PN 
 
 1-1681 
 
 ISfcO. 
 
Gass 
 
 Book a B 
 
THE PUBLIC SPEAKER; 
 
 AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 
 
 BY 
 
 A CAMBRIDGE MAN, 
 
 &econb €&mon. 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 
 LONDON: 
 JAMES NISBET AND CO., 21 BERNERS STREET. 
 
 M.DCCC.LX. 
 

 ^ 6 
 
 EDINBURGH : 
 
 printed by ballantyne and company, 
 Paul's work. 
 
PEEFACE 
 
 In sending the following little work to the press, the 
 Author would say a few words by way of preface. He 
 is aware that there are already several books before 
 the public which treat of subjects briefly dwelt on in 
 this work. There is Knowles's " Elocutionist/' — a book 
 full of selections from the works of the most eloquent 
 orators and writers that have ever lived. There are 
 small popular works on " Self-Improvement." There 
 is " The Art of Extempore Speaking/' by M/Bautine. 
 There are others of a classical kind, from some of our 
 ancient writers, such, for instance, as " Cicero de Ora- 
 tore/' "Cicero's Orator ad Marcum Brutum/' &c. 
 These, and many others of a similar kind, are already 
 before the public, so that there is, perhaps, some apo- 
 logy due to it for sending out another work on the 
 same subject. But the price of some of these works, 
 the multiplicity of subjects treated of in others, as also 
 the unsatisfactory manner in which most of them 
 
IV PEEFACE. 
 
 have treated the subject of extempore speaking, has 
 induced the Author to publish the present volume at 
 a mere nominal price, which will put it into the hands 
 of all, and to treat of but one subject; and that, too, in 
 such a manner as he thinks the most satisfactory way 
 of studying it. No doubt there will be many who will 
 differ from him ; but his chief object has been to urge 
 upon his readers to think calmly and deliberately — to 
 cultivate such gifts as shall enable them to speak with 
 effect, and to make that effect tend to the general and 
 public good of his fellow-men. What he has adduced 
 has been after mature deliberation, and what he thinks 
 to be most advantageous to the ends in view. And if 
 anything which is here said induce but one to cultivate 
 his mind, to improve those gifts which are common to 
 most men, and to seek the well-being of mankind, the 
 Author will not have written in vain. Under these 
 circumstances, the Author trusts that his work will be 
 received in the same spirit as that which sends it forth 
 to the world — viz., a spirit of calm deliberation, of 
 kindly feeling, and of good will. 
 
PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION, 
 
 A long preface to a small work is not desirable at 
 any time. But as a second edition of this work is 
 now called for, the author would say a few words 
 on the occasion. He feels grateful to the publishers 
 for their kind and Christian conduct towards him in 
 his business transactions with them — to the reviewers 
 for the straightforward and impartial manner in which 
 they have commented upon his work — and to the public 
 generally for the support which they have kindly given 
 him. Since the first edition came out, some two 
 months ago, he has thought much upon the subject of 
 public speaking ; but neither his own experience, nor 
 his observation on the world around, has induced him 
 to alter his opinion, or to retract anything which he 
 at first adduced. Therefore, elision of former state- 
 ments, or alteration of a prior opinion, the reader will 
 find none. A chapter has been added on the memory, 
 
Vi PEEFACE TO SECOND EDITION. 
 
 the nerves, and the throat; a few hints have been 
 made as to the cause of their imperfection and weak- 
 ness ; and a few directions given for improving and 
 strengthening them. Feeling the great responsibility 
 devolving upon him in sending forth his opinions 
 abroad, and hoping that the work may be of service 
 to those for whom it was chiefly composed, he trusts 
 that his readers will accept whatever shall approve 
 itself to their minds, that they will work out for them- 
 selves any new idea which they may derive from it, 
 and, in a loving Christian spirit, carry out every reso- 
 lution for good. 
 
 March I860. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Introductory Rema rhs— Limitations — Individual exertion, . 1 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Definition of an Orator — Power of eloquence — The nobleness 
 of man when pursuing noble ends — Remarks on the 
 clerical body and speakers generally — Perseverance, 1 3 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Cultivation of the Voice — Illustrations — General directions, 28 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Preparation of Subject to be Delivered — The battles of life — 
 Object of a public speaker — Cultivating and training 
 the human soul, . . . . .40 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Mode of Delivery — Use of manuscript and committing to 
 memory contrasted with extempore speaking — Objec- 
 tions considered — General directions— Abuses, . 5S 
 
Vlll CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Gesture and Action — Earnestness — Sensibility, 75 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Style of Language — Wit injures eloquence — Clearness of ex- 
 pression, . . . . . .87 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 The Memory — The Nerves — And the Throat — How weak- 
 enened and impaired — How strengthened and im- 
 proved, . . . . . .99 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Value of Eloquence — Responsibility — Individual influence — 
 
 The philanthropic spirit — Misanthropy, . .118 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 Concluding Remarks — Quotations, . . . .131 
 
THE PUBLIC SPEAKEK; 
 
 AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 
 
 CHAPTEB I. 
 
 In choosing such a title for our work, it will be neces- 
 sary to make a few preliminary observations. We "do 
 not suppose that every man can acquire such talents as 
 an orator as to cause whole multitudes to listen with 
 rapture to his speech, however assiduously he may 
 apply himself to the art. A mighty revolution in the 
 present state of affairs must take place before such an 
 event could be brought about. For, at the present day 
 very few of those whose profession is public speaking 
 can be listened to with any degree of pleasure, and the 
 majority of them are tedious and prosy in the extreme. 
 Having great truths to declare, they know not how to 
 express themselves ; and even should they succeed in 
 being logical and clear, they express themselves in such 
 a manner as to leave but little impression on the minds 
 of their hearers. Then, again, we do not suppose that 
 
2 THE PUBLIC SPEAKEK, 
 
 every young man we meet will be simple enough to be 
 continually calling on the public to listen to his re- 
 marks, and that, too, for the sake of gaining what may 
 be termed " practice in speaking." This would be very 
 much to be regretted. But the English character is 
 too taciturn, and our young men are generally too 
 prudent and sensible for us to have any fears on this 
 head. Neither should we wish to see every man setting 
 himself up as a teacher of others ; for then there would 
 be nothing more than a ceaseless jangle and bandy- 
 ing of words — " men spending their time in nothing 
 else but either to tell or to listen to some new thing/' 
 But although we neither expect nor wish for the above 
 results, yet we believe that the art of speaking well 
 may be acquired — that our young men, by cultivating 
 this art, may still further adorn their position and 
 station ; and that the thoughts and feelings of an 
 upright mind, clearly and powerfully expressed, would 
 have a mighty effect on the practices of a degenerate 
 age and a fallen world. It would be useless to attempt 
 enumerating the many different circumstances in which 
 many of our young men at the present day are placed, 
 wherein they may sometimes be called upon to speak 
 publicly before others. Some of them are superintend- 
 ents of Sunday-schools, where their office often calls 
 them forth to make an address to their teachers and 
 scholars. Some are voluntarily engaged at our working 
 men's associations, in teaching our adult mechanics 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 3 
 
 and artisans the rudiments of learning, in assisting 
 them in their debates, and in managing the pecuniary 
 affairs of the association. Sometimes, also, their office 
 obliges them to speak before the whole body of mem- 
 bers. At others, the society is very much benefited, 
 and its members still further instructed and edified, by 
 such a one giving a public lecture on some popular 
 subject. Then, again, others are members of debating 
 societies, where " papers are read/' and subjects brought 
 forward for discussion, and where most of our young 
 men who belong to them would not only wish to speak, 
 but also to speak well. There are "Mechanics' Institutes,' 7 
 " Young Men's Associations," " Corporation Societies," 
 " Parish Meetings," and many others of a similar kind, 
 which not only enable a man to speak, but which also, 
 at times, call upon him to do so. So that we are not 
 merely writing for those whose office in general is to 
 speak in public, but also for that numerous class of 
 men who are engaged in commercial pursuits during 
 the day, but who, in an evening, are called forth on 
 occasions similar to those above mentioned. Many a 
 clergyman's hands are lightened by a few good men of 
 his congregation assisting in his schools, carrying on 
 his working men's associations, and giving lectures 
 which he may have established for the instruction and 
 elevation of his poorer parishioners and their children. 
 And there are times when more good is done by such 
 men engaging in the work of a parish, than if the 
 
4 THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, 
 
 clergyman were able to do it all himself, or by paid 
 agents ; for sometimes the thought arises that a man 
 does a certain work because it is connected with his 
 office, and that he fills the office because of the income 
 that is attached to it. But when a work, which has 
 for its end the moral and spiritual improvement of the 
 vicious and profane, is carried on by men who have 
 imbibed the spirit of true religion, and who derive no 
 profit from such a work, it not only proves that such 
 men have the welfare of their species at heart, but it also 
 proves to the sceptical that religion and morality are 
 no mere terms, but that there is embodied in them a 
 principle and a life. We again, therefore, repeat that 
 although we neither wish nor expect our readers to 
 throw up their ordinary work, and to come forward as 
 public teachers, yet for the instruction of those who 
 are so engaged, as also for that of those who would 
 wish to speak well when occasion calls them before the 
 public, we have been induced to commit our thoughts 
 upon this subject to paper, and to send them forth to 
 the world. Our remarks have, at times, been illus- 
 trated and enforced by quotations from other works ; 
 but where this is the case, we think we have not failed 
 to give the author's name. 
 
 " Poeta nascitur, non fit," says one of our classic 
 writers, and in a certain sense it may be said of orators 
 also. It may be true in such cases as those of De- 
 mosthenes, Cicero, Mirabeau, Irving, Sheridan, and 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 5 
 
 many others — some of whom, however, became orators 
 not until after much pains and self-discipline. But it 
 cannot be true, in numberless other instances, where 
 men have risen by their own endeavours, and by cul- 
 tivating those talents which are common to most men. 
 There are, and have been, men who have attracted 
 crowds around them — whose speeches have been lis- 
 tened to for hours with delight — who have attained to 
 popularity and fame, and roused or calmed the feelings 
 of a multitude — but who have done no more than what 
 hundreds more might have done, had they acted as did 
 their more successful contemporaries. It does not 
 require a fine powerful voice in order to make an 
 orator, for one of the most successful speakers of our 
 day has what has been termed a disagreeable voice ; 
 but when he rises to speak, the harsh tones of his voice 
 are soon forgotten by the flow of eloquence which 
 comes from his lips. It is not absolutely necessary 
 that a man should have a robust frame, nerves of iron, 
 and perfect health in order to be a successful speaker; 
 for there have been men who have excited our sym- 
 pathies as we gazed on their pale faces, or listened to 
 their hollow cough, or tremulous voice, but who, after 
 a few introductory remarks, have caused our sympa- 
 thies to be forgotten, and our hearts to thrill with 
 delight. Neither does it depend on a man's being 
 learned in all classical languages, or pursuing any par- 
 ticular calling, or possessing any extraordinary gift, so 
 
6 THE PUBLIC SPEAKEK, 
 
 that men may point him out as being something above 
 his fellows, in order that he may speak well. These 
 are merely accidentals. If a man have a fine voice, 
 good health, strong nerves, a classic education, a 
 profession or calling that gives him time to cultivate 
 his natural abilities, or any gift which is not common 
 to most men, why, so much the better. Let him be 
 thankful that he is so blessed. But, at the same time, 
 we maintain that, with the exception of a moderate 
 amount of time rightly employed, these are not in- 
 dispensables. We admire a fine, clear voice; there 
 seems something manly about it. We duly estimate 
 good health, and nerves which quail not before an 
 assembly however great or august ; such an instance is 
 a noble specimen of Providential goodness, and looks 
 as if the dignity of the assembly was lost to the orator 
 from a sense of the important truths which he was 
 about to utter. We appreciate the blessing of a classic 
 education, and are pleased when we hear a good speaker 
 illustrate his remarks by instances taken from the 
 writings of men who taught ages ago. We admire the 
 natural gifts of God to man, of whatever kind they 
 may be. But tell us that a man cannot become a good 
 speaker without one or all these qualities combined, 
 and we answer that living proofs attest to the contrary. 
 It requires distinctness of utterance — it is necessary 
 that a man have the use of his ears, and put them to a 
 good account — and it requires reading and study to be 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 7 
 
 an acceptable speaker. Having the former, and time 
 to carry out the latter, it depends chiefly on the man 
 himself. He has wherewith to lay the foundation ; and 
 having these, he may, by care, perseverance, and exer- 
 cise, go on to a perfect man. 
 
 Let a man give way to doubts and fears, and he wil] 
 sink in the world. Let him look at the difficulties 
 which lie before him, and say, " I can't do this, and I 
 can't do that/' and he will accomplish nothing great or 
 good. But let him gather up his energies, and be 
 resolved that, by God's grace helping him, he will rise 
 in the world for all trial, or scorn, or contempt — that, 
 by exercising an earnest, trusting, loving spirit, he will 
 " quit himself like a man and be strong " — and that 
 neither doubt nor fear shall cast him down — then to 
 such a one we would say, " The victory is half- achieved, 
 and the work half-done, whatever that work may be." 
 " The great difference between men, the feeble and the 
 powerful, the great and the insignificant, is energy — 
 invincible determination — a purpose once fixed, and 
 then death or victory. That quality will do anything 
 that can be done in this world." — Sir T. F. Buxton. 
 If men would constantly bear in mind this great lesson 
 — if they would set before them proper motives, and 
 keep noble ends in view — and then, having formed an 
 unswerving determination, if they would strive with all 
 their might, patiently but perseveringly — then how 
 many a man might rise to affluence, wealth, and honour, 
 
8 THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, 
 
 who is now poor, indigent, and unknown! Nothing 
 that is worth having can be obtained without a 
 struggle ; and nothing can be pursued without meet- 
 ing with difficulties in the way. If a man would 
 obtain a fortune, he cannot go out and pick it up any 
 day of his life ; but he must obtain it as the fruits of 
 many a hard day's toil and labour. If a man would 
 become a learned man, he cannot go to a professor, or 
 university, and obtain that which he desires by simply 
 paying down a sum of money in exchange. No. He 
 must labour and study himself. The midnight lamp 
 will oft be trimmed, and many an aching head be felt 
 before he himself becomes a learned man. And so it 
 is with most things. Man must labour, and wait, and 
 love, and pray ; and then God will direct his goings, 
 will bless his labours, and will ultimately crown them 
 with success. Man must strive to excel, must right- 
 fully employ his time, and must use lawful means to 
 that end ; and then God will uphold, strengthen, and 
 encourage him. Man must be resolved to act his part 
 manfully and faithfully, and then we venture to say 
 that " difficulties will vanish, and the ends he had in 
 view ba realised." Whether, then, a man be seeking 
 to rise in the world, or to acquire a trade or profession, 
 or to make himself master of any of those accomplish- 
 ments which may be practised in addition to his regu- 
 lar pursuits and calling, he must bring to the task an 
 earnest spirit, a determined resolution, and an energetic 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 9 
 
 will, and without doubt he will succeed in the end. 
 Many a one has commenced his career as a public 
 speaker with physical defects in his pronunciation — 
 and many another has broken down in his first attempt 
 at extempore speaking. Some have given up in despair, 
 and have sunk into the quiet stillness of humble life ; 
 and others have become the laughing-stock of those 
 around them. But others have made up their minds 
 to succeed, notwithstanding difficulty and failure at 
 the first, and have ultimately succeeded beyond their 
 expectations. We found in a small periodical, the 
 other day, the following narrative on " extemporising " : 
 — " The father of the late Dudley S. Tyng is among 
 the best of American extempore speakers. Another 
 clergyman relates the following anecdote respecting his 
 early experience as an extempore speaker : — • It was 
 discouraging business to him for the first year, so much 
 so that, during the second year of his settlement at 
 George Town, when attempting to speak extempore 
 one day in his pulpit, with distinguished members of 
 his congregation present, he became confused, hesitated, 
 tried to regain composure, failed, stumbled on in the 
 midst of embarrassments, finally forgot his text, and, 
 after ten minutes, broke down completely. That was 
 a hard experience for a young man ; and, on his way 
 home, the oppressive silence was broken by his wife, 
 saying, " Now, husband, is it not clear to you that you 
 should give up this preaching without notes ? " " These 
 
10 THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, 
 
 words/' said Dr Tyng to me, " roused my whole nature. 
 Give up ! I replied. No, never ! with God's help ! " 
 And he did not/ " There was energy and determina- 
 tion in that man, and we venture to say that such a 
 man could accomplish anything. Be determined, then, 
 ye young men, that whatever may be your profession 
 or calling, you will engage in it heartily and with all 
 your might. And those of you who, by your office, or 
 by any occasion whatever, are called upon to speak in 
 public, try and do away with the national reproach ; 
 and that, instead of there being here and there one to 
 attract by his eloquence the admiration of his hearers, 
 you will become, to some extent, a nation of orators. 
 We trust these few introductory remarks will be found 
 sufficient to allay any doubts that may arise as to 
 success, and to encourage our readers in the pursuit 
 of that most powerful and delightful acquirement — 
 eloquence. And in order to convince our readers of 
 the justice of our remarks, we would conclude this 
 chapter with a quotation from "The Debate" in 
 Knowles's "Elocutionist," p. 169: — "The principal 
 means of our communicating our ideas are two — speech 
 and writing. The former is the parent of the latter ; 
 it is the more important, and its highest effects are 
 called oratory. If we consider the very early period 
 at which we begin to exercise the faculty of speech, 
 and the frequency with which we exercise it, it must 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 11 
 
 be a subject of surprise that so few excel in oratory. 
 In an enlightened community, you will find numbers 
 who are highly skilled in some particular science or 
 art, to the study of which they did not apply them- 
 selves till they had almost arrived at the stage of man- 
 hood. Yet with regard to the powers of speech — 
 those powers which the very second year of our exist- 
 ance generally calls into action, the exercise of which 
 goes on at our sports, our studies, our walks, our 
 very meals, and which is never long suspended, except 
 at the hour of refreshing sleep — with regard to those 
 powers, how few surpass their fellow-creatures of com- 
 mon information and moderate attainments ! how very 
 few deserve distinction ! how rarely does one attain to 
 eminence ! The causes are various, but we must not 
 attempt here to investigate them. By so doing we 
 might alarm many a formidable adversary — we might 
 excite a suspicion that we wished to undermine the 
 foundations of modern literature, although our only 
 aim should be to render them sound and desirable, and 
 to despoil the edifice of a few monastic features that 
 mar the harmony and take from the general effect of 
 the structure. 
 
