a statement, argument, and conclusion. Divisions of Oratory There are five divisions or classes of oratory: First. — Philosophic oratory, whose province is to enlighten or instruct, and embraces the religious, instructive, and scientific discourse. It appeals to the intellect more than the feeling. Second. — Demonstrative oratory, to arouse feeling, particularly that of approval or disap- proval in the hearer, and embraces the panegyric and the eulogy, and appeals more to the feeling than the intellect. Third. — Forensic oratory, argumentative in nature, and pertaining to courts of law. 144 THE POWER OF SPEECH Fourth. — Deliberative oratory, pertaining to assemblies of a legislative character. Fifth. — Social oratory, to entertain or amuse. Essential Qualities of the Orator A strong, clear, well-modulated voice, graceful and expressive gestures, taste, judgipaent, inven- tion, imagination, sensibility, tact, and the com- mand of strong, vivid, and appropriate language, are among the essential qualities of the orator. Some have become great speakers who were possessed of but few of these advantages, but for all that, they are the necessary and natural requirements of the orator. A PRACTICAL LESSON IN ORATORY A PRACTICAL LESSON IN ORATORY Remarks at the Dedication of the National Cemetery at Gettysburg abraham lincoln Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth upon this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we can- not consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note nor long remember 147 148 THE POWER OF SPEECH what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us, the living, rather, to be dedi- cated here to the xmfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us; that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last fuU measure of devotion; that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom; and that government of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth. Analysis and " Lesson Talk " by EDWIN GORDON LAWRENCE For clearness, completeness, and terseness of expression, I know of nothing in the English language to surpass the address of Abraham Lincoln delivered on the occasion of the dedica- tion of the National Cemetery at Gettysburg, November 19, 1863. It displays a dignity, fixed- ness of purpose, and reliance on the justness of a Supreme Being nowhere to' be found more beauti- fully and powerfully expressed. There is not a A PRACTICAL LESSON IN ORATORY 149 superfluous word in the entire composition, as evpry word that is used clearly and immediately performs its duty. In a simple, impressive speech, consisting of less than three hundred words, what a mass of information he imparts! The first paragraph, of only four lines, tells by whom the American na- tion was founded, how conceived, and to what purpose dedicated. The second, of eight lines, teUs of the great struggle the nation was then passing through, and the meaning of that struggle; where the representatives of the nation were gathered on that memorable occasion, and the purpose of that gathering ; and finally the opinion expressed that what they were assembled to do was "fitting and proper" of performance. The third paragraph, of eighteen lines, points out that the assembled multitude cannot "dedi- cate," "consecrate," and "hallow" that ground, as it has already been dedicated, consecrated, and hallowed by the brave men who fought the great battle that was the cause of that multitude gather- ing on the eventful day when Lincoln's words of wisdom were spoken. He then plainly tells the immense throng that, while they cannot do what I50 THE POWER OF SPEECH has already been done by the soldier, it is their duty to dedicate themselves to the "unfinished work" which has fallen to their hands through the removal of those who "have thus far so nobly advanced" it. He clearly defines the duty of the living as being a dedication of themselves to the great task of saving the Union, instead of dedi- cating the ground as a burial place for the dead whereon those heroes had struggled in their en- deavor to preserve the nation which "fourscore and seven years ago" was brought forth by our fathers. He then in firm language proposes the vow which all those present should take; and finally sums up, in less than three lines, the pur- poses and objects of the American government as being of, by and for the people ; and an expres- sion of the belief that their efforts, seconded by God's blessing, shall not allow that government to "perish from the earth." Structurally, this address complies with all the requirements of a complete speech, possessing, as it does, a statement, an argument, and an appeal, besides "clearness, force, and earnestness," which Webster declares to be "the qualities which pro- duce conviction." A PRACTICAL LESSON IN ORATORY 151 The statement concludes with the second para- graph, the argument commences with the third paragraph and ends with the words "last full measure of devotion," at which point the appeal commences, and ends with the speech. From an oratorical standpoint, the construc- tion of the speech is perfect, showing clearly and unmistakably that Lincoln had a thorough knowl- edge of the use of the spoken word. His con- trasts are strikingly arranged, allowing him to tell, by vocal expression as well as by language, not only what cannot be done, but also what has been done. His series are masterful; and the diction simple, powerful, and appropriate. In fact one of the greatest beauties of the address consists in its being strong in its simplicity. The first paragraph consists of a concluding series of phrases, and for this reason the voice falls on the words "nation" and "equal," and rises on "liberty." There is a double opposition between "fourscore and seven years ago" and "our fathers," with "now" and "we" in the first •line of the second paragraph. "That" and "any" are contrasted, and for that reason require opposite inflections. "Endure" takes the fall- 152 THE POWER OF SPEECH ing inflection because the thought is completed. "Great battle-field" requires emphasis because it is important from being the place of meeting; and "war" requires the falling inflection on ac- count of completion of thought. "Dedicate" re- quires emphasis as it is important on account of being what they have come to do, and "final resting place" because of its being the result of the dedication. "Those," "lives," "nation," and "live" constitute a double opposition, the thought being: We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting place for those who died that the nation might live. "Do" is impor- tant and therefore emphatic. "This" concludes a positive sentence, consequently it is given the falling inflection. In the third paragraph "we," in the three in- stances it is used, is in opposition with "brave men," and "cannot dedicate," "cannot conse- crate," "cannot hallow," are all in opposition with "have consecrated," consequently they con- stitute a double opposition . ' ' Living ' ' and ' ' dead ' ' are contrasted, and given parenthetically as they explain that the "brave men" included all who fought there; "our" takes the falling inflection A PRACTICAL LESSON IN ORATORY 153 for the reason that it is in opposition with "brave men," and "add" and "detract" are contrasted. The next sentence contains a triple opposition, as "The world will little note nor long remember" is in opposition with "but it can never forget," "we" with "they," and "say" with "did." The next sentence consists of a double opposition, "us" and "living" in apposition with each other are in opposition with "they" and "fought here," which are also in apposition with each other, and "unfinished work" is in contrast with "thus far so nobly advanced." "Us" and "great task" are emphatic; and the phrase takes the falhng inflection because it is a complete thought, and positive. "Dead" and "they" are in apposition and consequently take the same inflection, and as they are both in opposition with "we," they take the rising inflection, while the latter takes the falling; and as "increased devotion" is con- trasted with "last full measure, of devotion," the entire thought is expressed by a double opposition. "Highly" is emphatic, as it is here used in the sense of firmly, and the phrase takes the falling inflection as it is positively spoken. "New" is given emphasis for the reason that 154 THE POWER OF SPEECH an opposition is suggested with old or first birth of freedom, and the completed thought takes the falling inflection. The speech concludes with a commencing series, completed by a positive ex- pression. THE ART OF ACTING THE ART OF ACTING To act is to be other than real; to conceive a character and play it; to reproduce in a material form a creation of the mind. If an actor portrays a character from the standpoint of his own per- sonality, he is not acting — he is real. He is then giving expression to his own emotions instead of those of the imaginary character he is supposed to interpret. The actor should never be himself; he should get away from his own nature as much as possible and concentrate his energies to bring- ing before his audience, by means of voice, action, and mentality, the character he is portraying. With every change in character the actor should change his vocal and physical appearance, for as no two persons in real life look alike, speak alike, or express the same emotion alike, so the actor's creations should be distinct individuals and not merely repetitions of the same character under different names and costumes. If the player can- not do this, he is not worthy of being called an actor, he is a mere mummer. IS7 158 THE POWER OF SPEECH Acting is divided into two schools — one imagi- native, the other reaUstic; one depends on the pow^er of creating mental images for producing effects, the other relies on feeling. The imagina- tive actor sees in his "mind's eye" all that he portrays, while the realistic actor feels the emotion he expresses. The former gains control of voice and action through a careful study of the mechan- ism by means of which the effects are produced; he learns to breathe, to produce voice with little or no effort; limbers up and strengthens his body by physical exercise; studies the meaning of gesture and posture; exercises the mind to enable it to change thought quickly, and then, by means of his mentality, governs the whole wonder- ful mechanism. He is thus complete master of himself vocally, physically, and mentally, and able to portray emotions he does not feel, and interpret characters with which he has nothing in common. The latter, on the other hand, must feel what he endeavors to express; must be in sympathy with his character, and absolutely believe, for the time, that he is the person he is portraying. To my mind, acting is art, not nature; it is an THE ART OF ACTING 159 apparent creator, and not a real one ; consequently, I consider that to be an actor in the true sense of the word, one must be governed by the imagina- tion and not by the feeling. An actor who impersonates Brutus one night and Cassius another should be able to reproduce the characteristics of each man, and express the different emotions in accordance with the mental and the physical formation of the character he impersonates, instead of coloring them with his own individuality. The conception that Brutus has of honor differs from that entertained by Cassius, consequently when the actor imperson- ates Brutus and speaks of honor he must reflect it from the standpoint of Brutus and no other. Cassius holds that all men have their price, that there is none so "firm that cannot be