 " I shall simply state that one cause of our not 
 generally excelling in oratory is our neglecting to 
 cultivate the art of speaking — of speaking our own 
 language. We acquire the power of expressing our 
 
12 THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, 
 
 ideas almost insensibly — we consider it as a thing that 
 is natural to us ; we do not regard it as an art ; it is 
 an art, a difficult art, an intricate art — and our ignor- 
 ance of that circumstance, or our omitting to give it 
 due consideration, is the cause of our deficiency." 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 13 
 
 CHAPTEE II. 
 
 "Tkue eloquence," says Blair, "is the art of placing 
 truth in the most advantageous light for conviction and 
 persuasion." We will, therefore, in this chapter, con- 
 sider what the standard and character of an orator 
 really are ; and then give some general rules for be- 
 coming one. We shall not consider a man that writes 
 beautiful and eloquent compositions an orator ; for in 
 this particular many have succeeded beyond a doubt, 
 and yet have been unable to express themselves in a 
 public speech. Writing well is a very different thing 
 from speaking well. The former shews that a man has 
 done well ; but when a man can do both, they shew that 
 he has done better. The former shews that a man has 
 improved and cultivated some of his talents ; but he 
 that can write well and speak well also, proves that he 
 has done more. An orator, then, we would define as 
 being one that can express himself clearly and forcibly 
 on any subject he may take in hand, and that too in a 
 graceful manner, and in powers of language which shall 
 keep the attention of his hearers. He must be one that 
 shall command attention, however much his hearers 
 may differ from him in sentiment and opinion, and 
 however unwilling they may be to adopt his views. Let 
 
14 THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, 
 
 him be such, that although his views be different from 
 the majority of his hearers, yet there is a something in 
 the man, which the first utterance of his voice shall 
 declare, that shall command attention and gain respect. 
 How often have men stood up on the platform amidst 
 the most inattentive audience from the unpopularity of 
 their cause ; but gradually one eye after another was 
 riveted on the speaker, till the most breathless silence 
 reigned through the house ! Some will say, " This 
 may have been from the nature of the subject under 
 consideration, or from its being viewed from some more 
 commanding point of view, or from the learning of the 
 speaker." No such thing. The subject had doubtless 
 been viewed under all its phases — giant minds had been 
 brought to bear upon it, and perhaps more learning 
 had been employed in investigating it than the speaker 
 had himself possessed. But men saw that the most mighty 
 power that can be employed was being used, — a power 
 against which they themselves were not altogether 
 proof; that although their convictions might not be 
 gained, at all events their ears were ; and that a man 
 had arisen: who, if they would maintain their ground, 
 would call forth all their energies and powers. There 
 is something in such a man, which for the time raises 
 him far above his fellows, and makes him an object of 
 admiration and esteem. To gain such distinction — not 
 for distinction's sake only, or for any selfish motive ; 
 but to have it in our power to gain the respect of our 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 15 
 
 fellow-men, to command their attention, and perhaps to 
 influence their minds for good — is, we think, well worth 
 every endeavour and exertion. We have before our 
 minds, whilst writing, an instance wherein a public de- 
 bate was going on. For some time the contest was 
 carried on in a manner anything but creditable to pub- 
 lic speakers. One after another blundered along, or 
 altogether broke down, until interest seemed to be at 
 a stand-still, and but little attention commanded. It 
 was evident that, whatever might be the general opinion 
 of the house, the speeches on either side were not in- 
 fluencing it. Such was the position of affairs when a 
 speaker arose whose first words told that he was 
 no ordinary man, and that now, at length, some 
 one had risen that would change the dull mono- 
 tony of the debate. One after another of the house 
 seemed to recover from his ennui Soon those indis- 
 tinct sounds of an inattentive audience were no longer 
 heard. In a short time, excitement was wrought to its 
 highest pitch, and loud cheers, or cries of " No, no/' 
 from the respective sides, resounded through the house 
 from time to time, at some powerful and cutting re- 
 mark from the speaker. Others that had preceded him 
 had touched on the same topics — had adduced the same 
 modes of argument— and had, perhaps, understood the 
 subject as well as he did ; but they failed to gain atten- 
 tion where he commanded it, and to excite an interest 
 where he most effectually succeeded. And yet our 
 
16 THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, 
 
 orator, in the present instance, had no extraordinary 
 natural endowments beyond what are common to most 
 men. But it might be seen that what he possessed had 
 been put to a good account. This is no isolated case. 
 Few as are the numbers of good speakers in comparison 
 to what there might be, if men would only be deter- 
 mined to excel, and would rightly use their abilities ; 
 yet both history and the world supply us with examples 
 sufficient to prevent the instance above mentioned being 
 of very rare occurrence. " I remember/' said a lady to 
 the author the other day, when speaking of one of the 
 popular preachers of our time, " I remember the day 
 quite well when he preached his first extempore sermon ; 
 but, poor man, I wished myself anywhere rather than 
 at church at that time, for I never saw any one more 
 confused, or make more blunders than he did. I little 
 thought, at that time, that he would hereafter make 
 such an eloquent preacher." But the gentleman saw 
 that the time was come which demanded extempore 
 preaching — that a great and useful sphere lay open 
 before him — and that, having abilities that were good, 
 though not beyond par, there was nothing to prevent 
 him from meeting the wants of his parish, and filling 
 an honourable position. He therefore acted wisely and 
 manfully. He laid himself out for the work which lay 
 before him — made a good use of his abilities — and in 
 the end success crowned his labours. Every one knows 
 what difficulties, or physical defects, if you like to call 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 17 
 
 them such, Demosthenes had to contend with when he 
 first started on his career, — a weak chest — an effeminate 
 voice — an impediment in his speech, which caused him 
 to make anything but a pleasant face when he spoke ; 
 and yet, under all these defects, there was a dauntless 
 soul within him which nothing could cast down or 
 overcome. Placing a looking-glass before him, to cure 
 himself of distorting his countenance when he spoke — ■ 
 walking on the shore and addressing the waves to 
 strengthen his voice — speaking with pebbles in his 
 mouth to cure himself of stammering — and walking up 
 hills, and shouting as he went, to strengthen his chest 
 —he overcame every obstacle and defect, and gained 
 immortal fame. Oh, there is nothingjo^ea^th-BO'^mfid"' 
 as the noble efforts of an energetic and upright soul, 
 bent on accomplishing that which is great and good, 
 and battling with everything that would hinder it from 
 achieving the noble ends in view ! When we see 
 a man battling against the effects of climate on the soil 
 which he is tilling, patiently toiling from day to day, 
 felling the dark forest, draining the marshes, cultivat- 
 ing the wild plain, and otherwise beautifying the face 
 of nature around him, we admire him for his patience 
 and persevering industry, and think it a noble sight 
 But to see a man struggling against his own defects, 
 and calling forth all the powers of the soul to battle 
 against that which would hinder him from perfecting 
 
18 THE PUBLIC SPEAKEE, 
 
 his own moral and spiritual nature, or which would 
 hinder him from being great and good, is a nobler sight 
 still. The former is doing a work, the effect of which 
 may be seen for centuries ; but the latter is doing a 
 work which shall endure when suns have paled, sys- 
 tems died out, and when thrones and empires have 
 passed away. How many, under the difficulties which 
 Demosthenes had to contend with, would have thought 
 it an impossibility ever to make a speaker ! How many 
 would have been content to let nature have her own 
 way, and have carried their defects to the grave ! Yea, 
 how many would never have been heard of beyond their 
 own narrow sphere, and their own short time, and have 
 died uncared for and unknown at the last ! Oh, ye who 
 are members of our senate, moving in the very cream 
 of society, and possessing every advantage which fortune 
 can bestow, how often might your halls resound with 
 eloquence, provided you would only cultivate this in- 
 valuable gift of God to man ? Oh, ye who serve in the 
 sanctuary, and minister in holy things, how often might 
 your churches be crowded with attentive listeners, pro- 
 vided you would only endeavour to fit yourselves for 
 that important position in which God has placed you ? 
 And ye, young men of England in general, we call upon 
 you to possess yourselves of that mighty power which 
 has moved armies as one man, and nerved them for 
 victory or death — which has aroused the hearts of 
 nations — which has calmed the fierce passions of an 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 19 
 
 angry multitude — and which, in fact, is the greatest 
 power for good or evil which man can possess. 
 
 It is true that there are some noble exceptions to 
 what has just been said. A Pitt or a Fox does some- 
 times arise like some mighty meteor in our senate. A 
 Burke or a Sheridan may, perhaps, at times be found 
 at the bar ; and men of earnest zeal and soul-stirring 
 eloquence were never more numerous in the Church. 
 There are also many men of mercantile life, and others 
 whose time is chiefly spent in the counting-house, that, 
 can speak well on the platform. But we maintain that, 
 in comparison with the generality of their fellows in 
 their respective callings, the numbers of each are ex- 
 tremely few. We sometimes think, as we listen to the 
 poor attempt at a speech which some of our senators 
 make, that they are out of place in that capacity. 
 Taken as a body, they are, without doubt, honest, well- 
 educated men — men of sound judgment and clear 
 understanding. But we think that, to be the repre- 
 sentative of thousands, a man should not only be able 
 to form an opinion, but to express one also, — and that, 
 too, in such a manner as to do justice to the cause 
 which he may have in hand, and to the position which 
 he occupies. Whereas, some of our members are seldom 
 heard of, except at times when we see their names in 
 division, or when they again come forward at a time 
 of public election. Similar remarks may be made with 
 respect to the clergy. Taken as a body, and with some 
 
20 THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, 
 
 few exceptions, they are the best educated, of the most 
 blameless character, and the most wealthy and gentle- 
 manly class in the world. And though, as was before 
 said, many of them are very eloquent men, yet how 
 many there are, in country places especially, who can- 
 not even read their own manuscript pleasingly and with 
 effect. It is painful to hear some of our country clergy 
 go through the beautiful and impressive service of our 
 Church ; and as to the sermon, the less that is said of 
 that the better. You go into one church, and you hear 
 the prayers gabbled through in a slovenly, unimpres- 
 sive manner ; you go into another, and the clergyman 
 reads his sermon in a drowsy, inaudible tone, calculated 
 to send one to sleep ; you go into a third, and you see 
 him losing his place, unable to read his own writing, 
 and sometimes coming to a full pause. And in each 
 case, you will find the church nearly deserted. You 
 go into a place, and you find that dissent is rampant, 
 and in nine cases out of ten you will find that the cause 
 is, or has been, the thorough contempt in which the 
 people hold their lawfully-appointed parish priest, 
 whom, though they may respect as an individual, they 
 despise as their spiritual teacher. That the cause of 
 their dissent is not owing to the doctrinal teaching of 
 the Church, nor to the compilation of her beautiful 
 liturgy, is proved from the fact that, when an earnest 
 and devoted clergyman, one who strives in every way to 
 discharge the duties of his office faithfully and well, 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 21 
 
 goes into a parish, the church, which was before thinly 
 attended, is soon filled with regular and attentive 
 hearers. And even the most respectable and well- 
 educated Dissenters, who differ from us in some minor 
 points of doctrine, will confess that, for her Scriptural 
 teaching, the admirable compilation of her prayers, and 
 the spiritual tone which runs through the whole ser- 
 vice, our Church is most excellent. Shame, therefore, 
 upon those of her ministers who, by their cold, listless, 
 and indifferent manner of performing her services, 
 drive her children to dissent ! Shame upon those 
 wolves in sheeps' clothing, who, instead of striving to 
 bring in the reckless and profane to the fold of the 
 flock of Christ, drive her devoted and attached members 
 from her pale ! It grieves us to express ourselves thus 
 strongly. But whilst such reckless or sleepy drones 
 are to be found in holy orders, and undertaking office, 
 we think it our duty to do so. It may be that these 
 our remarks may fall into the hands of some such above 
 mentioned. Should such be the case; if we cannot 
 rouse them to a faithful discharge of their duty by 
 reminding them of the responsibility of their office, we 
 would shame them into a more earnest action by point- 
 ing out to them their worse than indifference and 
 neglect. One would think that he who had pledged 
 himself to the vows of our ordination service could not 
 help but be in earnest. One would think that the man 
 that had such themes as a heavenly Father's mercy, 
 
22 THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, 
 
 a Saviour's love, and an abiding Spirit, the Comforter, as 
 his subject, would feel his heart glow with warmth, and 
 love, and zeal ; and that, having undertaken to train up 
 souls for immortality, he would call forth all the ener- 
 gies of his soul and do it with all his might. We will, 
 however, be just. We rejoice to think that a better 
 state of things has taken place in all quarters, and that 
 such instances as those above mentioned are now the 
 exception and not the rule. Would that the time were 
 come when such exceptions were more rare ! It is true 
 that a great change has taken place for the better dur- 
 ing the last fifty years, and that the clergy of our day 
 would scorn to be guilty of such practices as were com- 
 mon at that time. As a body, they are a hard-work- 
 ing, ill-paid class of men ; yet we think that many of 
 them would do better, and be more successful, if they 
 would give a portion of that time which they spend in 
 the parish, and in preparing their sermons, to the pre- 
 paring and fitting of themselves for the desk and the 
 pulpit. We rejoice to see the pastor of a parish mix- 
 ing among his people, going from house to house, 
 instructing, warning, advising, and comforting his 
 people. We appreciate as much as any one a thought- 
 ful, well-composed sermon. But we think that the 
 ministerial work ought in no respect to suffer from 
 the pastoral ; and that a part of a clergyman's minis- 
 terial work is to fit himself for going through it in an 
 efficient manner. 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 23 
 
 The following picture of " the perfect orator" is by 
 Sheridan, than which nothing can be more beautiful : 
 — " Imagine to yourself a Demosthenes addressing 
 the most illustrious assembly in the world, upon a point 
 whereon the fate of the most illustrious of nations 
 depended. How awful such a meeting ! how vast the 
 subject ! Is man possessed of talents adequate to the 
 great occasion? Adequate! Yes, superior. By the 
 powers of his eloquence, the augustness of the assembly 
 is lost in the dignity of the orator, and the importance 
 of the subject for a while superseded by the admiration 
 of his talents. With what strength of argument, with 
 what powers of the fancy, with what emotions of the 
 heart, does he assault and subjugate the whole man, 
 and at once captivate his reason, his imagination, and 
 his passions ! To effect this must be the utmost effort 
 of the most improved state of human nature. Not a 
 faculty that he possesses is here unemployed ; not a 
 faculty that he possesses but is here exerted to its 
 highest pitch. All his internal powers are at work ; 
 all his external testify their energies. Within, the 
 memory, the fancy, the judgment, the passions are all 
 busy ; without, every muscle, every nerve is exerted — 
 not a feature, not, a limb but speaks. The organs of 
 the body, attuned to the exertions of the mind, through 
 the kindred organs of the hearers, instantly vibrate 
 those energies from soul to soul. Notwithstanding 
 the diversity of minds in such a multitude, by the 
 
24 THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, 
 
 lightning of eloquence they are melted into one mass ; 
 the whole assembly, actuated in one and the same way, 
 become, as it were, but one man, and have but one 
 voice. The universal cry is, " Let us march against 
 Philip ! let us fight for our liberties ! let us conquer 
 or die ! " 
 