seduced," whereas Brutus looks upon men as noble beings before whom if you "set honor in one eye, and death in the other," they "will look on both in- differently." Each man saw his fellow from his own standpoint; what he was, that did he see, and it was this characteristic that gave him his individuality; it is this that the author must clearly denote in the character, and it is this that i6o THE POWER OF SPEECH the actor must reproduce in order clearly to de- fine and properly portray it. .If the actor expresses honor from his concep- tion of the attribute, the rendition will be the same when he is impersonating either Brutus or Cassius and giving voice to that sentiment, but it will express the reflection of his own character and not that of the character he is portraying. It is thought that forms character. Those who habitually think evil, wiU be evil and see evil in others; while those, on the other hand, who think good, will be good and see good everywhere about them. It is what he thinks, that acts on man's nature and forms his character; consequently it is necessary for the actor to know thoroughly the characteristics of the part, as created by the author, before he attempts to enact it. A perfectly pure woman may interpret an im- pure character, but in order to do so, she must not show her own pure nature, but must mentally perceive the traits which make the part she por- trays impure, and thus create the character out of her own mentality but not out of her own feel- ing. A villain at heart may, if a great actor, admirably portray a noble character, but he must THE ART OF ACTING i6l first subjugate his own feelings, put aside his per- sonal conception of good and evil, hide his lack of belief in the nobility of mankind, and see things from a standpoint opposite to his own. Were this not the case, a man would have to be a villain to play lago, a tyrant to play Richard III, insane to play Lear, and irresolute to play Hamlet. No, these are all creations of the mind, and depend on the intellectual and imaginative power of the actor for their portrayal, and not on his ability to feel. It is not necessary to have known an emotion in order to express it; the actor does not have to be a father in order to express paternal love, a murderer in order to portray the feelings of one who has shed the blood of his fellowman, nor a saint in order to depict saintlike characteristics, but he must possess the faculty of imagining the feelings of the father, the murderer, and the saint before he can portray them. In this mental ability to understand and to see, lies the actor's power; and without it, he is incapable of imper- sonating characters outside the limited sphere of his own nature. Instead of being a source of strength to an actor, i62 THE POWER OF SPEECH feeling is one of weakness because, if intense, it takes away the power of action. It prevents the actor moving rapidly from emotion to emotion, as the action of the play so often requires, and holds him to one particular emotion when the requirements of the stage insist that he por- tray another. In fact, feeling controls the actor instead of the actor controlling feeling. Take the case of Virginius, when, to save Virginia from the clutches of Appius Claudius, he kills his dearly loved daughter by plunging a knife into her bosom. How could an actor feel that he had killed his own child, and yet could escape the fate which befell Virginius — insanity ? No, if the actor is to feel the same as Virginius, the feeling must have the same effect upon both; but if, instead of feeling the emotion, he pictures the entire scene, and with his mental vision sees Viriginius take his daughter in his arms, raise the knife on high and plunge it into her bosom, the effect on the actor will leave with the passing of the mental picture ; whereas if he feels it, the same effect must be produced upon his brain as was made upon that of Virginius. The actor should be mentally alive from the THE ART OF ACTING 163 moment he steps upon the stage until he leaves it, as only by being so will he appear the character he is impersonating, for the least departure from this rule blurs the characterization, and destroys the illusion. When making a movement on the stage that is unaccompanied by words, he should back it up with a thought — he should think what the movement represents, what its object is, or what prompted it. Thus will the spirit of expres- sion enter the movement, and give it vitality and purpose. A high-strung nervous person might fail as an orator, but succeed as an actor, as emotional power is the very soul of acting but essential to the orator only when he ceases to be himself and becomes in fact, if not in name, an actor. The true orator impresses by what he sends out. to his listeners from his own soul, he speaks the living truth as he feels it, whereas the actor expresses what he sees through the power of fancy. The actor is not himself, the orator is. This is the one great distinction separating the arts of oratory and acting. i64 THE POWER OF SPEECH How TO Study a Character To conceive a character properly it must be carefully studied so that the motive of the charac- ter may be discovered, its predominating trait or traits observed, and a consistent and harmonious characterization built. The Character of Romeo Let us examine the character of Romeo, in Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet," and see if we can discover what sort of a being the author intended to make him, and if the actor can know, from the text, how to characterize the part. After a careful perusal of the play, I should say that sorrow was the keynote to the character of Romeo, despite the fact that he is generally looked upon as an impetuous lover. He feels that he is foreordained to an untimely death; that he is continually thwarted in his desires by a power against which he is incapable of contending, and that he can escape it only by ending his life. What grounds have I for reaching this conclusion ? The following excerpts from the play: THE ART OF ACTING 165 Montague. — Many a morning hath he there been seen, With tears augmenting the fresh morning's dew, Adding to clouds more clouds with his deep sighs. But all so soon as the all-cheering sun Should in the farthest east begin to draw The shady curtains from Aurora's bed, Away from light steals home my heavy son, And private in his chamber pens himself, Shuts up his windows, locks fair daylight out. And makes himself an artificial night. Black and portentous must this humor prove. Unless good counsel may the cause remove. — Act I. Scene I. Benvolio. This wind you talk of blows us from our selves ; Supper is done, and we shall come too late. Romeo. I fear too early; for my mind misgives Some consequence, yet hanging in the stars. Shall bitterly begin his fearful date With this night's revels; and expire the term Of a despised life, clos'd in my breast, By some vile forfeit of untimely death: But He, that hath the steerage of my course. Direct my sail! • — ■ Act I. Scene IV. Romeo. O, I am fortune's fool! — Act III. Scene I. l66 THE POWER OF SPEECH Friar Laurence. Romeo, come forth; come forth, thou fearful man: Affliction is enamor'd of thy parts, And thou art wedded to calamity. — Act III. Scene III. Romeo. Is it even so? Then I defy you, stars! — Act V. Scene I. Romeo. O! here Will I set up my everlasting rest. And shake the yoke of inauspicious stars From this world-wearied flesh. — — Act V. Scene III. Romeo shows the distracted state of his mind on his first appearance, in describing love as a con- tradiction, applying to it, "Oh, heavy lightness! serious vanity!" and many like antitheses, indi- cating that he is love-sick and not in love, that the emotion consuming him is generated within him- self and not in the object that he imagines inspires it, that what he thinks is love for Rosahne is noth- ing but the reflection of his own hunger for the affection with which he meets, in the love of Juliet. Thus we see that he is of a fanciful, moody nature, prone to believe that the stars in their flight have so crossed as forever to blight THE ART OF ACTING 167 his life, and this it is that gives us the key to his character. Romeo is full of manly tenderness and valor, weak only in his inability to direct the current of his affections, and this weakness causes him to imagine that he is thwarted in his desires by a power against which he is incapable of success- fully contending, and that he can escape it only by ending his Ufe (which thought is voiced in the words "Then I defy you, stars!") and straight- way he buys the poison, returns to Mantua, seeks the tomb of the Capulets, and defies his fate. In the short period between his meeting with Juliet and the death of Mercutio, Romeo is light- hearted and hopeful in his new-found happiness, particularly in the scene with Friar Laurence, where he greets the holy father with a cheery "good morrow" and tells him of the events of the preceding night and his hopeful plans of the future. This state of joy can last but a short time, how- ever, as it is soon overcast by Mercutio being killed by Tybalt, and the latter by the avenging hand of Romeo, whose troubles now come thick and fast, horror accumulating upon horror, until l68 THE POWER OF SPEECH the end comes with his death by the supposed corpse of his Juliet. "For never was a story of more woe Than this of Juliet and her Romeo." The Character of Hamlet Hamlet is generally looked upon as the "mel- ancholy" Dane, little thought being given to the fact that Shakespeare created him a noble, re- ligious, brave, and spiritual being, possessed of a retiring, philosophical disposition, fuUy aware of the greatness of the responsibility laid upon him of avenging his father's murder, fearful of his own power but willing to undertake the awful task that duty placed upon him, and to perform it to the best of his ability. He was an obedient son, a true lover, and a faithful friend. He was not mad but assumed madness, the better to carry out his plan of vengeance. Why do I assign nobility to his character? Ophelia. O, what a noble mind is here o'erthrown! The courtier's, scholar's, soldier's, eye, tongue, sword; The expectancy and rose of the fair state, The glass of fashion and the mould of form. — Act III. Scene I. THE ART OF ACTING 169 His religious nature I find indicated in his hesitating to take the life of his uncle even though commanded to do so by the spirit of his father; and, although the one he is urged to kill is a foul murderer, and beyond the reach of lawful punish- ment, on account of his being at the head of the State, he hesitates to murder because of his hatred of sin and fear of damnation. He even doubts the genuineness of the ghostly visitor, on account of the high esteem in which he held his father, and his inability to believe that he would counsel him to commit so great a crime as to kill; as, The spirit that I have seen May be the devil; and the devil hath power To assume a pleasing shape; yea, and perhaps Out of my weakness and my melancholy, As he is very potent with such spirits, Abuses me to damn me. — Act II. Scene II. He therefore requires more proof than the mere word of the ghost, of his uncle's guilt; as, I'll have grounds More relative than this; the play's the thing Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king. — Act II. Scene 11. lyo THE POWER OF SPEECH His bravery is attested by his willingness to accompany the ghost to a removed part of the castle, even though his friends warn him that the spirit may be tempting him into danger; by his crossing swords with Laertes; and by his manli- ness in facing death after knowdng he has been pierced by the envenomed point. The spiritual and the philosophical traits of his character are displayed in such passages as the following: Hamlet. It will not speak; then I will follow it. Horatio. Do not, my lord. Hamlet. Why, what should be the fear? I do not set my life at a pin's fee; And for my soul, what can it do to that, Being a thing immortal as itself? — Act I. Scene V. Hamlet. To be, or not to be, — that is the question; Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suBfer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles. And by opposing end them ? To die, — to sleep, — No more; and by a sleep to say we end The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir to, — 'tis a consummation Devoutly to be wished. To die, — to sleep, — THE ART OF ACTING 171 To sleep! perchance to dream! ay, there's the mb; For in that sleep of death what dreams may come When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, Must give us pause: there's the respect That makes calamity of so long life; For who would bear the whips and scorns of time. The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The pangs of dispriz'd love, the law's delay, The insolence of oflSce, and the spurns That patient merit of the unworthy takes. When he himself might his quietus make With a- bare bodkin ? Who would fardels bear, To grunt and sweat under a weary life. But that the dread of something after death, The undiscover'd country from whose bourn No traveller retiurns, puzzles the will. And makes us rather bear those Uls we have Than fly to others that we know not of ? Thus conscience does make cowards of us all; And thus the native hue of resolution Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought, And enterprises of great pith and moment With this regard their currents turn awry. And lose the name of action. — Act III. Scene I. That he is aware of the greatness of the respon- sibility the ghostly revelation has placed upon him, is shown when he says: 172 THE POWER OF SPEECH The time is out of joint; — O cursed spite, That ever I was born to set it right! — Act I. Scene V. His obedience is shown in the following: Qiteen. Let not thy mother lose her prayers, Hamlet: I pray thee, stay with us; go not to Wittenberg. Hamlet. I shall in all my best obey you, madam. — Act I. Scene II. His dutiful love is here displayed: Hamlet. Soft! now to my mother. heart, lose not thy nature; let not ever The soul of Nero enter this firm bosom; Let me be cruel, not unnatural. 1 will speak daggers to her, but use none; My tongue and soul in this be h3rpocrites: How in my words soever she be shent,* To give them seals never, my soul, consent! — Act III. Scene IV. Hamlet was not insane. Why? In the scene where Ophelia describes Hamlet as coming into her closet in a wild and disheveled state, I find no indication of madness, but rather * Put to the blush. THE ART OF ACTING 173 a revelation of the great anguish he suffered when satisfied that the object of his affections was in league with his enemies. These lines tell the story: Ophelia. ■ He took me by the wrist and held me hard; Then goes he to the length of all his arm, And, with his other hand thus o'er his brow, He falls to such perusal of my face As he would draw it. Long stay'd he so; At last a little shaking of my arm. And thrice his head thus waving up and down, He rais'd a sigh so piteous and profound As it did seem to shatter all his bulk And end his being: that done he lets me go; And, with his head over his shoulder turn'd. He seem'd to find his way without his eyes; For out o' doors he went without their help. And, to the last, bended their light on me. — Act II. Scene I. Hamlet's bandying of Polonius shows that he knows that he is being spied upon, and indicates his purpose to befuddle his watchers by feigning mental unsoundness: Polonius. Do you know me, my lord ? Hamlet. Excellent well; you are a fishmonger. 174 THE POWER OF SPEECH Polonius. Not I, my lord. Hamlet. Then I wish you were so honest a man. Polonius. Honest, my lord! Hamlet. Ay, sir; to be honest, as this world goes, is to be one man picked out of ten thousand. — Act II. Scene II. This interview with Polonius prepares Hamlet for the one that is to follow immediately with Rosencrantz and Guildenstem, puts him on his guard, and enables him to see through their design : Hamlet. Were you not sent for ? Is it your own inclin- ing ? Is it a free visitation ? Come, deal jusdy with me : come, come; nay speak. Guildenstem. What should we say, my lord? Hamlet. That you must teach me. But let me conjure you, by the rights of our fellowship, by the consonancy of our youth, by the obligation of our ever-preserved love, and by what more dear a better prosperer could charge you withal, be even and direct vsdth me, whether you were sent for, or no? Rosenkrantz. (Aside to Guildenstem) What say you? Hamlet. (Aside) Nay, then I have an eye to you. — If you love me, hold not oS. Guildenstem. My lord, we were sent for. — Act II. Scene II. THE ART OF ACTING 175 The King, after listening to the conversation between Hamlet and Opheha, and watching Hamlet's actions from behind the arras, says: Love, his affections do not that way tend; Nor what he spake, though it lack'd form a little. Was not like madness. There's something in his soul O'er which his melancholy sits on brood. And I do doubt the hatch and the disclose Will be some danger; which for to prevent, I have in quick determination Thus set it down; he shall with speed to England, For the demand of our neglected tribute. — Act III. Scene II. After the interview with the ghost, Hamlet tells Horatio and Marcellus that he intends to act a part : Horatio. O day and night, but this is wondrous strange! Hamlet. And therefore as a stranger give it welcome. There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy. But come; Here, as before, never, so help you mercy. How strange or odd so'er I bear myself, — As I perchance hereafter shall think meet To put an antic disposition on, ■ — That you, at such times seeing me, never shall, 176 THE POWER OF SPEECH With arms encumber'd thus, or this head-shake, Or by pronouncing of some doubtful phrase. As "Well, well, we know," or "We could, an if we would," Or "If we list to speak," or "There be, an if there might," Or such ambiguous giving-out, to note That you know aught of me: this not to do. So grace and mercy at your most need help you, Swear. — Act I. Scene V. At the close of the stormy interview with his mother he says to her: Mother, for love of grace. Lay not that flattering unction to your soul. That not your trespass but my madness speaks; It will but skin and film the ulcerous place. Whilst rank corruption, mining all within, Infects unseen. — Act III. Seem IV. Thus Shakespeare, the creator of Hamlet, tells me, through many mediums, that he intended to depict him as feigning madness; a noble, religious, brave, and spiritual being; an obedient son, a true lover, and a faithful friend. "Good night, sweet prince, And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!" THE TONE OF THE VOICE THE TONE OF THE VOICE Vocal tone is that color placed in the voice to make it reflect in sound what the speaker is sup- posed to feel. It is mentality alone, after the technique of the voice has been mastered, which gives the power to express emotions in tones. The speaker must think the emotion in order to put such color into the words as will express the idea. When speaking a glorious passage such as the following extract from Coleridge's "Morning Hymn to Mount Blanc," the whole scene must be mirrored upon the mind before the tones describ- ing it can enter the voice. Form the picture, and if the vocal mechanism is properly trained, it will obey the dictates of the mind, and convey to the understanding of the listener all that the speaker, by the power of his imagination, spiritually be- holds. Once more, hoar mount! with thy sky-pointing peak, Oft from whose feet the avalanche, unheard. Shoots downward, glittering through the pure serene, 179 i8o THE POWER OF SPEECH Into the depths of clouds that veil thy breast, — Thou, too, again, stupendous mountain! thou, That, as I raise my head, awhile bowed low In adoration, upward from thy base Slow-traveling with dim eyes sufEused with tears, Solemnly seemest, like a vapory cloud, To rise before me — rise, oh, ever rise. Rise, like a cloud of incense, from the earth! Thou kingly spirit throned among the hiUs, Thou dread ambassador from earth to heaven. Great Hierarch! tell thou the silent sky. And tell the stars, and tell yon rising sim, Earth, with her thousand voices, praises God. It is necessary to remember that the voice should not always convey the emotion which the word stands for, but rather the idea that is back of the word. Speaking the word "love" does not neces- sitate putting love into the voice, because it can be used in the way of irony; as, "This, you call love!" but the meaning the words are intended to convey must be expressed — the speaker must look through the words into the idea, and convey the idea to the mind of the listener by means of the distinctive coloring he gives the voice. Master the technique, lay hold of the thought, see the pic- ture, and the expression will come. THE TONE OF THE VOICE i8i Exercises in Voice Coloring In the first exercise, an extract from Jerome K. Jerome's pathetic one-act play entitled "Fennel," the student will find splendid opportunity for vocal expression, as love, hate, joy, despair, sorrow, agony, and other emotions are strongly depicted by the author. See the following picture before attempting to speak the lines: A street, at night, in the quaint old city of Cremona; a young man passing along who is attracted by the sounds of a violin issuing through the open lattice. You must know that the music is produced by the skill of a Httle hunch- back, — who is the rival of the young man walking the street, — for the hand of a young girl with whom both are in love, and it is the hunchback's rival who describes the scene to this young girl, and tells her of its effect upon him. The lattice was open, and the wondrous melody came floating out upon the still night air. I knew it was he that was playing, and I hated him, and I tried not to stay and listen, but the magic oi the music held me spellbound and I could not stir. And the throbbing 1 82 THE POWER OF SPEECH notes passed by me into the darkness like the quiver- ing of unseen wings, and they stretched their pinions under me and raised me up, till it seemed as though the little world had sunk away beneath my feet; and the rushing song was bearing me up to the gates of heaven. And then the music broke with a bitter cry, as though some hea,rt had burst, and the trembling chords were heavy with tears — now pitiful and low like the quiet sobbing of a little child, and now terrible and stern like the deep moaning of a strong man in his agony, and then it rose once more up through the starlit temple of the night, cleaving the silence with a note so sweet, so pure, so fuU, so glorious with triumph over conquered pain that I felt as if my very soul were beating to escape against its prison bars, and knowing hardly what I did, I threw myseK upon the ground and clung to it, and cried — I could not help it — tUl the playing ceased and the vibrating harmony had been gathered up into the great bosom of the darkness, and had died away. Tranquillity Clear, placid Leman! thy contrasted lake. With the wide world I dwelt in, is a thing Which warns me, with its stillness, to forsake Earth's troubled waters for a purer spring. This quiet sail is as a