 If there is a man in the world we would envy, it 
 is the man whose character as an orator is here so 
 powerfully drawn. And yet this is the man that had 
 such serious defects to contend against. How often do 
 men go from some public meeting, wishing they could 
 speak like such and such a one, whom they heard 
 address the assembly ! How often have we heard men 
 say they would give all they possess to be able to speak 
 like some men ; whereas, if they would only begin in 
 earnest and cultivate those parts which compose the 
 orator, although they might not in some instances 
 equal the one whom they so much admire, yet we 
 venture to say that in others they would excel him. 
 We are too apt to make unequal comparisons in this 
 respect, and to compare ourselves with those who may 
 be said to have attained their ends. But we forget 
 the immense pains to succeed which they have been at 
 — the diligent study — the frequent exercise and hard 
 toil which they have gone through — and the many 
 failures they met with — before they became what they 
 are now. Let us make the same earnest applica- 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 25 
 
 tion, the same endeavours to excel, and use the same 
 diligence, before making the comparison, or, at all events, 
 before sitting down and folding our hands in despair. 
 And surely we are not urging to an impossibility, or 
 to anything that may be lightly esteemed. "What 
 others have done I can accomplish/' said a manly spirit 
 before us — an excellent motto for all. And to reason 
 calmly and clearly, to think correctly, and to be able 
 to express oneself without fear, and in a manner cal- 
 culated to command attention and rivet the mind, are, 
 we think, acquirements which are well worth using 
 every means to obtain. And though the time may 
 not yet have arrived when all these powers will be 
 brought into requisition, yet rest assured that it will 
 come some time. Progress is on the march, and we 
 are going on to a better state of things ; and amidst 
 the jostlings of society the worthless dregs will fall to 
 the bottom — right will adjust itself in the end — and 
 the right men be found in the right places. Every day 
 we live the world is becoming more sensible to the 
 value of true worth; and so strong is the voice of 
 public opinion on the part of justice and merit, that 
 the times have now gone by when mere family interest 
 alone was sufficient to obtain a man a fortune, or pro- 
 cure him an office. But the man that would rise to 
 distinction and honour must also shew a fitness and 
 merit on his own part, and prove that he is worthy of 
 
26 THE PUBLIC SPEAKEK, 
 
 that to which he aspires. In no age of the world were 
 goodness and worth more appreciated than in our own 
 time. In no country is there a greater sphere for 
 earnest action than in England ; and in none more 
 than this are the means of improvement more nume- 
 rous, persevering industry more greatly encouraged, 
 and success more liberally rewarded. 
 
 "If you have great talents, industry will improve 
 them ; if you have but moderate abilities, industry will 
 supply their deficiencies/' says Sir J. Eeynolds. Make 
 up your minds, then, ye young men, that you will no 
 longer be put to the blush when called upon to express 
 yourselves on any subject, and that your own serious 
 convictions shall no longer be laughed at by some one 
 more eloquent than yourself, because you are unable 
 to express them openly and publicly; but that you 
 will, at all events, make a good use of every gift that 
 has been bestowed — of every opportunity placed within 
 your reach ; in short, that you will, if possible, make 
 an eloquent man. And to those of our readers whose 
 work and office are to teach or speak in public, we would 
 urge them to cultivate this art, and shew to the world 
 that they are speaking or preaching not simply be- 
 cause it is a work which must be done, but that their 
 desire is to do it well, and to accomplish the greatest 
 amount of good. 
 
 Having made up your minds to do this, then, you 
 may proceed with us to consider a few qualifications 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 27 
 
 necessary for becoming a public speaker. And rest 
 assured, that if the means be used, and the end 
 acquired and rightly employed, it will never repent 
 you ; but, on the other hand, a mighty power for good 
 or for evil will be in your possession. 
 
28 THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Having- considered what an orator is like, let us, in the 
 next place, proceed to consider a few necessary quali- 
 fications for becoming one ; and, in doing so, we will 
 take, as our first consideration — 
 
 The right modulation and cultivation of the voice. — 
 Although the nature of the subject upon which a man 
 speaks, or the style and flow of delivery do sometimes 
 cause a disagreeable voice to be unnoticed or soon 
 forgotten, yet we think this is a point which cannot be 
 too particularly noticed. Some men have a fine, clear, 
 bell-toned voice, which needs but little training in 
 order to make a pleasing effect on the hearer; but 
 some, on the other hand, have a voice which needs 
 much cultivation before it can be heard with pleasure. 
 Addison, in his essay on physiognomy, and when speak- 
 ing of cultivating virtues which nature had denied to 
 us, or which were almost choked by the preponderating 
 influence of their opposite vices, has the following 
 words : — " I think nothing can be more glorious than 
 for a man to give the lie to his face, and to be an 
 honest, just, good-natured man, and in spite of all 
 those marks and signatures which nature seems to 
 have set upon him for the contrary There is a 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 29 
 
 double praise due to virtue, when it is lodged in a 
 body that seems to have been prepared for the recep- 
 tion of vice ; in many such cases the soul and the body 
 do not seem to be fellows." "We may make a similar 
 remark, and say, that to cultivate and improve a 
 voice which nature had designed as weak and disagree- 
 able, and to employ it in the noblest powers of oratory, 
 is, to say the least, noble and good. 
 
 How ridiculous it is to hear some men speak ! — pitch- 
 ing their voice in the highest key, and causing the by- 
 standers to turn round in surprise at hearing them 
 address you. And as youth is the time when the mind 
 is most susceptible to good or evil impressions, and 
 when good or evil habits are the soonest formed, so 
 also youth is the time when the voice may be the 
 readiest trained to attune itself to a proper key, and 
 when the greatest care should be given to its cultiva- 
 tion. There is a time in a man's life when he seems 
 as it were to burst the bands of childhood, and to enter 
 into the freedom, the activity, and pursuits of the man. 
 Then it is that the boyish thoughts and feelings and 
 ideas of the youth are laid aside, and the sober and 
 juster views of manhood take their place. Then it is 
 that the world no longer appears a play-ground or a 
 paradise ; but when the stern realities of life, its diffi- 
 culties, its trials and its battles, dawn upon him. Then 
 it is that early associations are broken up, new ties 
 formed, and new sympathies created. And then also 
 
SO THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, 
 
 it is that the voice changes, or, in popular language, 
 " becomes cracked," gradually laying aside the soft 
 and lively tone of childhood, and assuming the firm 
 and more thoughtful tone of the man. This, then, is 
 the time when it ought to be most carefully watched 
 and cultivated. 
 
 We see in our public schools a master for every 
 department of science and knowledge ; there is no lack 
 in this respect. There are also in some schools drill- 
 ing-masters and teachers of gymnastic exercises. We 
 think there ought also to be a master of elocution in 
 every school — one whose time should be mainly em- 
 ployed in teaching their pupils how to read properly 
 and how to discipline and train their voice. We are 
 glad to hear that such is the case in some schools 
 already, and shall be pleased when it is more generally 
 the rule. Think not that we are recommending an 
 ■unnatural tone of voice to any one. To be a good 
 speaker, we cannot be too natural. But it should be 
 nature, not in her wild, uncultivated garb, but in her 
 trimmed and cultivated appearance — not a loose, care- 
 less, slovenly form, nor yet a studied, prim, stiff form, 
 but easy, harmonious, and pleasing. You hear some 
 men speak, and are perhaps delighted with them. 
 There is something in their appearance, or their ac- 
 tion, or the manner of their delivery, which pleases 
 you ; but shut your eyes for an instant and listen, and 
 you will soon detect whether they have a pleasing 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 31 
 
 voice or not, and whether it has been cultivated and 
 trained. 
 
 But some of our readers may say, " If I am pleased 
 with a speaker, yea, so much so as not to notice the 
 tone of voice, why need I adopt this experiment?" 
 Simply for this very reason, that although he may 
 have the power of pleasing, notwithstanding any defect 
 above mentioned, yet you may not And, therefore, if 
 you can by such means detect it in any one else, 
 perhaps you may be led to consider your own defi- 
 ciency in this respect. A writer remarks : — ■" In the in- 
 fant just beginning to articulate, you will observe every 
 inflexion that is recognised in the most accurate treatise 
 on elocution — you will observe, further, an exact pro- 
 portion in its several cadences, and a speaking expres- 
 sion in its tones. I say, you will observe these things 
 in almost every infant. Select a dozen men — men of 
 education, erudition — ask them to read a piece of ani- 
 mated composition ; you will be fortunate if you find 
 one in the dozen that can raise or depress his voice, 
 inflect or modulate it, as the variety of the subject 
 requires. What has become of the inflexions, the 
 cadences, and the modulation of the infant? They 
 have not been exercised — they have been neglected — - 
 they have never been put into the hand of the artist, 
 that he might apply them to their proper use— ^they 
 have been laid aside, spoiled, abused ; and, ten to one, 
 they will never be good for anything." — Knowles. 
 
32 THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, 
 
 Cultivating the voice will amply repay for the trouble 
 bestowed upon it. It will not only be more pleasing 
 to the audience, but the task of speaking will also 
 be much diminished. It will require less effort to 
 make yourself heard, where the room or assembly is 
 large ; it will give greater dignity to yourself, and 
 greater effect to the words uttered; and, instead of 
 those who may be situated at a distance from the 
 speaker complaining that they could not hear from 
 " the words running into one another/' the voice will 
 gradually die away in the distance, but the words will 
 be distinctly heard to any reasonable distance. Take 
 two instances which are common among us. A large 
 meeting is assembled, and the subject about to be 
 brought forward has created an unusual amount of 
 interest. The speaker rises to address the audience, 
 but to little effect. A few around the platform or 
 nearest to the speaker can hear all he says, but how is 
 it with the "outsiders?" There is voice enough, and per- 
 haps at times they are able to catch a few of his words ; 
 but, for the most part, all they can hear is an indistinct 
 jumble of words, so, after listening with impatience for 
 a time, they at last leave their places and depart. Thus, 
 what with the confusion from those leaving, the morti- 
 fied looks of those who are placed a little nearer, and 
 who are straining every attention to hear all that is 
 said, and the irritability of the more fortunate ones 
 who are turning to see what is going on in other parts 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 33 
 
 of the assembly, the meeting is anything but a pleasant 
 one, and the speaker anything but successful, whatever 
 may be his powers of language, and however interest- 
 ing may be the subject he may have in hand. Such 
 a one is like a youth preparing for a public examina- 
 tion, who, instead of making his ground safe as he goes 
 on, and thereby insuring to himself a creditable result, 
 tries to gain a smattering of everything, and conse- 
 quently finds in the day of trial that he knows nothing 
 at all. 
 
 How different is the following instance ! In a large 
 building — large enough for any voice to fill — a great 
 assembly is gathered together. In the body and gal- 
 leries of the building a sea of faces is seen, and a quiet 
 murmur runs through the crowd, indicating that the 
 speaker is impatiently expected. Presently, after a few 
 preliminaries, every voice is hushed, and a quiet still- 
 ness runs through the house as he rises to speak. At 
 first his utterance is slow, measured, and distinct ; and 
 though the tones of his voice are low, he is distinctly 
 heard over every part of the place. Gradually, as he 
 warms up in his subject, the tones of his voice become 
 stronger and higher, but still there is the same distinct- 
 ness of utterance, and the same clearness of expression. 
 The only difference seems to be, that the attention of 
 the audience, the interest of the subject, the powers of 
 the speaker, and the ease with which he is heard, seem 
 all to increase together. And after addressing his 
 
34 THE PUBLIC SPEAKEK, 
 
 audience for some time, during the whole of which he 
 has been distinctly heard, his voice assumes the same 
 solemn and impressive tones as at first, and he con- 
 cludes his speech, leaving the most pleasing effect on 
 the minds of his hearers. How delightful it is to 
 listen to such a man, even though his views be some- 
 what different to our own, and fail to gain our assent ! 
 It is evident that such a man knows what he is about, 
 and has a due consciousness of the work which lies 
 before him. It is also evident that he has not only- 
 given due attention to the subject which he has brought 
 forward, but to himself also, and to the best mode of 
 expressing himself. We know that some of our readers 
 will say, that such attainments are more the natural 
 gifts of Providence than what may be acquired by cul- 
 tivation and art. But we think that natural gifts and 
 endowments must be something very extraordinary to 
 enable a man to express himself thus without care and 
 attention on his own part. Eather should we think 
 that it is an instance where common gifts have been 
 duly estimated and appreciated, where they have been 
 earnestly and diligently cultivated and trained, and 
 where a right use has been made of them. Without 
 doubt, some men are more highly gifted by nature 
 than others ; and in instances where there may be an 
 equal amount of natural gifts, they may be of different 
 kinds ; yet we think that few will differ from us when 
 we assert, that very much depends on the care and atten- 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 35 
 
 tion we may give to them, and on the amount of edu- 
 cation and experience we may obtain. And we venture 
 to assert that, for one who becomes a good speaker 
 solely and entirely from natural gifts being simply 
 received and used, ten will become so from their own 
 diligence and application. 
 
 We have, as yet, said nothing about the style of com- 
 position, the preparation of the subject, the manner of 
 arranging it, and the gestures of the speaker ; we shall 
 come to those in time: but we .have been chiefly 
 speaking of the voice and its cultivation. We are especi- 
 ally urgent upon this head, and would bid our readers 
 to give particular attention to the modulation and cul- 
 tivation of their voice. For no matter what the sub- 
 ject may be, no matter what the action of the speaker 
 may be, nor his powers of language ; if he be but 
 partly heard, he will be but little better than if he had 
 spoken in an unknown tongue. We are thus urgent, 
 because we have known clever, talented men, who 
 would have been good speakers, but for an unfortu- 
 nate whining tone of voice which they had. No mat- 
 ter what the subject might be, whether it were a 
 sermon from the pulpit, or a lecture at the common 
 hall, or a speech at a public meeting ; there was the 
 same invariable whining tone of voice, giving one the 
 miserables rather than impression, and ennui rather 
 than amusement. Whilst others have preached a 
 sermon in a sing-song style, or read a play as if 
 
36 THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, 
 
 reading a death-warrant. In the instances we 
 adduce, there only wanted a perception of the fault, 
 for fault it must be considered, and a determination 
 to remedy it; and then the task of doing so would 
 have been easy, and the men themselves have been 
 good speakers. 
 
 If, therefore, your voice be weak, try and strengthen 
 it by exercise ; if strong, properly to modulate it ; if 
 disagreeable, to improve it; and whatever it be, to 
 cultivate it. " Let a man speak that I may see him/' 
 said a quaint old philosopher, meaning that he could 
 discern the constitution of a man's mind, his modes of 
 thought or habits of life, by hearing him speak. How 
 far this is possible we will not attempt to say, but this 
 we know, that if a man would become a good speaker 
 — heard with pleasure — and clearly understood when 
 speaking in public — he must learn to speak in a distinct 
 and measured tone, to modulate and improve his voice, 
 to raise or lower it as the subject shall require, to em- 
 phasize the right words, and to be lively, serious, and 
 impressive, according as the whole or any part of the 
 subject may require. This is not a difficult task ; but 
 a man will never make a good speaker until he can do 
 so, if indeed he ought to be speaking in public at all. 
 Every person ought to make a practice of reading 
 aloud for a considerable time every day ; for by so 
 doing, he will derive a double advantage. He will 
 not only impress the subject more deeply on his 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 37 
 
 memory ; but he will also strengthen his voice, detect any 
 unpleasantness of tone, and learn to emphasize the right 
 words. So that when called upon to read or speak in 
 public, he will not feel awkward and nervous, and, 
 after blundering through the task like some schoolboy 
 reading his lesson, sit down covered with confusion. 
 But whether it be to read or speak he will be prepared 
 for it, and shew to the audience that he is no novice. 
 Perhaps some of our readers will say that it is not 
 possible in all cases to read aloud for a period every 
 day. Some men have wives and families around them, 
 and only one or two small rooms to live in. Others 
 may be at lodgings, and boarding with families where 
 they have no quiet study to themselves. These and 
 many other similar objections may be made. But the 
 question is, Is the plan we have recommended a good 
 one, and calculated to improve the voice ? If so, then 
 we think there are few men but what will be able to 
 carry it out, provided they see the necessity of it, and 
 make up their minds to do so. Those who are fathers 
 or brothers at home, instead of poring in silence over 
 the columns of a newspaper or pages of a book, as is 
 too frequently the case, let them read aloud to their 
 wives or families. It will shew a more sociable spirit, 
 and we think there are few wives but what will be 
 pleased with the attention or compliment paid to them 
 by so doing. And to others who may be differently 
 situated, there are the open fields, where in fine wea- 
 
38 THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, 
 
 ther they may practise to their hearts' content. At 
 other times, let them take their book, and read to some 
 poor sick neighbour or friend, thereby instructing and 
 cheering the unfortunate, and at the same time im- 
 proving themselves. By such means as these, as great 
 good may often be done in fitting ourselves for a work 
 like that of public speaking as in carrying out the work 
 itself. How much sorrow has been lessened, how 
 much pain assuaged, and how much grief has been 
 banished from the mind of the unfortunate, by some 
 one kindly reading to them of the sorrows of others, 
 who met their trials like men, and as Christians, and 
 who nobly overcame them at the last ! Who can tell 
 how many drooping spirits have been cheered; how 
 many noble impulses have been given ; how many souls 
 have been, as it were, reanimated and kindled with 
 fresh hope ; and how many longings after good have 
 been cherished in the minds of the sick and despond- 
 ing, whilst some kind neighbour or friend has read 
 aloud the words of eternal life, or the works of our 
 best authors, which otherwise they might never have 
 known ! This is a noble and Christian work to engage 
 in, and the results above mentioned are those which 
 should chiefly influence a man to engage in it. But 
 the peaceful satisfaction of mind which he will experi- 
 ence, as also the cultivation of his own mind, the im- 
 provement of tone, voice, and manner of reading which 
 he will derive from enlisting himself in so good a 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 39 
 
 cause, will far more than compensate for the trouble 
 and annoyance he may meet with. 
 