noiseless wing THE TONE OF THE VOICE 183 To waft me from distxaction; once I loved Torn ocean's roar, but thy soft mvirmiu-ing Sounds sweet as if a Sister's voice reproved, That I with stern delights should e'er have been so moved. It is the hush of night, and all between Thy margin and the mountains, dusk, yet clear, Mellow'd and mingling, yet distinctly seen. Save darken'd Jura, whose capt heights appear Precipitously steep; and drawing near, There breathes a living fragrance from the shore, Of flowers yet fresh with childhood; on the ear Drops the light drip of the suspended oar. Or chirps the grasshopper one good-night carol more; He is an evening reveller, who makes His life an infancy, and sings his fill; At intervals, some bird from out the brakes Starts into voice a moment, then is still. There seems a floating whisper on the hill, But that is fancy; for the starlight dews All silently their tears of love instill, Weeping themselves away, till they infuse Deep into Nature's breast the spirit of her hues. Ye stars! which are the poetry of heaven. If in your bright leaves we would read the fate Of men and empires, — 'tis to be forgiven. That in our aspirations to be great. i84 THE POWER OF SPEECH Our destinies o'erleap their mortal state, And claim a kindred with you; for ye are A beauty and a mystery, and create In us such love and reverence from afar, That fortune, fame, power, life, have named themselves a star. All heaven and earth are still — though not in sleep. But breathless, as we grow when feeling most; And silent, as we stand in thoughts too deep; — All heaven and earth are still: From the high host Of stars, to the lull'd lake and mountain-coast. All is concenter'd in a life intense. Where not a beam, nor air, nor leaf is lost, But hath a part of being, and a sense Of that which is of all Creator and defense. Then stirs the feeling infinite, so felt In solitude, where we are least alone; A truth, which through our being then doth melt And piuifies from self: it is a tone. The soul and source of music, which makes known Eternal harmony, and sheds a charm, Like to the fabled Cytherea's zone. Binding all things with beauty; — 'twould disarm The spectre Death, had he substantial power to harm. — Byron. THE TONE OF THE VOICE 185 Fancy and Humor MERCUTIO'S QUEEN MAB SPEECH. (This exercise should be practiced so as to produce that playful, laughing style, so necessary to its successful rendition. This selection is full of fancy and humor. Laughter should be frequently intro- duced; especially at the first, before the word "O!", after ''straight on," at end of phrase "Tickling a parson's nose", and at the con- clusion.) O ! then, I see Queen Mab hath been with you. She is the fairies' midwife, and she comes In shape no bigger than an agate-stone On the fore- finger of an alderman, Drawn with a team of little atomies Athwart men's noses as they lie asleep; Her wagon-spokes made of long spinners' legs, The cover of the wings of grasshoppers, The traces of the smallest spider's web. The collars of the moonshine's watery beams. Her whip of qricket's bone, the lash of film. Her wagoner a small gray-coated gnat, Not half so big as a round little worm Prick'd from the lazy finger of a maid; Her chariot is an empty hazel-nut Made by the joiner squirrel or old grub, Time out o' mind the fairies' coachmakers. And in this state she gallops night by night Through lovers' brain?, and then they dream of love; O'er courtiers' knees, that dream on court'sies straight; O'er doctors' fingers, who straight dream on fees; i86 THE POWER OF SPEECH O'er ladies' lips, who straight on kisses dream. Sometime she gallops o'er a lawyer's nose, And then dreams he of smelling out a suit; And sometime comes she with a tithe-pig's tail Tickling a parson's nose as 'a lies asleep, Then dreams he of another benefice. Sometime she driveth o'er a soldier's neck, And then dreams he of cutting foreign throats, Of breaches, ambuscadoes, Spanish blades. Of healths five-fathom deep; and then anon Drums in his ear, at which he starts and wakes. And, being thus frighted, swears a prayer or two, And sleeps agarQ. This is that very Mab — — Shakespeare. Persuasion PORTIA'S SPEECH ON MERCY The quality of mercy is not strain 'd; It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath; it is twice bless'd; It blesseth him that gives, and him that takes: 'Tis mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes The throned monarch better than his crown: His sceptre shows the force of temporal power, The attribute to awe and majesty, Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings; ■- But mercy is above this sceptred sway; It is enthroned in the hearts of kings. It is an attribute to God himself; THE TONE OF THE VOICE 187 And earthly power doth then show likest God's, When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew, Though justice be thy plea, consider this, — That in the course of justice, none of us Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy. And that same prayer doth teach us all to render The deeds of mercy. — Shakespeare. Stirring Appeal HENRY V TO HIS SOLDIERS Once more unto the breach, deair friends, once more; Or close the wall up with our English dead. In peace there's nothing so becomes a man As modest stillness and humility: But when the blast of war blows in our ears, Then imitate the action of the tiger; Stiffen the sinews, simmon up the blood. Disguise fair nature with hard-favor'd rage; Then lend the eye a terrible aspect; Let it pry through the portage of the head Like the brass cannon; let the brow o'erwhelm it As fearfully as doth a galled rock O'erhang and jutty his confounded base, Swill'd with the wild and wasteful ocean. Now set the teeth and stretch the nostril wide. Hold hard the breath and bend up every spirit To his full height. On, on, you noblest English, Whose blood is fet from fathers of war-proof! i88 THE POWER OF SPEECH Fathers that, like so many Alexanders, Have in these parts from morn till even fought. And sheath'd their swords for lack of argument: Dishonor not your mothers ; now attest That those whom you call'd fathers did beget you. Be copy now to men of grosser blood. And teach them how to war. And you, good yeomen, Whose limbs were made in England, show us here The metal of your pasture; let us swear That you are worth your breeding; which I doubt not; For there is none of you so mean and base, That hath not noble lustre in your eyes. I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips, Straining upon the start. The game's afoot: Follow your spirit, and upon this charge Cry "God for Harry, England, and St. George!" — Shakespeare. Fear, Horror, and Terror POTION SCENE — ROMEO AND JULIET Farewell ! — God knows when we shall meet again. I have a faint cold fear thrills through my veins, That almost freezes up the heat of Ufe: I'll call them back again to comfort me. — Niu-se ! — What should she do here ? My dismal scene I needs must act alone. — Come, phial. — What if this mixture do not work at all ? Shall I be married, then, tomorrow morning ? — THE TONE OF THE VOICE 189 No, no; — this shall forbid it: — lie, thou there. — What if it be a poison, which the friar Subtly hath minister'd, to have me dead. Lest in this marriage he should be dishonor'd, Because he married me before to Romeo ? I fear, it is; and yet, methinks, it should not, For he hath still been tried a holy man: I will not entertain so bad a thought. — How if, when I am laid into the tomb, I wake before the time that Romeo Come to redeem me? there's a fearful point! Shall I not then be stifled in the vault, To whose foul mouth no healthsome air breathes in, And there die strangled ere my Romeo comes! Or, if I live, is it not very like. The horrible conceit of death and night. Together with the terror of the place, — As in a vault, an ancient receptacle. Where, for these inany hundred years, the bones Of all my buried ancestors are pack'd; Where bloody Tybalt, yet but green in earth, Lies festering in his shroud; where, as they say, At some hours in the night spirits resort; — Alack, alack! is it not like, that I, So early waking, — what with lothsome smells, And shrieks like mandrakes' torn out of the earth. That living mortals, hearing them, run mad; — O! if I wake, shall I not be distraught, Environed with all these hideous fears, 190 THE POWER OF SPEECH And madly play with my forefathers' joints, And pluck the mangled Tybalt from his shroud? And, in this rage, with some great kinsman's bone, As with a club, dash out my desperate brains! O, look! methinks, I see my cousin's ghost Seeking out Romeo. Stay, Tybalt, stay! — Romeo, I come! this do I drink to thee. — Shakespeare. Imagination DRIFTING My soul today Is far away. Sailing the Vesuvian bay; My winged boat, A bird afloat. Swims round the purple peaks remote: — Round purple peaks It sails, and seeks •Blue inlets and their crystal creeks, Where high rocks throw, Through deeps below, A duplicated golden glow. Far, vague, and dim. The mountains swim; While on Vesuvius' misty brim, With outstretched hands The gray smoke stands O'erlooking the volcanic lands. THE TONE OF THE VOICE 191 Here Ischia smiles O'er liquid miles; And yonder, bluest of the isles, Calm Capri waits, Her sapphire gates Beguiling to her bright estates. I heed not, if My rippling skiff Float swift or slow from cliff to clifi; With dreamful eyes My spirit lies Under the walls of Paradise. Under the walls Where swells and falls The Bay's deep breast at intervals At peace I lie, Blown softly by, A cloud upon this liquid sky. The day so mild. Is Heaven's own child. With earth and ocean reconciled; — The airs I feel Around me steal Are murmuring to the murmuring keel. Over the rail My hand I trail 192 THE POWER OF SPEECH Within the shadow of the sail; A joy intense, The cooling sense Glides down my drowsy indolence. With dreamful eyes My spirit lies Where summer sings and never dies, — O'erveiled with vines. She glows and shines Among her future oil and wines. Her children, hid The clififs amid, Are gambolling with the gambolling kid; Or down the walls, With tipsy calls. Laugh on the rocks like waterfalls. The fisher's chUd, With tresses wild. Unto the smooth, bright sand beguiled, With glowing lips Sings as she skips. Or gazes at the far-off ships. Yon deep bark goes Where traffic blows. From land of sun to lands of snows; — THE TONE OF THE VOICE 193 This happier one, Its course is run From lands of snow to land of sun. O happy ship, To rise and dip. With the blue crystal at your Up I O happy crew, My heart with you Sails, and sails, and sings anew! No more, no more The worldly shore Upbraids me with its loud uproar! With dreamfvd eyes My spirit lies Under the walls of Paradise. — T. Buchanan Read. Bell Tones EXTRACT FROM THE BELLS Hear the sledges with the bells — Silver bells — What a world of merriment their melody foretells! How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle. In the icy air of night! While the stars that oversprinkle All the heavens, seem to twinkle With a crystalline delight — 194 THE POWER OF SPEECH Keeping time, time, time, In a sort of Runic rhyme. To the tintinnabulation that so musically wells From the bells, bells, bells, bells, Bells, bells, bells — From the jingling and the tinkling of the bells. Hear the mellow wedding bells — Golden bells! What a world of happiness their harmony foretells! Through the balmy air of night How they ring out their delight! From the molten-golden notes, And all in tune. What a liquid ditty floats To the turtle-dove that listens, while she gloats On the moon! O, from out the sounding cells What a gush of euphony voluminously wells! How it swells ! How it dwells On the Future! how it tells Of the rapture that impels To the swinging and the ringing Of the bells, bells, bells. Of the bells, bells, bells, bells, Bells, bells, bells — To the rhyming and the chiming of the bells. — Poe. THE TONE OF THE VOICE 195 EXTRACT FROM THE CREEDS OF THE BELLS How sweet the chime of the Sabbath bells! Each one its creed in music tells, In tones that float upon the air, As soft as song, as pure as prayer; And I will put in simple rhyme The language of the golden chime; My happy heart with rapture swells Responsive to the bells, sweet bells. "In deeds of love excel! excel!" Chimed out from ivied towers a bell; "This is the church not built on sands, Emblem of one not buUt with hands; Its forms and sacred rites revere. Come worship here! come worship here! In rituals and faith excel!" Chimed out the Episcopalian bell. "Oh heed the ancient landmarks well!" In solemn tones exclaimed a bell; "No progress made by mortal man Can change the just eternal plan: With God there can be nothing new; Ignore the false, embrace the true, While all is well! is well! is well!" Pealed out the good old Dutch church bell. 196 THE POWER OF SPEECH "Ye purifying waters swell!" In mellow tones rang out a bell; "Though faith alone in Christ can save, Man must be plunged beneath the wave To show the world unfaltering faith In what the Sacred Scriptures saith: Oh, swell, ye rising waters, swell!" Pealed out the clear toned Baptist bell. "Not faith alone, but works as weU, Must test the soul!" said a soft bell; " Come here and cast aside your load. And work your way along the road. With faith in God, and faith in man. And hope in Christ, where hope began; Do well! do well! do well! do well!" Rang out the Unitarian bell. — George W. Bungay. GESTURE GESTURE Gesticulation is visible speech, and it is a wonderful ally in strengthening the force of the spoken word. It makes plain to the understand- ing, through the sight, what the voice accomplishes through the ear, and expresses, at times, what the , voice is incapable of conveying. Voice and action should work in conjunction, assisting and emphasizing each other, and should correspond in time, force, and direction. The object of gesture is to emphasize speech, and it should only be employed to assist or enforce the spoken word, which it should always accom- pany. Its province is to act as a reinforcement to the voice, and in every respect must it be similar to the utterance. By gesture you show what by voice you tell. Gesture should possess, in the first place, pur- pose. Meaningless gestures, no matter how grace- ful and pretty, should never be used. They must possess force, because they are used for emphasis, 199 20O THE POWER OF SPEECH and they must be germane to the subject by show- ing a close relationship to the words. Gestures should possess life, they must not be motionless; they should clearly show the meaning, and picture instantly the action of the mind. Avoid vague- ness, and make all action positive. Gesture should not be too frequently introduced. Never employ action unless it strengthens speech, is a safe rule to foUow. One of the most difl&cult things to acquire is repose, and we must remember that in repose there is dignity. The speaker should not be constantly "sawing the air" with his arms and hands, for instead of covering his nervousness as he imagines, it only lays it bare. Use gesture sparingly, and when it is brought into play, it can be used with teUing effect. Gesticulation is hke emphasis, and if the speaker uses action too frequently, it is the same as emphasizing unimportant as well as important words; there will be no light and shade. When I speak of force being necessary to action, I mean intensity and not violence. Boisterous gestures are not required any more than bois- terous tones of the voice, for earnestness, and the GESTURE 20I strong passions, are better expressed by intensity than by mere violence either of action or voice. Gesture should accompany speech, and not precede or follow. The stroke of the gesture and that of the voice should be simultaneous, other- wise the forces are divided, the speech marred, and the strength of the movement wasted. The action may commence long before the word re- quiring the gesture (just as many words are used besides the emphatic ones), but, when this word is spoken, the stroke of the gesture must be seen at the exact moment that the stroke of the voice is heard. Gesture consists not only of attitudes of the body and movements of the arms and hands, but also the motions of the countenance adapting themselves to the language. It affects the minds and the passions of the listeners quicker and in a more powerful manner than words, and leaves a far more lasting impression, as it addresses the understanding by means of the eye and stamps the mental picture clearly and lastingly upon the brain in an instant, whereas the voice requires many words to accomplish the same result. Ges- ture is, in reality, thought in action. Feeling is 202 THE POWER. OF SPEECH often too intense for speech, and can only express itself in the burning eye, quivering lip, and pant- ing frame, Gestures should be divided into two classes; viz., Active and Descriptive. Active. Gestures Active gestures are expressive of, or pertain to, the action of the mind, and are the gestures of passion or of sentiment. They are employed in expressing feeling of every kind. Gestures of Passion These gestures are expressive of feeling so in- tense as to sway the mind to such an extent as to drive reason from its throne, which, for the time being, is usurped by the tyrant passion. Gestures of Sentiment These gestures express emotions that are gov- erned more by feeling than by reason, and yet are affected by emotions of the affections which are capable of control by the intellect, and in that respect differ from gestures of passion. They are expressive of noble, tender, or artistic feelings. GESTURE 203 Active gestures are all those used in expressing love, pride, jealousy, avarice, terror, hatred, fear,' anger, joy, grief, or any feehng which the mind is incapable of controlling, as in aU passions of intensity, whether pleasing or horrible in nature, and all emotional expressions that in any manner relate to feelings engendered by sentiment. Descriptive Gestures All gestures are descriptive that are used to explain an object, its action, formation, direction, position, or manner, or where a scene is depicted or referred to. In fact any gesture which illus- trates or explains may be termed a descriptive gesture. A STUDY OF LONGFELLOW A STUDY OF LONGFELLOW EDWIN G. LAWRENCE • A lecture delivered in New York, under the auspices of the Department of Education 0} the City oj New York, in 1906. There is much diversity of opinion concern- ing the degree of greatness belonging to Long- fellow as a poet, but aU agree as to the beauty, purity, and sweetness of his songs. If his flights are not of the soaring kind that pierce the clouds, they never descend to the depths of darkness. He wrote nothing that could by any possible means injure his fellowman, but, on the contrary, imbued his words with the spirit that cheers, strengthens, and uplifts. We can go to him as to a friend with whom it is a delight to commune, and we wiU leave him feeling refreshed, encouraged, and im- proved. As a man, he was the personification of nobility; and as a poet, he is the most beloved singer of the English tongue. In both these capacities let us consider him. 207 2o8 THE POWER OF SPEECH Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was born in Portland, Maine, February 27, 1807, and died in Cambridge, Mass, March 24, 1882. He was of pure New England ancestry, tracing his descent through his mother, Zilpah Wads- worth, in an unbroken line back to John Alden and Priscilla Mullins of the original Plymouth colony. In boyhood he was kind, refined, and trust- worthy, showing a strong love for the quietly beautiful in nature, humanity, and literature. He had no liking for evil in any form and escaped, apparently without an effort, the many perils that beset a youth. He lacked passionate intensity, being only in sympathy with what was beautifully emotional, preserving, at the same time, its purity and goodness. His literary growth was gradual, but firm; rising by successive steps from his early verses to the sweetly beautiful "Evangeline," and such gracefully metrical compositions as "The Bridge," and "The Day is Done," and the patriotc poem, "The Building of the Ship." Longfellow possessed a perfectly balanced na- ture. He was cheered by praise, but not appalled by criticism. He did not repel, but attracted, and A STUDY OF LONGFELLOW 209 held his friends to the last. He possessed a sane and temperate judgment, and was always stead- fast, treading the path that did not deviate, but led onward like the light. The purity of his nature is reflected in his verses, and we see clearly the man when we commune with the children of his brain. He wrote from the heart, and, as it was free from the sins of the world, his produc- tions reflected its purity. He knew not the pas- sions of the flesh, nor the intensity of rebellious natures, for his was one of purity and sweetness that communed only with its like. He heard the voices of angels melodiously singing, saw pure, ennobling visions, and was visited by calm and holy spirits who sat by his side, took his hand in theirs, and led his thoughts upward and onward. Longfellow had nothing in common with those of carnal, passionate natures, for his was of the mind and not the body, one "less of earth than heaven." He never, like the gifted Byron, became intoxi- cated by passionate yearnings and poured them into verse. All such feelings were entirely foreign to him, and therefore we find no traces of them in his productions. Evangehne, Priscilla, Minne- haha are his children, and all show unmistakably 2IO THE POWER OF SPEECH the purity of their source. His poems possess the passive, delicately tinted colors of the tranquil mind, and are not the volcanic eruptions of the restless soul tormented by endless longings for fleeting pleasures. His nature was affectionate, and he gave bountifully from his store of sweetness which returned to him tenfold to enrich his own soul. Observe the clearly defined picture in the following poem, moving along like a panorama, which shows how he gained strength by forgetting his own sorrows and thinking of those of others: THE BRIDGE I stood on the bridge at midnight. As the clocks were striking the hour, And the moon rose o'er the city, Behind the dark church-tower. I saw her bright reflection In the waters under me, Like a golden goblet falling And sinking into the sea. And far in the hazy distance Of that lovely night in Jxme, The blaze of the flaming furnace Gleamed redder than the moon. A STUDY OF LONGFELLOW 21 T Among the long, black rafters The wavering shadows lay, And the current that came from the ocean Seemed to lift and bear them away; As, sweeping and eddying through them, Rose the belated tide, And, streaming into the moonlight, The seaweed floated wide. And like those waters rushing - Among the wooden piers, A flood of thoughts came o'er me That filled my eyes with tears. How often, O how often. In the days that had gone by, I had stood on that bridge at midnight And gazed on that wave and sky! How often, O how often, I had wished that the ebbing tide Would bear me away on its bosom O'er the ocean wild and wide! For my heart was hot and restless, And my life was full of care, And the burden laid upon me Seemed greater than I could bear. 212 