 " Quid est oratori tarn necessarium quam vox ? " says 
 Cicero, "tamen me auctore nemo dicendi studiosus, 
 Graeeorum more, et tragoedorum voci serviet, qui et 
 annos complures sedentes declamitant, et quotidie, ante- 
 quam pronuncient, vocem cubantes sensim excitant, 
 eandemque, cum egerunt, sedentes ab acutissimo sono 
 usque ad gravissimum sonum recepiunt, et quasi quo- 
 dam modo colligunt." 
 
 As a last word on this subject of cultivating the 
 voice, we would say, be in earnest in this one point of 
 self-improvement. Give diligence, and you will im- 
 prove; be patient, and you will succeed in the end. 
 Let there be earnestness with stability, diligence with 
 watchfulness, patience with determination, and perse- 
 verance with confidence. And then, though the task 
 may seem difficult at first, it will grow easier day by 
 day ; though progress seem very slow, it will advance ; 
 and though success may seem distant, it will arrive in 
 the end. Let the tone be varied according to the sub- 
 ject: solemn and impressive, when the subject is a 
 serious and important one; lively and gay, when it 
 is of a light and trifling nature ; and mediocre, when 
 the subject is an ordinary one. And let the speaker 
 look at the furthest person in the room, and pitch his 
 voice in such a manner as if he were addressing himself 
 solely and exclusively to that one person. 
 
40 THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 We will now suppose our orator, or public speaker, to 
 be possessed with a voice, if not powerful and full- 
 toned, at all events a trained and cultivated one. The 
 next point we propose to consider is, his preparation of 
 the subject to be delivered. " Of course/' some of our 
 readers will say, "no one would think of speaking 
 publicly without a due preparation of the subject. 
 Were he at a public debate, or at a meeting where any 
 one was at liberty to take a part in the proceedings, he 
 might probably rise and speak without having pre- 
 viously given much attention to the subject. But to 
 make a public speech on any subject, and what had 
 been previously announced or expected as such, without 
 giving every attention to it which it may require, would 
 be folly in the extreme." And so we think too, and 
 yet it is a very common folly. Many who have accus- 
 tomed themselves to extempore preaching are too apt 
 to drive off till the last few hours the preparation 
 necessary for their sermon — thinking that because they 
 have not to write down what they are going to say, 
 they can therefore prepare it in a short time. Conse- 
 quently, their sermons are frothy, illogical effusions, 
 and what have been very justly termed "twaddle." 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 41 
 
 " When Pericles, the Athenian orator, went to address 
 the people, he prayed to the gods that nothing might 
 go out of his mouth but what might be to the purpose. 
 A very good example for preachers/' says Bishop 
 Williams. Eather by far would we listen to a care- 
 fully digested and written epistle, even though read in 
 a manner not at all creditable to the reader, than to 
 such extempore effusions, which bear on their surface 
 neither care, thought, nor knowledge of the subject. 
 When men are called together, whether it be to the 
 public services of the sanctuary, or to the public lecture- 
 room ; whether it be to listen to a sermon or to hear 
 a lecture on some popular or scientific subject; they 
 expect to hear something worth listening to, and which 
 shall repay them for the trouble and inconvenience they 
 may have been put to in their endeavours to attend. 
 There are some among us who have had the good for- 
 tune, or misfortune, to be blessed with abundance of 
 this world's wealth — whose energies have never been 
 called forth — whose days are passed in a listless state of 
 ennui, and to whom the announcement of a public lec- 
 ture is a godsend. To such as these, anything of a 
 lecture, however illogical and ill-prepared, may be ac- 
 ceptable, inasmuch as it serves to break the dull mono- 
 tony of their lives. But even in cases such as these, 
 we feel sure that the better the language is, and the 
 more clearly and logically the subject is worked out, the 
 better will the speaker be received. But as regards 
 
42 THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, 
 
 men who have to battle with the difficulties of life, who 
 have to push their way amidst opposition and rivalry, 
 and who have to think, and plan, and devise for their 
 very existence ; such men as these not only require, but 
 they also demand, that in order to gain their ear, a man 
 should be a good speaker, and put forth something 
 worth listening to. To such as these "life is no empty 
 dream/' but " life is real, life is earnest." Having to 
 toil and labour themselves, they would wish to see others 
 who would claim the attention of the world, work also. 
 When, therefore, after the toils of the day, they arrive 
 at their homes wearied and fatigued with the labours of 
 mercantile life, we think a speech should be something 
 worth hearing in order to compensate them for the 
 sacrifice they make in leaving their firesides under such 
 circumstances as these. And, when after the toils and 
 competition of the week, the Sabbath's morn breaks 
 on them, and finds them jaded and weary, we think it 
 sometimes excusable when we hear them complain that 
 they want sermons that shall stir the deeps within their 
 soul and nerve them for the toils of the morrow. Their 
 bodies worn with labour, their minds fretted and weary 
 with the cares of the week, and their souls rusted from 
 worldliness and business, they need something which 
 shall soothe their minds and brighten their souls, as 
 well as rest and repose for the body. And this, too, 
 they need enforced by all the eloquence and powers of 
 argument which a man can call to his aid; so that 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 43 
 
 Monday may find them, active and business-like still, 
 but having calmer and purer minds, and proceeding 
 onwards with fresh vigour towards heaven. 
 
 In making use of the term " extempore speaking," 
 we do not mean that a man should get up and speak 
 at random whatever may occur to his mind on any sub- 
 ject, however little care and attention he may have given 
 to it. Far from it. " None but enthusiasts, generally 
 speaking, are concerned with extempore speaking, 
 strictly so called/' says Bridges. We must feel our- 
 selves, in order to excite others ; " si vis flere dolendum 
 est primum ipsi tibi ; " much more, therefore, is it 
 necessary that we should rightly understand our subject 
 if, by our speaking upon it, we would wish others to 
 understand it also. We would therefore advise our 
 orator to study the subject in all its points, to consider 
 every argument in favour of his own views on the sub- 
 ject, carefully to weigh every objection which may be 
 raised against them, and to be able to give clear and 
 weighty reasons in support of his opinions and belief. 
 " There are two sides to every question," is a very com- 
 mon and true saying. Let a man, therefore, and par- 
 ticularly one that would speak in public, look at every 
 thing that may be said in favour of, and against that 
 side of the question which he considers best. For to 
 come before an audience with an ill-digested speech, 
 adducing arguments that may be easily refuted, and 
 manifesting an ignorance as to what may be said in 
 
44 THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, 
 
 opposition to his views, betrays a weak mind, and a 
 premature desire for public notice. But to present an 
 old acquaintance under a new character, or, in other 
 words, to bring forward a subject under new phases, to 
 shew the effects which it may produce on the public 
 mind ; to be able to shew why such and such views 
 should be adopted, and others rejected ; to speak calmly, 
 fairly, and with an unprejudiced mind; to manifest a 
 desire for the general good of mankind, rather than 
 selfishness and a desire for public applause, argue in 
 favour of the speaker, and shew him to be imbued 
 with a benevolent spirit. To neglect making ourselves 
 masters of any subject which we may take in hand, 
 when time and opportunity have been given us for that 
 purpose ; to lead others to false conclusions ; to devote 
 talents which we may possess to wrong purposes, or to 
 neglect a proper use of others, would be, to say the 
 least, unworthy of the man, and incur a fearful amount 
 of responsibility. The chief object which a philanthro- 
 pist would have in view would be to benefit his fellow- 
 creatures, and to leave behind him lasting impressions 
 for good. If, by any force of argument, or powers of 
 eloquence which he may possess, he can but raise some 
 poor fallen one in life's journey, or cheer the drooping 
 spirits of those who are ready to faint ; can he but 
 encourage the desponding and fearful, give right aims 
 and tendencies to those who are just starting on life's 
 journey, or strengthen moral courage both within and 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 45 
 
 around him ; can he but raise the standard of true re- 
 ligion and virtue, or dignify human nature, that nature 
 which Christ has ennobled by uniting it with His own 
 glorious and divine nature ; can he but encourage prin- 
 ciples of freedom, honesty, and truthfulness, or spread 
 around him influences for the general good of mankind; 
 with what cheerfulness will he engage in the work ! 
 And this work will he endeavour to carry on by every 
 means in his power ; by cultivating and improving his 
 voice, so as to give effect to what he utters — by pro- 
 perly studying and preparing his subject, so as to en- 
 lighten and convince — and by illustrating and exem- 
 plifying in his own life those principles and duties 
 which he inculcates upon others. Be well up, then, in 
 the subject upon which you would speak before you 
 stand up to teach others, or to give your opinions to 
 the world, otherwise you will prove a stumbling-block 
 rather than a teacher, confuse rather than enlighten, 
 and make yourself a mark for the shafts of the enemy. 
 Eather make yourselves masters of one subject than 
 gain but a slight smattering of many, and be able to 
 speak calmly and forcibly but upon one, rather than be at 
 sea in everything. To say that no science or subject is 
 perfectly understood, or that some are only in their 
 infancy, is no argument against what we have been 
 urging. The object of a public speaker must be to 
 instruct, to convince, and improve his audience. He 
 must, therefore, at least know more than what his 
 
46 THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, 
 
 hearers are supposed to know, or be able to present 
 truths already known, in a new and more favourable 
 light. Tupper remarks — 
 
 " A man that speaketh too much, and museth but little and lightly, 
 Wasteth his mind in words, and is counted a fool among men ; 
 But thou, when thou hast thought, weave cheerily the web of 
 
 meditation, 
 And clothe the ideal spirit in the suitable garments of speech." 
 
 Page 152. 
 
 We have here given no directions as to the plan of 
 reading and study to be adopted, as our desire is to 
 confine ourselves chiefly to one subject. Books have 
 been written upon most subjects, and most subjects 
 have been thoroughly sifted. But we should advise 
 our readers to take no side of a question on another's 
 recommendation, however plausible it may appear, 
 until he has brought his own mind to bear upon it. 
 However clearly a writer may express himself, and how- 
 ever much thought he may have bestowed on any sub- 
 ject, men should read his work, not simply for the sake 
 of seeing what another has said upon the subject, or 
 for the purpose of imbibing another's views, but to 
 excite to reflection in their own minds, to be led to 
 right conclusions, and to give strength and clearness to 
 their own views. Hence we would strongly recommend 
 our readers to think well upon any subject they may 
 take in hand, and to look at it in all its points, before 
 bringing it before an audience. By so doing, it will 
 give firmness to the tone, confidence to the man, and 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 47 
 
 will further assure' the hearers that, however different 
 the statements may be to their own opinions and 
 views, thought has been bestowed on the subject, and 
 that if they would maintain their grounds, they must, 
 on their parts, bestow some thought on the speaker's 
 remarks. By so doing, it will shew the audience that 
 he has not come before them simply for the sake of 
 putting himself in a prominent position, and that he has 
 not called them together to listen to what has cost him 
 neither time nor reflection. But, on the other hand, it will 
 shew that he has a due consideration of the task which 
 lies before him, and a due estimation of the time and 
 attention which he claims from them. It may seem to 
 some that we are digressing from our subject, and that 
 if to become merely a speaker, or to have a flow of 
 words, and confidence in uttering them, be the ends 
 proposed, why need the subject be so carefully investi- 
 gated? But from the remarks made in our second 
 chapter, we trust few, if any, will be so mistaken as to 
 what we are recommending. Time is short, however 
 long it may appear, and precious, however lightly we 
 may value it. We, therefore, think that no man should 
 practise extempore speaking simply for the sake of 
 acquiring a readiness of speech, or call an assembly 
 together for the sake of being heard. " A most errone- 
 ous notion prevails of the easiness of this attainment," 
 says Bridges, when speaking of extempore speaking ; 
 " a collection of words is often mistaken for a justly 
 
48 THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, 
 
 defined sentiment, and fluency of utterance is considered 
 to be either identical with solidity of thought, or a fair 
 compensation for its deficiency." Few things betray so 
 great a weakness of mind, and are so thoroughly con- 
 temptible, as for a man to call an assembly together, 
 and then to address them in a long gabble of words 
 without order or thought. There may be some well- 
 sounded periods — there may be some pretty, flowing 
 words-— there may be some pleasing traits of character 
 in the man ; but we think it nothing more than a waste 
 of time on his own part, a waste of time on the part of 
 his hearers, and that the speaker betrays a thorough 
 disregard for the interests of his fellow-men. We 
 would wish our readers to exert themselves, and to 
 become good speakers. But, at the same time, we would 
 wish it to be borne in mind that the great ends which 
 they should have in view are the temporal and eternal 
 well-being of mankind. If wrong ideas prevail on any 
 subject, if ignorance abound, or wickedness be ram- 
 pant, a speakers chief object should be to give juster 
 views, to spread the light of knowledge in the world, 
 and to check the spirit of wickedness around him. 
 With these noble ends in view, he will wish to avail 
 himself of every opportunity of fitting himself for the 
 work, and will make use of every means for the fur- 
 therance of the ends in view. And lest any of our 
 readers should mistake our meaning, or too lightly 
 esteem the privilege and responsibility of addressing 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 49 
 
 their fellow-men, or take upon them the office of a 
 public teacher, without a due preparation of themselves 
 for the work, we would here make a quotation from no 
 less an authority than Cicero, as nothing can be more 
 beautifully expressed, nor more clearly point out what 
 an orator should be, or the motives which should 
 chiefly influence him : — " I cannot conceive anything 
 more excellent than to be able, by language, to capti- 
 vate the affections, to charm the understanding, and to 
 impel or restrain the will of whole assemblies, at plea- 
 sure. Among every free people, especially in peaceful, 
 settled governments, this single art has always emi- 
 nently flourished, and always exercised the greatest 
 sway. For what can be more surprising than that, 
 amidst an infinite multitude, one man should appear, 
 who shall be the only, or almost the only man capable 
 of doing what nature has put in every man's power ? 
 Or can anything impart such exquisite pleasure to the 
 ear, and to the intellect, as a speech in which the 
 wisdom and dignity of the sentiments are heightened 
 by the utmost force of beauty and expression? Is 
 there anything so commanding, so grand, as that the 
 eloquence of one man should direct the inclinations of 
 the people, the consciences of judges, and the majesty 
 of senates? Nay, further, can aught be esteemed so 
 great, so generous, so public-spirited, as to assist the 
 suppliant, to rear the prostrate, to communicate happi- 
 ness, to avert danger, and to save a fellow-citizen from 
 
50 THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, 
 
 exile ? Can anything be so necessary as to keep those 
 arms always in readiness, with which you may defend 
 yourself, attack the profligate, and redress your own or 
 your country's wrongs ? 
 