THE POWER OF SPEECH But now it has fallen from me, It is buried in the sea; And only the sorrow of others Throws its shadow over me. Yet whenever I cross the river On its bridge with wooden piers, Like the odor of brine from the ocean Comes the thought of other years. And I think how many thousands Of care-encumbered men. Each bearing his burden of sorrow, Have crossed the bridge since then. I see the long procession Still passing to and fro. The young heart hot and restless. And the old subdued and slow! And forever and forever. As long as the river flows, As long as the heart has passions, As long as life has woes; * The moon and its broken reflection And its shadows shall appear, As the symbol of love in heaven, And its wavering image here. A STUDY OF LONGFELLOW 213 Longfellow's reputation as a poet wiU rest mainly upon the hTics, such as "The Day is Done," "The Bridge," and "The Rainy Day," and his three masterpieces, "Evangeline," "The Courtship of IMiles Standish," and "The Song of Hiawatha," the latter group forming the arch, as it were, of his literary reputation, but this arch is of flowers, not granite. There is nothing massive about Longfellow's poetn,', and it reminds us, not of the stone of the stately pile, but of the vine which clings tenderly to it. Note the imagery of this charming l)rric: THE DAY IS DONE The day is done, and the darkness Falls from the wings of Night, As a feather is wafted downward From an eagle in his flight. I see the lights of the ^•iIlage Gleam through the rain and the mist, And a feeling of sadness comes o'er me That my sovil cannot resist: A feeling of sadness and longing, That is not a bin to pain, And resembles sorrow only As the mist resembles the rain. 214 THE POWER OF SPEECH Come, read to me some poem, Some simple and heartfelt lay. That shall soothe this restless feeling, And banish the thoughts of day. Not from the grand old masters. Not from the bards sublime, Whose distant footsteps echo Through the corridors of Time. For, like strains of martial music. Their mighty thoughts suggest Life's endless toil and endeavor; And tonight I long for rest. Read from some humbler poet, Whose songs gushed from his heart. As showers from the clouds of summer, Or tears from the eyelids start; Who, through long days of labor, And nights devoid of ease, Still heard in his soul the music Of wonderfid melodies. Such songs have power to quiet The restless pulse of care. And come like the benediction That follows after prayer. A STUDY OF LONGFELLOW 215 Then read from the treasured volume The poem of thy choice, And lend to the rhyme of the poet The beauty of thy voice. And the night shall be filled with music, And the cares, that infest the day. Shall fold their tents, Uke the Arabs, And as silently steal away. Longfellow's descriptive powers were great, and vividly are drawn the many scenes and characters he pictures. We have only to call to memory his description of Evangeline going forth with "God's benediction upon her," the Notary PubUc, "bent like a laboring oar that toils in the surf of the ocean. Bent, but not broken, by age," to per- ceive that the power of imagery was his to a decided degree. Gaze upon the scene he deftly paints with few words when he pictures the peaceful Acadian vil- lage with its "vast meadows stretching to the east- ward," its houses "strongly built," "with frames of oak and of hemlock," with their "thatched roofs" and "dormer windows." He causes us to feel the presence of the parish priest with the chil- dren gathered about him, and to hear the merry 2i6 THE POWER OF SPEECH voices of the little ones; to see the laborers coining home from their toil, the glorious sun sinking to rest, and the general peacefulness of the whole evening scene. Then comes a transformation, in depicting which he is equally vivid. The British ships riding at anchor, the landing of the foreign troops, the assembling of the Acadian farmers in the Htfle church, the herding of men, women, and children on the beach, transportation to the enemj's ships, and banishment from their homes. Can you not plainly see the shifting scenes as you read the lines of the poem? Yes, for the poet's practiced, sensitive hand, with panoramic per- fection, brings to your eyes the images of his brain. In order to do this, he must have seen all that he describes, for what you behold is only the reflex of his mental sight thrown upon your sovil. Some claim that Longfellow's poetr}- is deficient in feel- ing, but the instances I have quoted, wherein the poet must have felt mentally, clearly refute their assertion. In physical expression it may be lack- ing, but in spiritual it is certainl)' sublime. Feel- ing is strongly expressed in "The Rainy Day," the emotions of sadness, moodiness, and hope being depicted. A STUDY OF LONGFELLOW 217 THE RAINY DAY The day is cold, and dark, and dreary; It rains, and the wind is never weary; The vine still clings to the mouldering wall, But at every gust the dead leaves fall, And the day is dark and dreary. My life is cold, and dark, and dreary; It rains, and the wind is never weary; My thoughts still cling to the mouldering Past, But the hopes of youth fall thick in the blast, And the days are dark and dreary. Be still, sad heart! and cease repining; Behind the clouds is the sim still shining; Thy fate is the common fate of all. Into each hfe some rain must fall. Some days must be dark and dreary. Gaze upon another chapter of his beautiful word pictures. Follow the fair Evangeline through her wanderings in search of her lover — how sadly sweet, yet vividly, are the many details depicted! The passage of Gabriel's boat down the river, while the maiden slumbered upon the shore; her search for him over mountain and plain, as though follow- ing a phantom, and last their final earthly meeting 2i8 THE POWER OF SPEECH in the almshouse at Philadelphia. All this is told in such feeling and simple language as to make the recital strong in its simplicity, carrying the story to the heart of the reader or listener, and engraving its many pictures upon the tablets of the mind. To the disappointed and grief-stricken, Long- fellow offers strength and consolation in his admirable poem, "The Goblet of Life," which overflows with kindliness and wisdom. THE GOBLET OF LIFE Filled is Life's goblet to the brim; And though my eyes with tears are dim, I see its sparkling bubbles swim, And chant a melancholy hymn With solemn voice and slow. No purple flowers, — no garlands green. Conceal the goblet's shade or sheen. Nor maddening draughts of Hippocrene, Like gleams of sunshine, flash between Thick leaves of mistletoe. This goblet, wrought with curious art, Is filled with waters, that upstart, When the deep fountains of the heart. A STUDY OF LONGFELLOW 219 By strong convulsions rent apart, Are running all to waste. And as it mantling passes round, With fentiel is it wreathed and crowned. Whose seed and foliage sun-imbrowned Are in its waters steeped and drowned, And give a bitter taste. Above the lowly plants it towers. The fennel, with its yellow flowers. And in an earlier age than ours Was gifted with the wondrous powers, Lost vision to restore. It gave new strength, and fearless mood; And gladiators, fierce and rude. Mingled it in their daily food; And he who battled and subdued, A wreath of fennel wore. Then in Life's goblet freely press The leaves that give it bitterness. Nor prize the colored waters less. For in thy darkness and distress New light and strength they give! And he who has not learned to know How false its sparkling bubbles show. 220 THE POWER OF SPEECH How bitter are the drops of woe With which its brim may overflow, He has not learned to live. The prayer of Ajax was for light; Through all that dark and desperate fight, The blackness of that noonday night. He asked but the return of sight, To see his foeman's face. * Let our unceasing, earnest prayer Be, too, for light, — for strength to bear Oiu: portion of the weight of care. That crushes into dumb despair One half the human race. O suffering, sad humanity! ye afficted ones, who lie Steeped to the lips in misery. Longing, and yet afraid to die. Patient, though sorely tried! 1 pledge you in this cup of grief. Where floats the fennel's bitter leaf! The Battle of our Life is brief. The alarm, — the struggle, — the relief, — Then sleep we side by side. Life is represented as about completed, the gob- A STUDY OF LONGFELLOW 221 let being filled to the brim, and through the tears of sorrow can be seen the vanities and longings which have merely bubbled on the surface of life to break and disappear, leaving nothing behind but a slight ripple on the heart caused by the sinking of a hope, or the bursting of a joy. Yet, with voice slow and solemn, the weary traveler, wending his way through life, is able to chant a hymn, melancholy though it may be. The body, which Longfellow likens to the goblet, is inhabited by a spirit that feels caged, trapped, and fettered, and is conscious of its life's blood being poured out to no purpose, and the waters of its soul running to waste for lack of the presence of some kindred spirit that thirsts to drink of this water and lave in its soothing and comfort- ing bosom. This life, as it passed along, was oppressed with sadness and bitterness, but possess- ing the wondrous power ascribed of old to the plant fennel, it caused our footsore traveler to see the wisdom of these visitations of sorrow, and gave him strength and courage instead of allowing his heart to turn to gaU, and he being crushed by the wayside under the rock of despair. This poem teaches us not to despond, but to 222 THE POWER OF SPEECH buckle on our armor and fearlessly fight the battle of life, as the gladiators of old combated for their existence. He who has not learned to suflfer and be strong has not studied hfe's lesson fully, and if he departs this life without learning how to live, he cannot hope for the hfe everlasting. In this poem Longfellow says that our prayer should be for light and strength — Kght to see, and strength to foUow. Wisdom to see the light, and courage to follow its rays. Let this, he teUs us, be our prayer, and strength, the strength that comes from divine source, wiU be ours. No matter how we may suffer, no matter what the aflSiction; even though we may be steeped to the lips in misery; even though longing to die, yet dreading the unknown future; be patient, and a crowning glory wiU be ours; our heads shall be circled with wreaths typical of bitterness in this Hfe, but in the life to come, joy everlasting. "And he who battled and subdued, A wreath of fennel wore." This is the lesson I read in his " Goblet of Life." The expressive power of Longfellow's words is apparent through all his writings, and the distinc- A STUDY OF LONGFELLOW 223 tive coloring he uses clearly conveys the thought. For instance: "Where will-o'-the-wisps and glow-worms shine, In bulrush and in brake; Where waving mosses shroud the pine, And the cedar grows, and the poisonous vine Is spotted like the snake." Can you not see the twisted specimens of vege- tation, marked like the snake, which, in their spiral formation, almost appear to move with the sinuous motion of the crawling creature? The words "poisonous," "spotted," and "snake" are the ones that cause the formation of the mental picture. Listen to these majestic lines, and mark the picture they conjure up to the eyes of fancy: "Not from the grand old masters, Not from the bards sublime, Whose distant footsteps echo Through the corridors of time. " Does not this carry the mind back to the medieval period when the knight, clad in armor, stalked through the avenues of his