 "But let us consider this accomplishment as detached 
 from public business, and from its wonderful efficacy 
 in popular assemblies, at the bar, and in the senate. 
 Can anything be more agreeable or more endearing in 
 private life than elegant language ? For the great 
 characteristic of our nature, and what eminently dis- 
 tinguishes us from brutes, is the faculty of social con- 
 versation — the power of expressing our thoughts and 
 sentiments by words. To excel mankind, therefore, in 
 the exercise of that very talent which gives them the 
 preference to the brute creation, is what everybody 
 must not only admire, but look upon as the just object 
 of the most indefatigable pursuit. And now, to men- 
 tion the chief point of all, what other power could 
 have been of sufficient efficacy to bring together the 
 vagrant individuals of the human race — to tame their 
 savage manners — to reconcile them to social life — and, 
 after cities were founded, to mark out laws, forms, and 
 constitutions for their government ? Let me, in a few 
 words, sum up this almost boundless subject. I lay it 
 down as a maxim, that upon the wisdom and abilities 
 of an accomplished orator, not only his own dignity, 
 but the welfare of vast numbers of individuals, and 
 even of the whole State, must greatly depend. There- 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 51 
 
 fore, young gentlemen, go on ; ply the study in which 
 you are engaged, for your own honour, and the advan- 
 tage of your friends, and the service of your country/' 
 
 Perhaps this quotation ought rather to have come in 
 the second chapter of this work ; but we wish to keep 
 before the minds of our readers one great and leading 
 idea which should impel them forward in all their plans, 
 and that is, the interest and well-being of others. Let 
 careful thought and diligent study precede the delivery 
 of speech. Have the subject well sifted and clearly 
 arranged in your own minds ere you stand up to treat 
 of it before others ; and make up your minds that, how- 
 ever desirable it may be to gain distinction in speaking 
 and to attain to popularity, yet that until you can in- 
 struct your audience in something which they know not 
 already, or can present known truths in more attractive 
 colours, or cheer mankind under the difficulties of life, 
 you will be content to remain quiet and unknown. 
 And this we say not only because we think a public 
 speaker should be an educated man, but because we 
 think a man cannot be a good and acceptable speaker 
 until his own mind has been informed and trained by dili- 
 gent study. We would therefore advise our readers to ask 
 themselves some such practical questions as these before 
 speaking in public — " Am I really acquainted with the 
 subject which I am about to bring forward ? Am I suffi- 
 ciently sensible of the responsibility I am incurring in 
 proclaiming my thoughts to others, and taking up their 
 
52 THE PUBLIC SPEAKEB, 
 
 time by listening to me ? Have I bestowed that care and 
 attention on the work which it requires ; and is my chief 
 object to do good, to increase knowledge, and to lessen 
 the amount of misery in the world?" If you can 
 answer these and similar questions in the affirmative, 
 then betake yourselves in full confidence to the work. 
 Your good and philanthropic motives should inspire 
 you with energy ; your knowledge of the subject should 
 give you confidence ; and a sense of the responsibility 
 devolving upon you should give tone and weight to 
 your words. It is very commendable when we see 
 a man pushing his own way in the world, battling 
 with the difficulties which lie before him, braving and 
 triumphing over all the obstacles which would hinder 
 him in his progress. There is nothing in Christianity 
 to forbid a man from striving to better his position. 
 and improve his circumstances ; but, on the contrary, 
 many exhortations to such a course of conduct. To 
 make the best of both worlds is not only reasonable, 
 but in entire accordance with Scripture and revelation ; 
 whereas to live solely and exclusively for one, to the 
 neglect of the other and its concerns, is wicked. And 
 a man cannot make the best of both worlds, and live 
 for self and the furtherance of his own selfish ends. 
 Therefore, if to rise in the world by honest striving 
 and active industry be commendable so far as the indi- 
 vidual man is concerned, how much more so is it where 
 we see him raising his family with him, and striving 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 53 
 
 to improve the intellectual, moral, and spiritual well- 
 being of others around him ! 
 
 But we have still further reasons to adduce why a 
 man who would become a public speaker should make 
 himself master of the subject which he would bring 
 forward ; and that is the cultivating and improving the 
 human soul. We would not here enter into any meta- 
 physical disquisition as to the development and growth 
 of the soul of man, as it would be foreign to our pur- 
 pose. But, reasoning from analogy, there is nothing to 
 forbid the supposition, that the glorified and Christian 
 soul shall go on increasing in knowledge, in spirit- 
 uality, and happiness, as the cycles of eternity roll 
 round, and continually approaching the infinite and 
 divine mind of Jehovah himself. We see the mind of 
 a little child gradually unfold itself as the years roll 
 round, increasing in its power and brilliancy, until it 
 arrives at a certain stage in the life of the man, when 
 it seems to attain its limited proportions assigned to it 
 here. And though for a time its brilliancy may be 
 dimmed and its faculties paralysed by the clay of a 
 worn-out and mortal body to which it is allied ; yet, 
 when it bursts its prison and soars away into the pre- 
 sence of its God, it will doubtless then begin to shine 
 with increased and increasing splendour ; clearly dis- 
 cerning the things which it here perceives " through a 
 glass darkly/' and knowing even as it itself is known. 
 " There is not, in my opinion/' says Addison, " a more 
 
54 THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, 
 
 pleasing and triumphant consideration in religion than 
 this of the perpetual progress which the soul makes 
 towards the perfection of its nature, without ever arriv- 
 ing at a period in it. To look upon the soul as going 
 on from strength to strength, to consider that she is to 
 shine for ever with new accessions of glory, and brighten 
 to all eternity ; that she will be still adding virtue to 
 virtue, and knowledge to knowledge ; carries in it some- 
 thing wonderfully agreeable to that ambition which is 
 natural to the mind of man. Nay, it must be a pro- 
 spect pleasing to God himself, to see His creation for 
 ever beautifying in His eyes, and drawing nearer to 
 Him by greater degrees of resemblance. Methinks 
 this single consideration of the progress of a finite 
 spirit to perfection will be sufficient to extinguish all 
 envy in inferior natures, and all contempt in superior. 
 That cherubim which now appears as a god to the 
 human soul, knows very well that the period will come 
 about in eternity, when the human soul shall be as per- 
 fect as he himself now is ; nay, when she shall look 
 down upon that degree of perfection as much as she 
 now falls short of it. It is true the higher nature 
 still advances, and by that means preserves his dis- 
 tance and superiority in the scale of being ; but he 
 knows how high soever the station is of which he stands 
 possessed at present, the inferior nature will at length 
 mount up to it, and shine forth in the same degree of 
 glory. With what astonishment and veneration may 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 55 
 
 we look into our souls, where there are such hidden 
 stores of virtue and knowledge, such unexhausted 
 sources of perfection ? We know not yet what we shall 
 be, nor will it ever enter into the heart of man to con- 
 ceive the glory that will be always in reserve for him. 
 The soul, considered with its Creator, is like one of those 
 mathematical lines" (the asymptote of the hyperbola) 
 " that may draw nearer to another for all eternity with- 
 out a possibility of touching it ; and can there be a 
 thought so transporting, as to consider ourselves in 
 these perpetual approaches to Him, who is not only 
 the standard of perfection, but of happiness ? " 
 
 We all know the pleasure which it gives us to make 
 new discoveries, or to become acquainted with new 
 truths, or old truths which were previously unknown to 
 us. It is this which compensates for all the toil and 
 study we have bestowed upon any subject, which gives 
 a peaceful satisfaction to the mind, and which imparts 
 a glow to the spirits, even though the face may pale 
 with labour, and the body become enfeebled from too 
 much study. It is this which at one time seems to 
 lash the flagging energies of the student into more ear- 
 nest action ; and which, at another time, allures him 
 onward in the pursuit of knowledge — exercising a secret 
 influence over him, and attracting him into unknown 
 paths. So that in urging our orator to be well up in 
 his subject, we are not only recommending a course 
 which will give confidence in speaking, and which, with 
 
56 THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, 
 
 other things combined, will give an interest to the 
 meeting ; but which may also incite the minds of his 
 hearers to a course of right thinking and action, and 
 which, at all events, will be the carrying on in his own, 
 if a Christian soul, a work which shall go on as long as 
 eternity shall last. And not only would we recommend 
 the improving and cultivating the mind to those who 
 are making the subject of oratory their study, or who 
 wish to become public speakers ; but we earnestly re- 
 commend it to all, whatever may be their station in 
 life, and whatever may be their calling. The world is 
 full of wonders, and though much has been discovered 
 which would astonish our forefathers could they but 
 once more come on earth ; yet, no doubt, the field of 
 discovery which lies before us is as great as that already 
 passed through. And when we come to think of our 
 wonderful creation and redemption, of the faculties of 
 the mind and the immortality of the soul, of heaven and 
 our probationary state here, we cannot but conclude, 
 that it is God's design and wish, that mankind should 
 make use of every means which God has given him for 
 saving, improving, and cherishing the human soul, and 
 fitting it for its hereafter abode. "We would not come 
 under the denunciation of preaching a sermon, whilst 
 professing to give a few general directions on elocution. 
 But we wish to place everything on right, and there- 
 fore on Christian grounds ; and on that account, we 
 urge our readers to act as reasonable and responsible 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 57 
 
 beings, to cultivate their own powers, and to rise them 
 for their own and others' good. In the last hours of 
 our life, when we stand on the confines of another 
 world, and the voices of its inhabitants fall like whis- 
 pers on our ears ; as we take a retrospective view of 
 our past life, and see failures, imperfections, and sins 
 rising up before us ; how pleasing will be the thought 
 that we have improved our talents, that we have been 
 the means of leading others onwards to happiness and 
 God, and that "we have not run in vain, neither 
 laboured in vain ! " And more delightful still will it 
 be, if we can think that all past follies and sins have 
 been forgiven, and that we are about to carry on for 
 ever, and without fault or failure, that noble work 
 towards perfection, the beginning of which we have 
 commenced below ! 
 
58 THE PUBLIC SPEAKEK, 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 The next point which we would discuss is the plan to 
 be adopted for delivering the subject. Is our public 
 speaker to commit his lecture, or speech, to memory? 
 or is he to prepare extensive notes as a kind of outline 
 of the subject, which he may fill up at the time of 
 delivery ? or is he to go on the platform without any 
 manuscript at all? These are questions which have 
 been asked and discussed by many, and which have 
 perplexed the mind of many a young beginner in 
 speaking. We will, therefore, now consider them. As 
 regards committing a lecture or speech to memory, 
 we think it by no means advisable. By doing so the 
 language may be very good, the periods well rounded, 
 and the subject concise, yet clear and well worked out. 
 These are advantages which are not to be despised. 
 Delivering a speech which has been previously com- 
 mitted to memory may have the appearance of learn- 
 ing, being clothed in a more cultivated garb, and 
 abounding in more striking metaphors than what 
 might be presented in any other way. Such a speech 
 may be rich in pleasing illustrations, and contain more 
 striking examples, than what might be expected in a 
 purely extempore oration. The plan we are speaking 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 59 
 
 of may expand the memory, and make what is called 
 "a full man ;" and since it has been adopted by some 
 of the most popular men of the day, it cannot be alto- 
 gether condemned. It may please the ears of the 
 fastidious, and cause many to admire the speaker for 
 his clearness of view and conciseness of expression. 
 These and many other remarks may be made in favour 
 of it ; but still we maintain that there are other con- 
 siderations which may be alleged against it, that make 
 it anything but a desirable mode, and on which account, 
 therefore, we should by no means think of recommend- 
 ing it. In the first place, it burdens the memory, and 
 will, if continued in for a course of years, bring the man 
 that adopts it to premature old age. Then, again, there 
 cannot but appear a studied mode of expression about 
 it, which has a most cold and chilling effect. There is a 
 great difference between being thoroughly acquainted 
 with a subject, and committing to memory the very 
 words which we intend to use in bringing that subject 
 forward. The former is what, in our last chapter, we 
 most strongly advised ; the latter is what, in this, we 
 would altogether discountenance. We have heard men 
 give lectures which had been previously committed to 
 memory, and during the whole time of delivery the 
 eye of the lecturer was fixed on one spot, giving a most 
 uninteresting appearance, and making us somewhat 
 nervous lest his " thread should break" and leave him 
 in bewilderment. There was but little earnestness in 
 
CO THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, 
 
 his manner, no sign that the lecturer believed what he 
 was repeating, and nothing to shew that his object was 
 either to instruct or to convince. Twice in our lives 
 have we adopted the plan, and twice in our lives have 
 we made most miserable failures — in one instance being 
 obliged to let our prepared speech take care of itself, 
 and to launch out into a purely extempore one — and 
 in the other instance, breaking down in unutterable con- 
 fusion. So that, for our own part, we prefer a purely 
 extempore speech, where the words come freely and 
 spontaneously, convincing us that the speaker is really 
 in earnest, and that what he utters are his own senti- 
 ments ; or else a written discourse well read, shewing 
 that there have been time and care bestowed upon the 
 subject. To combine the two, is giving neither one 
 thing nor the other, but to spoil the effect of both. For 
 in using a manuscript, the eye of the lecturer does not 
 rest on vacancy — he may then have the courage to look 
 off from his notes to his audience at times, and there 
 seems no dread on the part of his audience lest his thread 
 of discourse should break and leave him in a sea of con- 
 fusion. By using it, he may emphasize the right words, 
 modulate his voice at the right part of his subject, and 
 increase or lessen the pace as need may require. For 
 the mind employing, as it were, a medium of commu- 
 nication, dwells upon it rather than upon a vacancy of 
 words ; for when the mind is continually dwelling upon 
 the very words which are next to be repeated, the sense 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 61 
 
 and importance of the subject are altogether lost by it. 
 Hence, then, we should prefer the using of a manuscript 
 to the plan of committing a sjDeech to memory. But 
 yet it seems rather strange at times to see a man, full 
 of energy and life, fixing his eyes for the most part on 
 the manuscript before him. It looks like a man in a 
 rage, venting all his fury on an inanimate object. 
 Bridges, in his work on " The Christian Ministry," after 
 speaking of extempore speaking at some length, has the 
 following words: — "Yet the advantages of written 
 composition must not be overlooked. Wearisome 
 repetition, defective modes of expression, a confused 
 arrangement of the flowing thoughts of the moment, 
 (evils more or less incidental to the opposite scheme,) 
 are thus avoided, and a large portion of solid matter 
 is embodied in lucid order and correct style. So that 
 at the early stages at least, the Roman orator may justly 
 recommend much writing as the best preparation to 
 good speaking. e Caput autem est quod (ut vere dicam) 
 minime facimus, est enim magni laboris, quern plerique 
 fugimus, quam plurimum scribere.' — Cicero de Oratore. 
 Indeed, it can scarcely be conceived how little appre- 
 hension the tyro in theology has of his immature attain- 
 ments, until he endeavours to express his ideas on 
 paper. At every step he finds unlooked-for difficulties, 
 and constant need of expansion or of correction. He 
 has to 'lay again the foundation' of what he fancied 
 himself to have attained, not having prepared his way 
 
62 THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, 
 
 as he advanced, or having thoroughly mastered any 
 part of his subject. The quantum of composition will, 
 however, vary according to the natural constitution and 
 acquired habits of the mind. But in few cases can a 
 certain proportion be omitted with advantage. Few 
 men unite sound judgment with a lively imagination, 
 and therefore ordinary sermons, without any pains of 
 composition, would be a mass of inanimate matter, 
 deficient in apt illustration and pointed application. 
 The preacher of an excursive fancy needs the use of his 
 pen to restrain himself within the limits of an accurate 
 and connected plan ; and without it, the digressive and 
 irrelevant matter would probably form the most con- 
 siderable part of his discourses. The fluent preacher, 
 with little reading, judgment, or imagination, without 
 the use of this resource to put matter into his shadowy 
 mechanism, will be wordy, declamatory, unsubstantial, 
 and uninteresting. Indeed, the gift of fluency, without 
 the habit of application or a well-furnished mind, 
 would be rather a misfortune than a desirable qualifi- 
 cation. It would be attended with the personal danger 
 of neglecting intellectual improvement, and with the 
 ministerial temptation of digressing from our proper 
 subject, at times of embarrassment, to irrelevant points 
 agreeable to our inclination. And thus some have 
 been spoilt from the want of the book, as well as others 
 fettered by the use of it." 
 