castle? Yes, and for 224 THE POWER OF SPEECH this reason the poetic simile is powerful, as the comparison of the stately poem and the heavily- clad knight is plainly seen, and the suggested picture is stronger than the stated one. We lose sight of the poetry of the bard and hear only the footsteps of the ancient warrior, echoing through the corridors, as he strides majestically along. Is not this ghastly vivid ? " In ocean's wide domains, Half buried in the sands, Lie skeletons in chains, With shackled feet and hands." See you not the wide expanse of water, and, peer- ing down, do you not behold embedded in the sands the moldering skeletons of slaves still bound by the links of iron? Could anything be more vivid? One can even see the roll of the waves, and hear the moan of the winds, reminding him of the groans of the unhappy mortals whose coffin- less bones now lie "half buried in the sands." Here is another vivid portraiture: " On him alone was the doom of pain. From the morning of his birth; A STUDY OF LONGFELLOW 225 On him alone the brand of Cain Fell, like a flail on the garnered grain, And struck him to the earth!" Of a different order, but equally as vivid, is the following extract from the beautiful poem, "San- dalphon": "And he gathers the prayers as he stands, And they change into flowers in his hands, Into garlands of purple and red; And beneath the great arch of the portal. Through the streets of the City Immortal Is wafted the fragrance they shed." Is not this sadly poetic ? "And the soul of the maiden, between the stars and the fire- flies. Wandered alone, and she cried, 'O Gabriel! O my be- loved! Art thou so near unto me, and yet I cannot behold thee ? Art thou so near unto me, and yet thy voice does not reach me? Ah! how often thy feet have trod this path to the prairie! Ah! how often thine eyes have looked on the woodlands around me! Ah! how often beneath this oak, returning from labor, Thou hast lain down to rest, and to dream of me in thy slumbers! 226 THE POWER OF SPEECH When shall these eyes behold, these arms be folded about thee?' Loud and sudden and near the note of the whippoorwill sounded Like a flute in the woods; and anon, through the neigh- boring thickets, Farther and farther away it floated and dropped into silence. 'Patience!' whispered the oaks from oracular caverns of darkness, And, from the moon-lit meadow, a sigh responded, 'To- morrow.'" Is not this a sweet picture ? "Once as I told in glee, Tales of the stormy sea. Soft eyes did gaze on me, Burning, yet tender; And as the white stars shine On the dark Norway pine. On that dark heart of mine Fell their soft splendor." Longfellow's similes are apt and expressive, as in the following: "Soon she extinguished her lamp, for the mellow and radiant moonlight A STUDY OF LONGFELLOW 227 Streamed through the windows, and lighted the room, till the heart of the maiden Swelled and obeyed its power, like the tremulous tides of the ocean. Ah! she was fair, .exceedingly fair to behold, as she stood with Naked, snow-white feet on the gleaming floor of her chamber! Little she dreamed that below, among the trees of the orchard. Waited her lover and watched for the gleam of her lamp and her shadow. Yet were her thoughts of him, and at times a feeling of sadness Passed o'er her soul, as the sailing shade of clouds in the moonlight Flitted across the floor and darkened the room for a moment. And as she gazed from the window, she saw serenely the moon pass Forth from the folds of a cloud, and one star follow her footsteps. As out of Abraham's tent young Ishmael wandered with Hagar!" What a beautiful lesson of Christian fortitude and forgiveness is taught in the fervent words spoken by the servant of his Master when he en- deavors to quell the rebellious anger of his flock. 228 THE POWER OF SPEECH which has broken out within the holy confines of the temple of God. "What is this ye do, my children? what madness has seized you? Forty years of my life have I labored among you, and taught you, Not in word alone, but in deed, to love one another! Is this the fruit of my toUs, of my vigils and prayers and privations ? Have you so soon forgotten all lessons of love and for- giveness ? This is the house of the Prince of Peace, and would you profane it Thus with violent deeds and hearts overflowing with hatred ? Lo! where the crucified Christ from his cross is gazing upon you! See! in those sorrowful eyes what meekness and holy compassion! Hark! how those lips still repeat the prayer, 'O Father, forgive them!' Let us repeat that prayer in the hour when the wicked assail us, Let us repeat it now, and say, 'O Father, forgive them!'" The poet then speaks of woman's faith, as one who has tried and not found it wanting, and A STUDY OF LONGFELLOW 229 depicts fondly the strength of her heart in the hour of affliction, and the self-sacrificing nature of her devotion: "Calmly and sadly she waited until the procession ap- proached her, And she beheld the face of Gabriel pale with emotion. Tears then filled her eyes, and, eagerly running to meet him. Clasped she his hands, and laid her head on his shoulder and whispered, — 'Gabriel! be of good cheer! for if we love one another. Nothing, in truth, can harm us, whatever mischances may happen!' Smiling she spake these words; then suddenly paused, for her father Saw she slowly advancing. Alas! how changed was his aspect! Gone was the glow from his cheek, and the fire from his eye, and his footstep Heavier seemed with the weight of the heavy heart in his bosom. But with a smile and a sigh, she clasped his neck and embraced him. Speaking words of endearment, where words of comfort availed not." How beautifully he here lays bare the self- sacrificing heart of pure womanhood. Clearly 230 THE POWER OF SPEECH does he show us how utterly forgetful of self is the maiden in the presence of the sorrows of others, and how sweetly she endeavors to cheer the heart of her lover and soothe the anguish of her parent. To one she held out the hope which is founded on faith, and to the other, who was unable to see beyond the clouds which then enveloped him, she gave words of love, which softened his sorrow. Here Longfellow presents woman in her noblest character, and no matter how frail and uncertain she may be at times, he pictures her as steadfast and loyal when man is beset by losses and well- nigh overwhelmed with crosses which he con- siders "Too heaAy for mortals to bear," but which slie so often takes upon her faithful shoulders and thus allows man, relieved of his burden, to rise from the depths of despair. How indispensable slie is to man, our poet truthfully states in the following: "As unto the bow the cord is, So unto the man is woman, Though she bends him, she obej-s him. Though she draws him, yet she follows, Useless each without the other!"" A STUDY OF LONGFELLOW 231 Throughout his poems Longfellow paints woman in the purest and most delicate of colors, and never misses an opportunity to pay a tribute to the nobility of her sex. Longfellow's poetry acts upon the imagination and, though his power of imagery is great, he never mystifies, nor leads the reader from the main thought, but by the clearness of his similes, and the expressive power of his words, compels us to see more by a suggestion than many poets make clear by elaboration. He appeals to the universal sensibilities of man, laying firm hands upon his affections, and creating in his bosom a responsive throb to the sympathy that goes from the poet's heart. Thus did he feed, and in return was fed, by the richness and sweetness of his songs, which float on, as fond zephyrs blowing over a garden of many flowers, carrying their beautiful odors through the length and breadth of the world, through all climes and ages, and to all classes and conditions of men. His message travels as the soft and sooth- ing winds of the balmy south, and not the tumultu- ous and blasting gales of the bleak and stormy north. His is a message of peace and fellowship 232 THE POWER OF SPEECH to mankind, which is surely benefited by its coming. He awakens our sympathies, soothes our feelings, directs our thoughts into ennobling channels, and speaks only on behalf of liberty, justice, and purity. His influence, which grows with time, is wholly for good, and his brother man has profited by the fact that the beautiful spirit of this almost perfect being, known on earth as Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, was permitted to dwell within the confines of a mortal sphere, and to sing its song of courage, devotion, and truth. "Not of the howling dervishes of song, Who craze the brain with their delirious dance, Art thou, O sweet historian of the heart! Therefore to thee the laurel-leaves belong, To thee our love and our allegiance, For thy allegiance to the poet's art." INDEX OF SUBJECTS INDEX OF SUBJECTS A PAGE Abdominal muscles, the 6 the action of the 6 Acting, the art of 157 Ancient orators, delivery of the 130 Apposition 93 Apposition, examples of 94 A practical lesson in oratory 147 Articulation 61 Articulation, examples of 62 organs of 61 A study of Longfellow 207 B Breath, the forms of 3 the organs of 4 Breathing muscles, the S Breathing, involuntary 4 voluntary 4 exercises 8 exercises in forms of 33 C Completeness 79 Completeness, examples of , . .' 80 Conditional clauses 89 Conditional clauses, examples of 97 23s 236 INDEX OF SUBJECTS PAGE Continuity 80 Continuity, examples of 82 Costal muscles, the S D Deliberative oratory 144 Delivery 69 Delivery, examples of . . , 69 Demonstrative oratory 143 Diaphragm, the 7 Difference between ancient and modern orators 130 Divisions of an oration 142 oratory 143 Dorsal muscles 5 E Emphasis 63 Emphasis, examples of 65 rules of 64 Essential qualities of the orator 144 Expression, rules of 61 F Forensic oratory 141 143 G Gesture 199 Gestures, active 202 descriptive 203 of passion 202 of sentiment 202 INDEX OF SUBJECTS 237 PAGE H Hamlet, the character of 168 How to study a character 164 Humming exercise 23 I Incompleteness 80 Incompleteness, example of 82 Inflection 75 Inflection, the falling 78 examples of the falling 79 the rising 76 examples of the rising , 77 negative 85 examples of the negative 88 positive 83 examples of the positive 84 Intercostal muscles, the ; 5 L Lungs, the 4 Larynx, the 17 M Modulation 62 Modulation, example of 63 O Objects of oratory, the 14a Oppositions 94 Opposition, examples of 98 single 94 double 95 triple 99 238 INDEX OF SUBJECTS PAGE Oratorical purpose 142 Oratory 129 Oratory, Ciceronian 133 Demosthenian 135 schools of 133 what constitutes 132 " Or" used conjunctively 83 disjunctively 83 P Parenthesis 113 Parenthesis, example of 114 Pause, the 119 the rhetorical 119 examples of the rhetorical 120 Pectoral muscles, the 5 Philosophic oratory 143 Pitch, regulating the 19 exercises in 33 Political oratory 141 Povsrer of the voice, the expressive S3 the persuasive 54 the soothing 55 Pulpit oratory 140 Q Questions, direct 76 indirect 78 Qualifying negatives 87 R Reading 125 Register, the medium 18 INDEX OF SUBJECTS 239 PAGE Register, the lower 18 the upper , . . . ig Romeo, the character of 164 S Series 103 Series, commencing 104 examples of commencing 105 concluding 106 examples of concluding 107 Series of single opposition 108 Series of single opposition, commencing 108 concluding 108 Series within series 109 Social oratory 144 Sound, mdlding 53 Sounds, misuse of 29 Speaking voice, divisions of the 18 Speech " 27 Speech, coloring 45 production of 27 primary object of a 137 Spoken word, the 39 Stress 67 Stress, the forms of 67 T Thought, interpreting 40 Tone of the voice, the 179 Tones, chest , 19 guttural 28 head : 19 hoarse 28 240 INDEX OF SUBJECTS PAGE Tones, nasal 27 rasping 28 U Union of the spirit and body of voice 56 V Vocal exercises 21 tone, production of 19 tones, body and spirit of 20 Voice, the 17 coloring, exercises in 181 cultivation of the 20 Vowels, exercises on the 23 W Whisper, the 13 Whisper as an exercise 21 Whisper, exercises in the 13 INDEX OF SELECTIONS AND QUOTATIONS INDEX OF SELECTIONS AND QUOTATIONS B PAGE Bells, extract from the (Edgar A. Poe) 193 Bible, extracts from the 40, 41, 42 C Channing, extract from speech of 57 Charge of Picketfs Division, extract from the (Wm. Mc- Michael) 34 Charge of the Light Brigade, extract from the (Alfred Tenny- son) 33 Childe Harold, extract from (Lord Bjnxjn) 182 Cicero, extract from speech of 33 Creeds of the Bells, extract from the (Geo. W. Bimgay) 195 D Drifting (T. Buchanan Read) 190 Drifting, extract from 54 E Education, extract from speech on (Horace Mann) 46 Eloquence, extract from speech on (Daniel Webster) 69 Evangeline, extracts from (Henry W. Longfellow) . . 