 For our own part, we strongly advise that, whatever 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 63 
 
 may be a man's fancy or imagination, or whatever be 
 the powers of his mind, he should not only make a 
 frequent use of his pen as a preparation for extempore 
 speaking, but also that he should at all times practise 
 himself in writing and composition. It has been said 
 by some one, that " a man ought to write out his 
 speech, read it carefully over to himself, and then 
 throw it on one side, and deliver it without manu- 
 script." But this ought to be done some time before 
 delivering it ; for without doubt nothing can make a 
 man more concise, give him clearer views on any sub- 
 ject, improve his language, and discipline his mind to 
 a course of accurate reasoning and thinking, better 
 than writing upon the subject in hand. But though 
 this may, and, indeed, should be done for the purpose 
 just mentioned, yet on no account would we recom- 
 mend it as a preparation for immediate delivery ; for 
 the mind would be dwelling on the manuscript, and 
 the thought would often occur to the mind, " How did 
 I treat this part of the subject, and what were the 
 words I used?" These and many similar questions 
 would be constantly rising up in the mind of the 
 speaker, and would fetter him very considerably all the 
 time of delivery. "Shall we then use notes?" some of 
 our readers will say. The fewer the better ; for though 
 committing a speech to memory has some advantages, 
 writing it out in full and reading it has perhaps more ; 
 yet we maintain that to be extempore has most of all, 
 
64 THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, 
 
 land the objections that may be raised against it are 
 fewest. And here let it be clearly understood what 
 we mean by an extempore delivery. The pure mean- 
 ing of the word, we know, means " readily and without 
 study;" but we again repeat that we would have a 
 speaker study his subject in all its bearings, and try 
 and gain clear and concise views of it. Having done 
 so, let him not be at any anxiety as to how he shall 
 deliver himself ; for if he be really in earnest and natural 
 in the mode of delivery, he cannot be otherwise than 
 eloquent. Make yourselves masters of the subject — 
 write down upon a slip of paper the heads of your 
 speech, with one or two leading ideas under each ; and 
 then go, and without any more preparation, deliver 
 yourself as well as you can. This we think to be the 
 best plan to be adopted from first to last ; for too 
 many notes will only fetter a man, without his being 
 able to leave them off after commencing to use them ; 
 but a few will keep the subject in his mind, and make 
 him more logical than he otherwise would be. By 
 adopting the above plan you may at first make one or 
 two blunders — you may use a slight repetition of words 
 — you may have to pause a little longer than you 
 would wish— and you may even partly break down, or 
 have to come to a hasty conclusion. But make up 
 your minds that you will succeed, and succeed you 
 undoubtedly will. Follow out the same plan of studying 
 the subject, and adopt the same mode of delivery, and 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 65 
 
 you will soon find that blunders or contradictions will 
 rarely occur. There will be no further repetition than 
 what you actually intend ; your pauses will be just as 
 long or as short as you wish them ; words and ideas 
 will occur to your mind as readily as you can utter 
 them ; and confidence will prevent your breaking down. 
 "Have faith in one another" is a very common saying; 
 but "have faith in yourselves" is quite as important 
 t an one. To be suspicious and distrustful of others 
 shews a mean mind; and to be distrustful and have a 
 want of confidence in oneself shews an abject and little 
 mind. Language such as this may appear to some 
 like inculcating an arrogant spirit ; but, for our own 
 part, we draw as broad a line of distinction between 
 the terms "confidence in one's own abilities'" and 
 " self-conceit/' as between the terms "pride" and "self- 
 respect," or as between " holiness " and " morality/' It 
 is not only possible, but common and right that a man 
 should be fully aware of his weakness, infirmity, and 
 depravity, and, at the same time, to feel a confidence 
 in any moral powers and qualities which he may pos- 
 sess. " I am weak — I am sinful — and have many 
 moral and spiritual defects, so much so as to keep me 
 humble at all times. But I have nevertheless been 
 intrusted with powers and gifts which it would be 
 sinful to distrust, and wrong to abuse. I will there- 
 fore trust where I am weak, and be strong where 
 
66 THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, 
 
 to flinch and give way would be cowardly and 
 base." 
 
 Such would be the reasoning of a manly and Chris- 
 tian spirit. We are aware that these are debatable 
 grounds ; of which, if possible, we would keep clear. 
 Let it therefore be understood, that whilst we would 
 most strongly condemn a spirit of self-sufficiency, we 
 would, at the same time, urge the words of St Paul as 
 •a motto for all — " I can do all things through Christ, 
 who strengthened me." 
 
 " Faith in his reason made Socrates sublime, as faith in his science 
 Galileo ; 
 Caesar at the Rubicon, Miltiades at Marathon — both were sped by 
 faith." — Tupper, p. 445. 
 
 In recommending an extempore manner of delivery 
 to a man whose vocation lays on him the necessity of 
 frequently addressing others, or to a man who would 
 wish to be able to speak well in public, it may seem to 
 some that we are urging too bold a stroke at once. 
 They will say — " Perhaps a man, after many years of 
 study and practice, might be able to dispense with his 
 manuscript and notes, save the mere heads of his dis- 
 course — such a one might have nerve to stand up 
 before an audience, depending on the ideas which came 
 into his mind, or on the words that came to his tongue ; 
 such a one is placed in different circumstances to a 
 new beginner who wishes to rise in the world as an 
 orator. But, for ourselves, we should tremble to make 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 67 
 
 such an attempt." This is a very natural remark to 
 make, and for their encouragement, we would say- 
 that most men, however successful they may become 
 as public speakers, feel a little awkward, bashful, or 
 nervous on first rising to address their audience. 
 Addison has written a most admirable essay on this 
 subject, in which he lias the following words : — " But 
 notwithstanding an excess of modesty obstructs the 
 tongue and renders it unfit for its offices, a due pro- 
 portion of it is thought so requisite to an orator, 
 that rhetoricians have recommended it to their dis- 
 ciples as a particular in their art. Cicero tells us 
 that he never liked an orator who did not appear in 
 some little confusion at the beginning of his speech, 
 and confesses that he himself never entered upon an 
 oration without trembling and concern. It is- indeed 
 a kind of deference which is due to a great assembly, 
 and seldom fails to raise a benevolence in the audience 
 towards the person who speaks. A just and reasonable 
 modesty does not only recommend eloquence, but sets 
 off every great talent which a man can be possessed of. 
 It heightens all the virtues which it accompanies ; like 
 the shades in paintings, it raises and rounds every 
 figure, and makes the colours more beautiful, though 
 not so glaring as they would be without it/' The whole 
 essay is well worth reading, and he ends with these 
 words : — " If a man appear ridiculous by any of the 
 afore-mentioned circumstance he becomes much mora 
 
68 THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, 
 
 so by being out of countenance for them. They should 
 rather give him occasion to exert a noble spirit, and 
 to palliate those imperfections which are not in his 
 power, by those perfections which are, or, to use a very 
 witty allusion of an eminent author, he should imitate 
 Caesar, who, because his head was bald, covered it with 
 laurels." 
 
 These remarks are so just that they need no com- 
 ment, and we trust that no remarks of ours will check 
 this spirit of modesty in our speaker. But what we 
 have advised has been a certain method to be pursued 
 from the first. And constituted as society is at present 
 — the debating societies at our universities — the num- 
 ber of friendly societies, young men's associations, me- 
 chanics' institutes, and such like associations — allow 
 most men an opportunity of not only making their 
 maiden speech before appearing in public, but also of 
 gaining some confidence in themselves. Make a good 
 use, then, of these opportunities, discipline and train 
 the mind by study and reading to accurate and right 
 modes of thought, and then make a bold launch at once. 
 For should any one accustom himself to read whatever 
 he may have to say in public, he will find his confi- 
 dence in himself to diminish — the first attempt more 
 difficult — and he will only be just endeavouring to 
 throw off the shackles which bind him, when he might 
 have become a successful speaker. We doubt not that 
 many objections will be raised against what has just 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 69 
 
 been recommended. We may frequently meet with, an 
 eloquent speaker on the continent, says one, but at 
 home not one in ten thousand — it is not an English- 
 man's gift. John Bull is honest, persevering, and brave. 
 Ask him to work or fight, and he will do it as bravely 
 as any the world over ; but ask him to get up and make 
 a speech, and he will faulter and flounder, repeat him- 
 self, wipe his brow, and sit down covered with con- 
 fusion at the attempt. He possesses a warm, honest 
 heart, which glows with feelings of sympathy at 
 another's sorrow or loss. But he is too taciturn and 
 matter-of-fact to make an orator. Another will say 
 that it is encouraging too superficial a style, and that 
 the use of a manuscript ought to be used. These and 
 similar objections we have heard, and expect to hear 
 again. But for our own part, we think an Englishman 
 is as well calculated to make an orator as one of another 
 nation. He may not possess that elasticity of spirit 
 and volubility of words which many others possess ; but 
 there is the less danger of his being carried away from 
 his subject, of his becoming an enthusiast or fanatic, 
 and the more reason to expect that what he utters 
 will be to the purpose, and will have a weight and 
 authority with it. And as regards the use of manu- 
 script being most preferable to some, we think it 
 is because the art of speaking has not been sufficiently 
 attended to. "We venture to say that there is no 
 one but what would prefer an extempore oration ; 
 
70 THE PUBLIC SPEAKEK, 
 
 where the language was good, the subject as clear, 
 as forcibly put, and as well worked out, as it might be 
 in a written essay. And this we assert not from any 
 partiality on our own part — for we have already ad- 
 mitted that there are advantages to be derived from 
 using manuscript — but because we think it a less arti- 
 ficial mode than what is prevalent among us. The 
 prophets of old, who rebuked kings and a rebellious 
 and idolatrous people, were far more eloquent than if 
 they had stood up and read a carefully-written essay 
 on the majesty of Jehovah and the sin of idolatry. 
 How august their character appears, as we picture 
 them to ourselves, standing on one of Canaan's hills, 
 and fulfilling their mission to a degenerate people ! 
 The dignity of their office inspires them with con- 
 fidence ; the nature or character of their mission sup- 
 plies them with words ; the responsibility of their 
 message makes them earnest ; and all these combined 
 makes them truly eloquent. Backed by the greatest 
 authority, intrusted with the most solemn and import- 
 ant declarations of God to man, and guided and 
 directed in the very words they were to utter, it may 
 be thought that these are no fair examples. We need 
 not be particular on this point ; since history and the 
 world contain numberless examples, we can well afford 
 to give others. And, without citing the names of such 
 men as Burke, Sheridan, or Mirabeau — who, we think 
 would have appeared very commonplace had they 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 71 
 
 used a manuscript or been burdened with notes in 
 making their orations — what will be thought of many 
 of those warriors of old when addressing their legions 
 — such, for instance, as Hannibal? Those who wish 
 to see a specimen of what ancient oratory was, let 
 them read his address to his soldiers when on the banks 
 of the Po, and before engaging with the Eomans, as 
 recorded by Livy. The whole speech will amply repay 
 for the trouble of reading it. We think it no mere 
 proclamation, written and circulated among the troops ; 
 but we can picture the gallant general to our minds as 
 he stands on some rising eminence, with thousands of 
 veteran soldiers around him, who are straining every 
 attention to catch the words of their beloved leader. 
 And we can fancy the shouts of applause, or the cry 
 for revenge, which would at times break forth from 
 the assembled host, as their leader, in terms of the 
 highest eloquence, appealed to their feelings, their 
 patriotism, or their valour, and urged them on to 
 revenge, to victory, or death. In what glowing terms 
 he describes their deeds of valour ; with what art he 
 pictures their present dangers ; with what pathos and 
 feeling he appeals to their respect for him, their leader 
 and spectator of their warlike acts ; with what indig- 
 nation and contempt he portrays the cruelties of their 
 enemy, their unjust demands, and the indignities which 
 had been put upon his own beloved people and country ! 
 Moved by such eloquence, addressed in such terms, 
 
72 THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, 
 
 and that, too, by one who had often led them on to 
 victory and conquest, we can almost fancy we hear 
 them cry out in shouts of applause, and in terms similar 
 to those of the Athenians when addressed by Demos- 
 thenes, " Let us march against " the Romans, " Let us 
 fight for our country," " Let us conquer or die ! " No 
 doubt Hannibal had studied his subject, and the best 
 mode of rousing the feelings of his soldiers ; and, there- 
 fore, we see him coming fully up to the mark as an ora- 
 tor. This is no isolated example. Ancient and modern 
 history, civilised, and even savage life, contain many in- 
 stances of a similar kind. And, in the Church, the bar, the 
 army, the senate, and in private life, at all periods and in 
 most countries, there have been men who, understand- 
 ing the wants of their times, and being duly sensible of 
 the mission they had to fulfil and of the work they had 
 to do, have given every attention to the circumstances 
 by which they were surrounded ; have rightly studied 
 their subject ; and then, without manuscript or notes, 
 have gone and delivered what they had to say in a 
 natural, clear, forcible, and, therefore, eloquent manner. 
 We consider the custom of reading manuscripts in 
 public, or depending entirely upon notes, as being far 
 more artificial than natural. It would be out of place 
 here to discuss the manner in which it has arisen ; but 
 the wants of one particular period no doubt gave rise 
 to it ; and abuses, availing themselves of the precedent, 
 have carried it on, and have established the custom 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 73 
 
 amongst us. So that, in most of our churches, the 
 reading of a manuscript is still the rule — an ex- 
 tempore sermon, clear and well handled, the exception. 
 But we think that a practice which has arisen from 
 wants which now no longer exist, and from abuses 
 which ought to be corrected, ought itself also to be 
 done away. 
 
 It is true that what has been urged in this chapter 
 has been and is still constantly abused. Many ignor- 
 ant, stupid, and unlearned men who would find it the 
 greatest impossibility to write an essay, and some who 
 cannot even write their own names, are setting them- 
 selves up as public teachers — ministering in holy things 
 — walking with unabashed forehead where angels fear 
 to tread, and pleading as an excuse for their stolid 
 ignorance, the example of the early apostles who were 
 fishermen, and such like ; forgetting that they were 
 taught personally by Christ — were endued with the 
 miraculous gifts of the Spirit ; and were enabled in- 
 stanter to speak languages which in our day take a 
 lifetime to acquire. It is partly, we think, owing to 
 such men as these, that an extempore manner is con- 
 demned at all. For, to educated ears, few things can 
 be more disagreeable than to hear the most sacred sub- 
 jects brought forward and treated with all the rant and 
 vulgarity of an ignorant and unlearned man. But we 
 trust we are addressing those whose first desire is to 
 obtain knowledge, to discipline their minds, and to 
 
74 • THE PUBLIC SPEAKEK, 
 
 train them to a course of right thinking before coming 
 forward in public. We would altogether discounte- 
 nance those who, with empty heads and shallow minds, 
 would be continually thrusting themselves before the 
 public, and bellowing forth their own trifling thoughts. 
 But to those studious young men who have both read 
 and thought, and who wish to benefit others at the 
 same time that they improve themselves, we would say, 
 Go on, and prosper. " Practice will make you perfect " 
 is a common saying ; and though at first you may be 
 discouraged, yet, by following out the above rules, and 
 setting before you the objects before mentioned, you 
 cannot help but succeed in the end. 
 
 " Have something to say and the world will listen ;" 
 have a regard for its interests and well-being, and it 
 will respect you ; have as your object and end its 
 improvement and progress in learning, and it will 
 honour you ; be patient under difficulties, and it will 
 encourage you ; be determined to succeed, and it will 
 help ycu ; persevering, and it will reward you. 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 75 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 It will be expected that, in discussing the subject of 
 elocution, we should say a few words on the gestures 
 and action of the speaker. Cicero, in his third book 
 "De Oratore," relates that when Demosthenes was asked 
 what were the three chief parts of an orator, he made 
 them all to consist in action. We will, however, give 
 Cicero's own words on the subject : — 
 
 " Actio, inquam, in dicendo, una dominatur ; sine 
 hac summus orator esse in numero nullo potest ; medi- 
 ocris, hac instructus, summos ssepe superare. Hinc 
 prim as declisse Demosthenes dicitur, quam rogaretur, 
 quid in dicendo esset primum, hinc secundus, hinc ter- 
 tias." And, indeed, it must be admitted, that this is 
 a most important part connected with public speaking. 
 We shall not here, however, lay down any particular 
 rules as to how a man is to look, what are to be the 
 features of countenance which he is to assume, and 
 what the motions of his body. The nature of the sub- 
 ject and the words he utters ought to be the best 
 teachers in this respect. 
 
 But especial care ought to be taken not to fall into 
 any disagreeable habit, or to adopt any unnatural ges- 
 ture of the body. You will see one man suddenly 
 
76 THE PUBLIC SPEAKEK, 
 
 stretch forth his neck for an instant when speaking, 
 and twitch some article of his dress, another will be 
 continually boring the palm of one hand with a finger 
 of the other, as if his sole object were to pierce a hole 
 through ; and the more earnest he appears in his sub- 
 ject, the more his countenance is distorted, and the 
 more intent he seems on piercing his hand. Whilst a 
 third will raise his hand on high, and then will sud- 
 denly let it fall with a loud clap into the hollow of the 
 other. 
 
 These and many other such like peculiarities may 
 frequently be seen around us ; while a really graceful 
 action and manner, which, so far from drawing the 
 attention of the hearers from the subject of discourse, 
 shall tend rather to impress it the more deeply on their 
 minds, is far from being common among us. It is ad- 
 mitted, that to be constantly thinking upon the tone 
 of voice, or studying any particular gesture of body 
 whilst speaking, would only fetter the speaker and 
 draw his mind from the subject on which he is dis- 
 coursing. At the same time, he ought to exercise a 
 watchfulness over himself lest his tone of voice be un- 
 natural and harsh, and his action of body be ridiculous. 
 How pleasing it is to listen to some men ! Their sub- 
 ject so clearly expressed ; their voice modulated, or the 
 expression changed according to the change in their 
 subject ; and a graceful motion of the hand seems to 
 confirm you in the opinion which they adduce. 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 77 
 
 But although the few preceding remarks have been 
 made with respect to those who have adopted a dis- 
 agreeable or a pleasing style of action, yet the com- 
 monest grounds of complaint are that our speakers use 
 no action at all. This want of action in speaking has 
 been most forcibly described by Addison in his essay 
 on " English Oratory." "Most foreign writers," says 
 he, "who have given any character of the English 
 nation, whatever vices they ascribe to it, allow, in 
 general, that the people are naturally modest. It pro- 
 ceeds, perhaps, from this our national virtue, that our 
 orators are observed to make use of less gesture or 
 action than those of other countries. Our preachers 
 stand stock-still in the pulpit, and will not so much as 
 move a finger to set off the best sermons in the world. 
 We meet with the same speaking statues at our bars, 
 and in all public places of debate. 
 
 "Our words flow from us in a smooth continued 
 stream, without those strainings of the voice, motions 
 of the body, and majesty of the hand, which are so 
 much celebrated in the orators of Greece and Rome. 
 We can talk of life and death in cold blood, and keep 
 our temper in a discourse which turns upon everything 
 that is dear to us. Though our zeal breaks out in the 
 finest tropes and figures, it is not able to stir a limb 
 about us. I have heard it observed more than once, by 
 those who have seen Italy, that an untravelled English- 
 man cannot relish all the beauties of Italian pictures, 
 
78 THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, 
 
 because the postures which are expressed in them are 
 often such as are peculiar to that country. One who 
 has not seen an Italian in the pulpit will not know what 
 to make of that noble gesture in Kaphael's picture of 
 Paul preaching at Athens, where the apostle is repre- 
 sented as lifting up both his arms, and pouring out the 
 thunder of his rhetoric amidst an audience of pagan 
 philosophers. 
 
 " It is certain that the proper gestures and vehement 
 exertions of the voice cannot be too much studied by a 
 public orator. They are a kind of comment to what he 
 utters, and enforce everything which he says, with weak 
 hearers, better than the strongest- argument he can 
 make use of. They keep the audience awake, and fix 
 their attention to what is delivered to them, at the same 
 time that they shew that the speaker is in earnest, and 
 affected himself with what he so passionately recom- 
 mends to others. Violent gesture and vociferation 
 naturally shake the hearts of the ignorant, and fill them 
 with a kind of religious horror. Nothing is more fre- 
 quent than to see women weep and tremble at the sight 
 of a moving preacher, though he is placed quite out of 
 their hearing ; as in England we very frequently see 
 people lulled asleep with solid and elaborate discourses 
 of piety, who would be warmed and transported out of 
 themselves by the bellowings and distortions of enthu- 
 siasm. If nonsense, when accompanied with such an 
 emotion of voice and body, has such an influence on 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 79 
 
 men's minds, what might we not expect from many of 
 those admirable discourses which are printed in our 
 tongue, were they delivered with a becoming fervour, 
 and with the most agreeable graces of voice and gesture? 
 
 " We are told that the great Latin orator very much 
 impaired his health by this ' laterum contention — the 
 vehemence of action — with which he used to deliver 
 himself. The Greek orator was likewise so very famous 
 for this particular in rhetoric, that one of his antago- 
 nists, whom he had banished from Athens, reading 
 over the oration which had procured his banishment, 
 and seeing his friends admire it, could not forbear 
 asking them, if they were so much affected by the 
 bare reading of it, how much more they would have 
 been alarmed had they heard him actually throwing 
 I out such a storm of eloquence ? 
 
 fc How cold and dead a figure, in comparison of these 
 two great men, does an orator often make at the 
 British bar, holding up his head with the most insipid 
 serenity, and stroking the sides of a long wig that 
 reaches clown to his middle ! The truth of it is, 
 there is often nothing more ridiculous than the gestures 
 of an English speaker ; you see some of them running 
 their hands into their pockets as far as ever they can 
 thrust them, and others looking with great attention on 
 a piece of paper that has nothing written upon it ; you 
 may see many a smart rhetorician turning his hat in 
 his hands, moulding it into several cocks, examining 
 
80 THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, 
 
 sometimes the lining of it, and sometimes the bottom, 
 during the whole course of his harangue. A deaf man 
 would think he was cheapening a beaver, when per- 
 haps he is talking of the fate of the British nation. I 
 remember, when I was a young man, and used to 
 frequent Westminster Hall, there was a counsellor who 
 never pleaded without a piece of pack-thread in his 
 hand, which he used to twist about a thumb or a 
 finger all the while he was speaking ; the wags of those 
 days used to call it c the thread of his discourse/ for 
 he was not able to utter a word without it. One of 
 his clients, who was more merry than wise, stole it 
 from him one day in the midst of his pleading ; but 
 he had better have let it alone, for he lost his cause by 
 his jest. 
 
 " I have all along acknowledged myself to be a dumb 
 man, and therefore may be thought a very improper 
 person to give rules for oratory ; but I believe every 
 one will agree with me in this, that we ought either to 
 lay aside all kinds of gesture, (which seems to be very 
 suitable to the genius of our nation,) or, at least, to 
 make use of such only as are graceful and expressive/' 
 
 This is so well expressed as to need no comment. 
 One would think that, were the speaker's mind really 
 impressed with the truth of what he was uttering, or 
 were it to vary according to the change in the subject, 
 there would be a corresponding motion or gesture in 
 the body. But it sometimes appears strange that men, 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 81 
 
 who have had the best education that the land can 
 afford, should excite so little interest in their speeches ; 
 and that, having the most glorious themes on which 
 the human mind can employ itself as their subject, 
 they should express themselves in so formal a manner, 
 and with so little effect. As a continuation of this 
 chapter, it may be proper to make a few remarks on 
 being natural and in earnest when speaking. The 
 difference between ordinary conversation and public 
 speaking is, that in the former men are natural and 
 earnest, whereas in the latter they are too frequently 
 formal and dull. If a person be in trouble, or have a 
 request to make, or some suit to press, he is eloquent 
 enough at such times as these ; but if he get up in 
 public, and make an attempt at a speech, it is painful 
 to listen to him. Although in the former case, his 
 words were quite impromptu, and in the latter studied 
 and long thought over. And how are we to explain 
 this, otherwise than that when a man has some per- 
 sonal interest at stake his mind is chiefly occupied 
 with one idea, namely, how he may attain his ends ; 
 but at other times, he rises to speak with thoughts and 
 feelings altogether foreign to his subject. If a man 
 rise to speak under the feeling that he has certain 
 ends in view which he must accomplish, or that he 
 has truths to declare, and a desire to make them 
 known — if his whole soul be bent upon one object of 
 convincing his hearers, impressing their minds with 
 
82 THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, 
 
 right ideas, and doing them good ; he cannot be other- 
 wise than earnest, he cannot be otherwise than elo- 
 quent. "All men are orators when they feel/' says 
 Bishop Hopkins ; " the language of the heart has an 
 unction and an energy which no eloquence or sub- 
 limity can reach/' But if a man rise to speak under 
 the feeling that he is doing a task rather than a duty ; 
 if he be under any anxiety as to what people will think 
 of him ; if his object be to draw attention upon him- 
 self rather than to do a philanthropic work, we can 
 hardly expect such a man to be in earnest ; and shall 
 be surprised if he attain to real eloquence. The less a 
 speaker can think of himself the better. But should a 
 thought cross his mind as to his own position, or the 
 sentiments of the audience towards him, the feelings 
 of the man should be lost in the dignity of the orator ; 
 and any nervous fear of the audience should be driven 
 away by the desire of convincing them with the truth 
 of his statements. If it be true that " an orator, with- 
 out sensibility, cannot attain the highest end of his 
 labours — affect the heart, whilst he informs the under- 
 standing " — so also is it true, that the mere enunciation 
 of truths will not make a man eloquent. But to have 
 the interest of his audience at heart, will create in him 
 a sensibility ; and to feel what he says, will make him 
 earnest and natural. Those readers of this work who 
 have taken holy orders, will be well repaid by reading 
 Channing's " Demands of the Age on the Christian 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 83 
 
 Ministry." Speaking on the subject of earnestness, lie 
 has the following words : — " Earnestness should char- 
 acterise the ministry ; and by this I mean not a louder 
 voice or a more vehement gesture ; I mean no tricks 
 of oratory ; but a solemn conviction that religion is a 
 great concern, and a solemn purpose that its claims 
 shall be felt by others. To suit such an age, a minister 
 must communicate religion, not only as a result of 
 reasoning, but as a matter of experience — with that 
 inexpressible character of reality, that life and power, 
 which accompany truths drawn from a man's own 
 soul. We ought to speak of religion as something 
 which we ourselves know. Its influences, struggles, 
 joys, sorrows, triumphs, should be delineated from our 
 own history. The life and sensibility which we would 
 spread should be strong in our own breasts. This is 
 the only genuine, unfailing spring of an earnest minis- 
 try. Men may work themselves for a time into a 
 fervour by artificial means ; but the flame is unsteady, 
 1 a crackling of thorns ' on a cold hearth ; and, after 
 all, it is hard for the most successful art to give, even 
 for a time, that soul-subduing tone to the voice, that 
 air of native feeling to the countenance, and that raci- 
 ness and freshness to the conceptions which come from 
 an experimental conviction of religious truth; and, 
 accordingly, I would suggest that the most important 
 part of theological education, even in this enlightened 
 age, is not the communication of knowledge, essential 
 
84 THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, 
 
 as that is, but the conversion and exaltation of religions 
 knowledge, into a living, practical, and soul-stirring 
 conviction. 
 
 " Much as the age requires intellectual culture in a 
 minister, it requires still more that his acquisitions of 
 truth should be instinct with life and feeling ; that he 
 should deliver his message, not mechanically, and ' in 
 the line of his profession/ but with the sincerity and 
 earnestness of a man bent on great effects ; that he 
 should speak of God, of Christ, of the dignity and love- 
 liness of Christian virtue, of heaven and redemption, 
 not as if traditions and historical records, about which 
 he has only read, but as of realities which he under- 
 stands, and feels in the very depths of his soul/' 
 
 Earnestness, in short, shews a man to be really con- 
 vinced as to the truth of what he utters — that he is 
 anxious to convince his hearers — to impress their 
 minds with right ideas, and to instruct them in what, 
 at all events, he thinks to be the truth. Earnestness 
 keeps up the attention of the hearers, and hides a mul- 
 titude of defects in the speaker. It stimulates to 
 thought and action, rouses the energies and fires the 
 soul. To the speaker it gives confidence, which leads 
 to greater clearness of view, and to the hearers it gives 
 determination and hope. For the speaker it secures a 
 hearing, and excites in the minds of the hearers medi- 
 tation and resolve. It is something that is contagious, 
 spreading from breast to breast till the whole assembly 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 85 
 
 becomes moved, as it were, by one impulse. Who does 
 not feel his soul fired with zeal when listening to some 
 earnest, soul-stirring speech from one who throws both 
 heart and soul into the words which he is giving utter- 
 ance to ? Who does not feel that the lowest depths of 
 his being have been stirred, and that a new impulse, 
 either for good or for evil, has been given him ? 
 
 We can easily understand how the whole Athenian 
 assembly became imbued as with one spirit, and pos- 
 sessed but one voice, whilst listening to "the first 
 Philippic of Demosthenes/' couched in the following 
 terms : — " If you, my countrymen, will now at length 
 be persuaded to entertain the like sentiments — if each 
 of you be disposed to approve himself a useful citizen, 
 to the utmost that his station and abilities enable him 
 — if the rich will be ready to contribute, and the young 
 to take the field — in one word, if you will be yourselves, 
 and banish those hopes which every single person 
 entertains, that the active part of public business may 
 lie upon others, and he remain at his ease, you may 
 then, by the assistance of the gods, recall those oppor- 
 tunities which your supineness hath neglected, regain 
 your dominions, and chastise the insolence of this man." 
 
 Addressed in such terms as these, and roused by the 
 powerful eloquence of the Athenian orator, were history 
 altogether silent upon the subject, we should conclude 
 that they acquitted themselves as men, and freed their 
 country from the hands of the enemy. 
 
86 THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, 
 
 How could they do otherwise ? Seeing their country 
 overrun by hostile armies must have aroused their 
 patriotism, though fear may have paralysed their arm ; 
 the sight of their country's wrongs must have caused a 
 wish to redress them, though indecision may have 
 produced inactivity ; and a prospect of foreign subju- 
 gation must have made them long for the cloud of 
 trouble to disperse, though a want of unity may have 
 made their prospects more dismal and foreboding. But 
 now the man had arisen who could give unity to their 
 plans and direction to their proceedings — who, by his 
 eloquence, inspired them with determination and ac- 
 tivity, and who, by his counsels and advice, nerved 
 their arm for the coming conflict. The man that pos- 
 sesses such a power over his countrymen, and who uses 
 it for his country's good, is, in the highest sense of the 
 word, a benefactor to his species, and one of the noblest 
 of mortals. Tupper has well expressed the power of a 
 successful orator and his hereafter rewards : — 
 
 " And now a pause, a thrilling pause — they live but in thy words ; 
 
 Thou hast broken the bounds of self, as the Nile at its rising ; 
 
 Thou art expanded into them — one faith, one hope, one spirit ; 
 
 They breathe but in thy breath— their minds are passive unto 
 thine ; 
 
 Thou turnest the key of their love, bending their affections to 
 thy purpose, 
 
 And all, in sympathy with thee, tremble with tumultuous emo- 
 tions ; 
 
 Verily, man, with truth for thy theme, eloquence shall throne 
 thee with archangels.'* 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE 87 
 
 CHAPTER VIL 
 
 " Lxtekatuee " has been said to be " the expression — 
 the communication of the higher minds in a com- 
 munity/' and language has been defined as " the 
 medium by means of which the mind of one man is 
 enabled to communicate its own thoughts and ideas to 
 the mind and intellect of another." Indeed, so ac- 
 customed is the mind to employ language as a kind of 
 symbol of its meaning, that it is next to impossible to 
 think upon any subject without using words as the 
 embodiment of its thoughts. For instance, if we think 
 of some absent friend, of his being handsome or plain, 
 stout or thin, well-dressed or plainly-dressed, of his 
 being benevolent, or possessing any other good or bad 
 quality ; we cannot think of the colour of his coat, of 
 his features, or moral principles, without using in our 
 minds the very words by which such colour, or part of 
 his person, or principle is named. We may, and 
 indeed, to reason correctly or to carry on the train of 
 thought for any length of time, we must, keep before 
 the eye of the imagination the object on which the 
 mind is dwelling ; yet the instant we try to dispense 
 with words as the embodiment of our thoughts, that 
 very instant also the powers of the mind cease their 
 
88 THE PUBLIC SPEAKEB, 
 
 operation. Language, then, being the channel of com- 
 munication between one mind and another, if a speaker 
 would wish to be understood by his hearers, it is 
 necessary that he should express himself in such terms 
 as his hearers are capable of understanding. And in 
 order that he may do this — since the mind will clothe 
 its objects and ideas with words in the process of its 
 reflection — it is necessary that he employ such simple 
 and elegant language during his hours of meditation 
 and study, as he would wish to use when speaking to 
 an audience of different abilities and acquirements. 
 Most men have a style of their own, not only as regards 
 their action and mode of delivery, but also as regards 
 the terms and style of language which they employ 
 when speaking. It would, therefore, be foreign to our 
 purpose to recommend any particular style, or to dwell 
 at any length at all upon the subject. But we should 
 strongly recommend our reader to stick as closely as 
 possible to his own Saxon tongue. The reader may 
 perhaps find some words in this work which may seem 
 as violations of this rule. We confess this is a fault 
 rather than otherwise. But the more closely he can 
 stick to the Saxon language the better. By so doing, 
 his language may not have quite such an erudite and 
 scholastic a sound, or twang so much of the schools, 
 but he may be sure of this, that he will be the more 
 likely to be understood. And, besides all this, it 
 matters not how learned a man may be, nor however 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 89 
 
 eloquent lie may wish, to appear, he will find his 
 mother-tongue abundantly sufficient to express himself 
 to his own satisfaction in this respect. When a man 
 is continually introducing French or Latin, or sen- 
 tences of any other language into his speech, it must 
 either appear to his audience that he has a great desire 
 to appear learned, or that he altogether mistakes the 
 office of a public-speaker. If he were addressing an 
 assembly of law or medical students, or if he were 
 occupying a university chair or pulpit, why then let 
 him introduce into his speech as many borrowed words 
 as he pleases. But when, for the most part, our 
 assemblies are composed of a mixed class, and when 
 their knowledge and acquirements are as different in 
 kind and degree as are the classes in society, the man 
 who would address them, and benefit the whole, cannot 
 be too careful and simple in the choice of his language. 
 We urge this, because one or two individual cases have 
 occurred to us of clergymen whose churches are sur- 
 rounded by a working-class population, and who in 
 their sermons have made frequent use of terms taken 
 not only from the French and Latin languages but 
 even from the Greek itself. No doubt it had a shew 
 of learning, and to a few, perhaps> it would be in- 
 telligible ; but to the poorer part of their congrega- 
 tion such discourses would tend to confuse rather 
 than edify, and would make them lay the subject 
 of Christianity on one side, unless it could be 
 
90 THE PUBLIC SPEAKEE, 
 
 presented to their minds in a more intelligible form 
 and manner. 
 