225, 226, 228, 229 F Fennel, extracts from the play of (Jerome K. Jerome) 63, 181 243 244 INDEX OF SELECTIONS AND QUOTATIONS G PAGE Garfield, extract from eulogy of (James G. Blaine) 49 Greeley, extract from speech of 81 H Hamlet, extracts from the play of (Shakespeare) . . 14, 56, 168, 169, 170, 171, 172, 173, 174, 175, 176 Henry V to his Soldiers (Shakespeare) 187 Henry V, extract from (Shakespeare) 14 Hiawatha, extracts from the song of (Henry W. Longfellow) . 45, 230 I In Memoriam, extract from (Alfred Tennyson) 35 Lay of the Last Minstrel, extract from the (Sir Walter Scott) ... 33 Law of Self- Defense, extract from speech on the (S. S. Prentiss) . 70 M Macbeth, selections from (Shakespeare) 13. 35 Marco Bozzaris (Fitz Greene Halleck) 120 Merchant of Venice, extract from the (Shakespeare) 186 Mercutio's Queen Mab speech from Romeo and Juliet (Shake- speare) 185 Morning Hymn to Mt. Blanc, selections from the (Samuel T. Coleridge) 34, i79 O Othello, extract from the play of (Shakespeare) 54 P Portia's speech on Mercy, from The Merchant of Venice (Shake- speare) 186 INDEX OF SELECTIONS AND QUOTATIONS 245 PAGE Potion scene from Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare) 188 R Remarks at the Dedication of the National Cemetery at Gettys- burg (Abraham Lincoln) 147 Romeo and Juliet, extracts from (Shakespeare) .... 165, 166, 168, 185, 188 S Sandalphon, extract from (Henry W. Longfellow) 225 Skeleton in Armor, extract from the (Henry W. Longfellow) . 226 T The Bridge (Henry W. Longfellow) 210 The Day is Done (Henry W. Longfellow) 213 The Day is Done, extracts from (Henry W. Longfellow) . . 56, 223 The Goblet of Life (Henry W. Longfellow) 218 The Rainy Day (Henry W. Longfellow) 217 The Seminole's Defiance (G. W. Patten) 120 The Star Spangled Banner, extract from (Francis S. Key) . . 34 The Slave in the Dismal Swamp, extracts from (Longfellow) 223, 224 The True Reformers, extract from (Horace Greeley) 81 The Witnesses, extract from (Henry W. Longfellow) 224 W Wapentake, extract from (Henry W. Longfellow) 232 Webster's Definition of an Orator 52 Webster, extracts from speeches of 34, 50, 51, 69 INDEX OF PERSONS AND CHARACTERS INDEX OF PERSONS AND CHARACTERS A E PAGE PAGE Adams, Samuel 132 Evangeline 208, 209, 213, Alden, John 208 Antony, Marc 138, 139 B Beecher, Henry Ward . . . 139 Benvolio 165 Blaine, James G 48 Brutus, Marcus . . 138, 159, 160 Bungay, Geo. W 195 Byron, Lord George Gor- don 182, 209 215, 217 r Fox, Charles 137 G Garfield, James A 48 Guildenstern 174 H Halleck, Fitz Greene .... 120 Hamilton, Alexander .... 97 Hamlet 161, 168 Henry, Patrick 91, 132 Horatio 175 161 Caesar, Julius 96, 138 Calhoun, John C 97 Cassius, Caius 159, 160 Channing, William Henry 57 Cicero. . 130, 133, 134, 135, 136 ^^2° Claudius, Appius 162 Coleridge, Samuel T. ... 179 J Cousin, Victor xi Jerome, Jerome K 181 Juliet 166, 167, 168, 188 D Demosthenes .... 130, 133, 134, L ^35t 136 Laertes 17° Dewey, Orville 54 Laurence, Friar 167 249 250 INDEX OF PERSONS AND CHARACTERS PAGE Lawrence, Edwin G 207 Lear 161 Lee, Richard Henry .... 132 Lincoln, Abraham .... 97, 14.7 Lodge, Henry Cabot .... 51 Longfellow, Henry W. . 55, 207 Lowell, James Russell . . 115 M Mann, Horace 46 Marcellus 175 Marshall, John 97 Mercutio 167 Minnehaha 47 Montague 165 MuUins, Priscilla 208 N Nero 172 O Ophelia 168 Otis, James 132 P Patten, G. W. 120 Pericles 130 PAGE Philip of Macedonia 136 Poe, Edgar A 193 Polonius 173, 174 Portia 186 Prentiss, Sargent S 70 R Read, T. Buchanan 190 Richard HI 161 Romeo 164 Rosencrantz 174 ^ S Shakespeare 54, 176, 185, 186, 187, 188 T Tybalt 167 V Virginia 162 Virginius 162 W Wadsworth, Zilpah 208 Washington, George ... 93, 97 Webster, Daniel 50, 52, 97 Intercollegiate Debates EDITED, WITH AN INTRODUCTION, BY PAUL M. PEARSON PROFESSOK PUBLIC SPEAKING, SWARTHMORE COLLEGE CLOTH — $1.50 poilpaid — OCTAVO In this volume are included all the questions dis- cussed last year in ictercoUegiate debates. See list on next page. No question discussed in an import- ant intercollegiate debate is omitted from this volume : Harvard- Yak - Princeton, Brown -Dartmouth - WiUianu, Michigan -Northwestern - Chicago, Ohio -Indiana - Illinois, Vanderbilt - Georgia, And all the othen. The report of each debate comprises a synopsis of all the speeches, both affirmative and negative ; which side won; and a list of the best references — and many reports have a synopsis of the rebuttal speeches. These reports were prepared by the debaters them- selves. The most helpful book ever published for those interested in debate, or public discussion HINDS, NOBLE & ELDREDGE, Publiihers 31-33-35 Weit 15th Street New York City CONTENTS 1. Pre&ce. 2. Introduction. 3. Bank Notes Secured by Conunercial Paper. — Af- firmaizve a.nd Negative, University of Michigan. 4. Federal Charter for Interstate Business. — Affirma- tive, Princeton. Negative, Harvard. 5. Initiative andReferendum. — Affirmative axiA. Neg- ative, Ohio-Wksleyan. 6. A Federal Income Tax. — Affirmative and Neg- ative, "The Outlook." 7. Abandonment of the Protective TaiifE. — Affirm- ative, Washington and Lee. Negative, Johns- Hopkins. 8. Injunction and the Federal Courts. — Affirmative and Negative, Swarthmoeb. 9. An Inheritance Tax. — Affirmative and Negative, University of Michigan. 10. Federal Control of Railroads. — Affirmative and Negative, Amherst. 11. Restriction of Foreign Immigration. — Affirmative and Negative, Illinois- Wesleyan. 13. Asset Currency. — AffirTnative, Beloit. Nega- tive, Knox. 13. Are Labor Unions Beneficial ? — Affirmative, New York University. Negative, Rutgers. 14 Armed Intervention for Collection of Debts. — Af- firmative, Baker. Negative, Washburn. 15. Educational Qualification for Suffiage. — Affirma- tive, Cumberland. Negative, Chattanooga. 16. The Closed Shop vs. the Open Shop. — Affirmative, Chicago. Negative, Northwestern. 17. Increased Navy. — Affirmative and Negative, University of Illinois. 18. Guarantee of Bank Deposits. — Affirmative, Uni- versity OP the South. Negative, Vanderbilt. 19. A Central Bank. — Affirmative and Negative, Drake. 20. Appointment vs. Election of Judges. — Affirmative, Univbrsity OF Georgia. Negative, Vandebbilt. 21. The Presidential vs. the Parliamentary System of Government. — Affirmative, Dickinson. Negative, Franklin and Marshall. 32. Popular Election of Senators. — Affirmative and Negative, University of Cincinnati. 23. Annexation of Cuba. — Affirmative and Negative, St. Charles, Minn. High School. 24. Ship Subsidies. — Affirmative, Bowdoin. Nega- tive, University of Vermont. 25. Government Ownership of Coal Mines. — Affirma- tive, Colgate. Negative, Rochester. 26. Commission System of Municipal Government. — Affirmative, Dartmouth. Negative, Pennsyl- vania State College. 27. Postal Savings Banks. — Affirmative, Brown. Negative, Dartmouth. 28. Appendix. — Questions for Debate. HELPFUL HINTS. For years Professor Pearson has kept informed on debating methods in the leading colleges so that he speaks with authority when he writes on this subject. In a most readable introduction to Intercollegiate Debates he has clearly set forth the excellencies and the weaknesses of various methods. Every teacher, every student of debate, every other person inter- ested in the subject will find in this introduction sug- gestions which will improve the prevailing methods. Here are many helpful hints on choosing questions, preparing material, arranging the material for effec- tive presentation, preparing rebuttal, delivery, coach- ing the team, selecting the judges, and other import- ant matters. All this is based on wide observation and experience, and has little in common with the theoretical treatment so often inadequately presented. To Librarians. Intercollegiate Debates is just the book librarians need to put into the hands of the many who come for material on questions of the day. See the list above of questions discussed. Most of these are to be had in no other handy form. Books on Public Speakbig Editrd bt Padi. M. Pkai:so«. No. 1. Pc^Nifav Short Stories, (paper 40c) cao. ^.GO Field, Dunbar, Harris, Kipling, Mrs. Stnart, Sienkie\Ficx, Long, Anthony Hope and many more. No. 2. Selections CKoaen for DedamalioB Cob- tests, (paper40c) do. .60 Now 3. SdectioDs for Chiliiren to Recite (paper 40c) do. .60 .V.\ j^ is aij» .'.' CHUrem. No. 4. Cuttings from Storiet, (paps' 40c) clo. .60 F. Hopkinson Smith, Mrs. Cutting, Banie, Hall Caine, George Ade, etc No. 5. Cuttings from Stones, (paper 40c) do. .60 Getffge Madden Martin, Josephine Dodge Daskam, Mrs, Stuart, Riley, Dickens. Scott, Hugo, R. D. Blackmote, Oias, Kingsley, etc No. 6. T«« Short Pl«ys (paper 40c) do. .60 Specially arranged from stories by Cable, Myra Kelly, Dickens, Rostand, Earrie, An- thony Hope, Teimyscm, etc No. 7. ReMlings,andFoarPlays, (paper 40c) do. .60 No. & Briefs of Deb&tes, and ReacBngs, also Three Short Plays, (paper 40c) do. .60 No. 9. Catlings of Popular Stories, also Bii^ of Two DdtatBi, and Three Short Plays, (paper 40c) da .60 Now la Modem American Oratory, (paper 40c) do. .60 Selections from the best orations of recent years. No. 11. Dramatic and Humorous Readings, (pa- per 40c) da .60 Riley, F, Hopkinson Smith, Harr^ Ouida, HoweUs, and many more. No. 12. Centennial Niunber, (paper 40c) clo. $0.60 As the year 1909 is the centennial of the birth of Poe, Holmes, Tennyson, Darwin, Lincoln and Gladstone, we print in this number the best material to be used in programs com- memorating the birth of these notable people, anecdotes, conmients, selections from their writings. No. 1 3. New Platf onn Selections, (paper 40c ) clo. .60 With some Favorites, Two Briefs of Debates, and Two Short Plays. No. 14. Selections for Religious Occasions, (pa- per 40c.) clo. .60 120 Selections of the best Uteratnre for Young People's Societies, Sunday-Schools, etc. No. 15. Encores, (paper 40c) do. .60 Nearly 200 Fresh. Bright Hite. No. 16. Popular Platform Reaidings (Ready Sept. 10) (paper 40c) clo. .60 THE ABOVE NUMBERS BOUND IN FOUR VOLUMES VoL L Including Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4 indexed by authors and titles, (postage 18c) do. 1.50 VoL n. Including Nos. 5, 6, 7 and 8, as above (postage 19c.) do. 1.50 VoL m. Including Nos. 9, 10, 1 1 and 12, as above (postage 18c.) clo. 1.50 VoL IV. Indading Nos. 13, 14, 15 and 16, as above (ready Sept. 10) (postage 18c.) clo. 1.50 Subscribe for The Speaker; get the new, fresh material as it appears — four times a year. It saves yon a lot of trouble, and you have the new numbers on hand when you need them. Subscription ^ice ^ijo per year. 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