 As long as public assemblies are composed, for the 
 most part, of the poor, and of those who have had to 
 battle with the world before becoming prosperous, it 
 must surely be out of place to introduce into sermons 
 or speeches words and phrases which the majority can- 
 not understand. A clergyman especially should guard 
 against this error, and endeavour to point out in all 
 clearness, fulness, and simplicity the glorious truths of 
 the GospeL The more clearly a man is understood, 
 and the less he introduces into his remarks that which 
 is perplexing, the more will his hearers' attention be 
 withdrawn from himself and confined to his subject. 
 And this, says Archbishop Whately, is what a first-rate 
 orator would chiefly aim at. We will, however, quote 
 his own words, which are as follow : — 
 
 " When the moon shines brightly, we are apt to say, 
 ' How beautiful is the moonlight ! ' but in the day- 
 time, 'How beautiful are the trees, the fields, the 
 mountains ! ' and, in short, all objects that are illumi- 
 nated ; we never speak of the sun that makes them so. 
 The really greatest orator 'shines like the sun, making 
 you think much of the things he is speaking of ; the 
 second best shines like the moon, making you think 
 much of him and his eloquence." 
 
 It may not be out of place here to remark, that in 
 an extempore speech it will sometimes happen that the 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 91 
 
 speaker wishes to make use of a word which will not 
 occur to his mind at the instant. Under these cir- 
 cumstances, it is always better for him to explain his 
 meaning by some other word or phrase, than, by paus- 
 ing, to think of the word wanted. And such is the 
 richness of the English language, that this may always 
 be done very readily ; but to pause in a discourse, and 
 come partly to a stand- still for the want of a word 
 which does not occur to the mind at the time, would 
 only be to confuse himself, and create a disagreeable 
 sensation in the minds of his hearers. Such, also, is 
 the rapidity of thought, that this is done in far less 
 time than is here taken to explain our meaning ; for 
 the mind generally keeps ahead in the discourse, so 
 that if the right word will not present itself at once, 
 the mind can supply the tongue with a proper substi- 
 tute ere it has arrived at the place for making use of 
 it. Any one at all accustomed to extempore speaking, 
 will easily understand such a position of affairs above 
 mentioned. It occurs at times to all men, however 
 eloquent they may be. And at times, when both 
 words and ideas are flowing most freely, the speaker 
 will be brought to a momentary pause for the want of 
 some word which the mind at the time knows would 
 justly explain his meaning. But stop he must not, 
 and stop he need not, if he will only avail himself of 
 another word of a similar meaning, which, though it 
 may not be of the same force as the word in question, 
 
92 THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, 
 
 will serve full well for the occasion. This will be 
 alleged by some as a sufficient reason why the use of 
 manuscript ought to be adopted and continued in. 
 For, it will be urged, if one word or phrase will better 
 explain our meaning than another, that method of 
 bringing a subject before an audience ought to be 
 adopted which will most surely supply us with the 
 right terms in the proper place. And this, it will be 
 maintained, is having the whole subject written out 
 before us. But surely the advantages which attend an 
 extempore manner of speaking ought not to give way 
 to such a trifling circumstance as this, especially when 
 it is possible to supply the want by other words of 
 similar import, which in some instances would be 
 more intelligible to many of the hearers. And the 
 man who possesses a well-stored mind, and is accus- 
 tomed to use a variety of words rather than being 
 stereotyped in his language, will find but little diffi- 
 culty in this respect. 
 
 In speaking upon style, the reader will bear in 
 mind that there is a certain dignity connected with the 
 work of an orator which ought never to be lost 
 sight of. His work is to teach, to cheer, and to elevate 
 his fellow-men. Under these circumstances, he 
 will never condescend to anything approaching buf- 
 foonery. He may be as lively in his manner, and 
 illustrate by as pleasing examples as possible ; but 
 buffoonery and wit, though they may create a laugh at 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 93 
 
 the time, will raise up in the mind a feeling of secret 
 contempt. 
 
 Maury has beautifully expressed himself upon this 
 head : — 
 
 " To all those rules which art furnishes for conduct- 
 ing the plan of a discourse, we proceed to subjoin a 
 general rule, from which orators, and especially Chris- 
 tian orators, ought never to swerve. 
 
 " When such begin their career, the zeal for the sal- 
 vation of souls which animates them doth not always* 
 render them unmindful of the glory which follows 
 great success. A blind desire to shine and to pleas© 
 is often at the expense of that substantial honour 
 which might be obtained were they to give themselves 
 up to the pure emotions of piety, which so well agree 
 with the sensibility necessary to eloquence. 
 
 "It is unquestionably to be wished that he who 
 devotes himself to the arduous labour which preaching 
 requires should be wholly ambitious to render himself 
 useful to the cause of religion. To such reputation 
 can never be a sufficient recompence. But if motives 
 so pure have not always sufficient sway in your breast, 
 calculate at least the advantages of self-love, and you 
 may perceive how inseparably connected these are with 
 the success of your ministry. 
 
 " Is it on your own account that you preach ? Is it 
 for you that religion assembles her votaries in a temple? 
 You ought never to indulge so presumptuous a thought. 
 
94 THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, 
 
 However, I only consider you as an orator. Tell me, 
 then, what is this you call eloquence ? Is it the 
 wretched trade of imitating that criminal mentioned 
 by a poet in his satires, ' who balanced his crimes be- 
 fore his judges with antithesis?' Is it the peurile 
 secret of forming jejune quibbles — of rounding periods 
 — of tormenting oneself by tedious studies, in order 
 to reduce sacred instruction into a vain amusement ? 
 Is this, then, the idea which you have conceived of 
 that divine art which disdains frivolous ornaments, 
 which sways the most numerous assemblies, and which 
 bestows on a single man the most personal and majestic 
 of all sovereignties ? Are you in quest of glory ? You 
 fly from it. Wit alone is never sublime ; and it is 
 only by the vehemence of the passions that you can 
 become eloquent. 
 
 " Reckon up all the illustrious orators. Will you find 
 among them conceited, subtle, or epigrammatic writers? 
 No : these immortal men confined their attempts to 
 affect and persuade ; and their having been always 
 simple, is that which will always render them great. 
 How is this ? You wish to proceed in their footsteps, 
 and you stoop to the degrading pretensions of a rheto- 
 rician ! and you appear in the form of a mendicant, 
 soliciting commendations from those very men who 
 ought to tremble at your feet! Eecover from this 
 ignominy. Be eloquent by zeal, instead of being a 
 mere declaimer through vanity. And be assured, that 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 95 
 
 the most certain method of preaching well for yourself 
 is to preach usefully to others/' 
 
 The above quotation so admirably shews how much 
 "wit injures eloquence/' that no more need be said on 
 that head. A man may give illustrations of his mean- 
 ing, and employ metaphors ; but should this be done 
 care should be taken to preserve analogy throughout. 
 The best rule to adopt, is to have something to say, 
 and be in earnest in saying it ; and then but little more 
 will be required to gain the attention of your audience, 
 and to keep it when you have it. 
 
 It is really surprising to see how many different 
 kinds of eloquence there are. One man proceeds in a 
 calm, collected, impressive style from first to last, like 
 the gentle flow of deep waters. You are borne, as it 
 were, imperceptibly along, and are solemnised, im- 
 pressed, and charmed with what he says. His language 
 is as easy and captivating as is his manner. There 
 needs no stretch of the imagination — it does not even 
 require the least operation of the mind to understand 
 his meaning ; and you feel a willing captive to the 
 powers of his language. Another man rises to speak 
 whose first words seem to electrify you. If the former 
 may be compared to a gently-flowing stream, his may 
 be likened to a rushing torrent — strong and deep. 
 Fancy, imagination, reason, and, indeed, all the powers 
 of the soul are brought into requisition ; for he not 
 only takes the greatest flights himself, but he also stirs 
 
96 THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, 
 
 up his audience to accompany him. Their inmost 
 souls are fired by his eloquence, and shouts of applause 
 attest the force of his remarks. Though so different 
 to each other, they possess something in common which 
 interests us — something in common which claims our 
 attention. The latter kind of eloquence is that which 
 was possessed by Sheridan, according to the following 
 description, as given of him by Burke : — 
 
 " He has this day surprised the thousands who hung 
 with rapture on his accents, by such an array of talents, 
 such an exhibition of capacity, such a display of 
 powers, as are unparalleled in the annals of oratory ; 
 a display that reflected the highest honour on himself 
 — lustre upon letters — renown upon Parliament — glory 
 upon the country. Of all species of rhetoric, of every 
 kind of eloquence that has been witnessed or recorded, 
 either in ancient or modern times, whatever the acute- 
 ness of the bar, the dignity of the senate, the solidity 
 of the judgment-seat, and the sacred morality of the 
 pulpit have hitherto furnished ; nothing has equalled 
 what we have this day heard. No holy seer of religion, 
 no statesman, no orator, no man of any literary de- 
 scription whatever, has come up, in the one instance, 
 to the pure sentiments of morality ; or, in the other, to 
 that variety of knowledge, force of imagination, pro- 
 priety and vivacity of allusion, beauty and elegance of 
 diction, strength and copiousness of style, pathos and 
 sublimity of conception, to which we this day listened 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 97 
 
 with ardour and admiration. From poetry up to elo- 
 quence, there is not a species of composition of which 
 a complete and perfect specimen might not from that 
 single speech be culled and collected." 
 
 There are other kinds of oratory which may be said 
 to lie between these two above mentioned. But what- 
 ever may be a man's style, a clear, simple, and natural 
 mode of expression, combined with earnestness and 
 gravity in the man, will seldom fail of gaining attention. 
 To sum up all, then, the combinations of a man's style 
 should be clearness and simplicity in the choice of his 
 language, illustration of the subject without conde- 
 scending to wit, and liveliness devoid of buffoonery. 
 There should be energy without rant, solemnity with- 
 out melancholy, comprehensiveness without being prosy, 
 and conciseness without leaving in uncertainty. Let 
 there be an enunciation of great truths, broad princi- 
 ples, and just ideas ; and let there be manifested in the 
 speaker a desire for the public weal, and then his style 
 can hardly fail to captivate and to please. Let there 
 be method and regularity in the arrangement of your 
 discourse, and you will hardly fail to be understood. 
 Some authors, such for instance as Seneca and Mon- 
 taigne, men of great learning and genius, let their 
 remarks and ideas fall promiscuously, being too full to 
 be exact. It has been said of them that " tHey choose to 
 throw down their pearls in heaps before the reader, 
 
 rather than be at the pains of stringing them." But, 
 
 G 
 
98 THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, 
 
 however supportable this may be in such writers as 
 those above mentioned, it is not allowable in a speaker. 
 Tew audiences will be at the trouble to find out the 
 speaker's meaning, from a whole chapter of odds and 
 ends spread out before them. Indeed, nothing appears 
 more perfectly childish, or shews greater proofs of an 
 undisciplined mind, than for a speaker to wander here 
 and there in his remarks, and leave his hearers at a loss 
 to discover his drift and meaning. Adopt, therefore, 
 some method and order in the arrangement of your 
 discourse, and the benefits deriving therefrom will be 
 great, both to yourself and your hearers. To yourself, 
 many thoughts will present themselves which would 
 not have occurred to your mind in taking a general 
 survey of the subject. And such thoughts, being pre- 
 sented in their proper light, and following each other in 
 regular order, will produce their full effect on the minds 
 of the hearers. Tor they will be easily comprehended, 
 taken in with pleasure, retained long in the memory, 
 and, it is to be hoped, will influence the audience for 
 good. 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 99 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 The writer of any work should try, as far as possible, 
 to enter into the feelings and circumstances of his 
 readers ; for it may be supposed that students of the 
 present day read not for mere curiosity alone, but to 
 obtain information, to gain clearer views of any sub- 
 ject, and to derive encouragement and advice from 
 the experience of others. Under these circumstances, 
 the author would here make a few observations on 
 subjects which more or less concern all his readers. 
 It may be thought by some that a work on public 
 speaking, without containing any remarks on the me- 
 mory, the nerves, and the throat, would be incomplete. 
 We will, therefore, devote a chapter to the considera- 
 tion of these subjects. Whoever sends forth a book 
 to the world can hardly expect every one that reads it 
 to sympathise with all the statements therein con- 
 tained. The human mind is so variously constituted 
 that we shall never all think the same, neither will 
 our views of any subject exactly coincide with each 
 other. Far be it from us, therefore, to dogmatise to our 
 readers, or to lay down our opinions as a law. We 
 wish no such thing. Our object is to do good in our 
 day and generation — to urge our readers to the ac- 
 
100 THE PUBLIC SPEAKEE, 
 
 quirement of knowledge, the discipline of the mind, 
 the formation of right opinions, and to incite that 
 numerous class of young men who are, who may be, 
 or who wish to become, public speakers, to pursue 
 such a course throughout as shall enable them to 
 express their ideas in such a manner as shall do the 
 greatest amount of good in the world. Indomitable 
 energy, earnest exertion, strenuous perseverance after 
 whatever is great and noble and good, these should be 
 the mainspring of our actions and lives. 
 
 There are some people who think that a work like 
 the present will tend to draw young men from their 
 regular pursuits, and induce them to rush forward as 
 public speakers and the teachers of others. But for 
 ourselves we have no such fear. The young men of 
 our day are, generally speaking, too cautious and too 
 sensible of the respect of the world to act so unwisely. 
 There may be some pitiable exceptions ; but such is 
 the rule that may be applied to young men generally. 
 There is abroad in the world a spirit of inquiry, which 
 needs cherishing, a desire for knowledge, which should 
 be encouraged, and a restless spirit of action, which 
 requires not merely control, but direction towards a 
 proper channel. And amidst the general upheavings 
 of society, those will be found to have attained the 
 highest and noblest position whose aims and ends are 
 also high and noble, and who have sought to extend 
 and promote that which is the same. We again, there- 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 101 
 
 fore, repeat, that we have seen but little to lead us to 
 suppose that our remarks on public speaking will lead 
 men to act prematurely and rashly in putting them- 
 selves in a prominent position ; but there is, on the 
 other hand, many a young man who has read, who 
 has studied, who has thought, and who needs en- 
 couragement in this respect. We wish, therefore, if 
 possible, to cheer them under failure, to put them in a 
 right course of action, to give encouragement to their 
 endeavours, and otherwise to influence them for good. 
 
 Perhaps some will think that the author takes too 
 much for granted. " He assumes," say they, " that 
 every man has a good memory, strong nerves, and a 
 sound throat ; whereas many have hardly any memory 
 at all, many are too nervous ever to make a speech, 
 and others have too feeble a throat." We will discuss 
 these in detail. 
 
 As regards the memory, if a man cannot make a 
 speech, or deliver a lecture or sermon, without burden- 
 ing his memory with what he has to say, he can hardly 
 expect to make a good speaker at all. If in reading a 
 work we concentrate our thoughts upon it, and lay hold 
 of the principal ideas which it suggests to us, or of the 
 moral which runs through it, we need hardly seek to 
 tax the memory any further. And if, prior to speak- 
 ing, we really make ourselves masters of the subject, 
 and have clearly arranged in our own mind the leading 
 ideas which we wish to bring forward, we need not 
 
102 THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, 
 
 trouble further about the part which the memory will 
 have to perform. For our own part, we should prefer 
 to hear a man who could dilate upon a subject, present 
 it in different lights, and give a variety of illustrations 
 in explanation of his meaning, rather than one who 
 should appear stereotyped in his language, however 
 concise and matter-of-fact that language might be. 
 We have known one or two instances of young men 
 who could repeat a book verbatim from beginning to 
 end, but who, on being questioned, shewed that they 
 knew but little as to its general import and meaning. 
 There occurs to our mind, whilst writing this, an in- 
 stance of a young man whom we met with at the uni- 
 versity, who could repeat from memory the whole of 
 Paley's " Evidences of Christianity," and who, never- 
 theless, when the examination came on, failed in the 
 very book which he could repeat by heart. The truth 
 was, the questions were set in a converse form, conse- 
 quently he could not see through them. Whereas had 
 he grasped hold of the ideas which Paley had in his 
 mind — the things necessary to be proved and the mode 
 of proving them — he would have been prepared for 
 any question on the subject, and have given reasonable 
 and proper answers to them. Of course, the memory 
 has a certain amount of work to do in the delivery of 
 a public speech ; but then it is a memory of no greater 
 power of retention than what is usually possessed by 
 most men that is required. Let it be clearly under- 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 103 
 
 stood what we mean. A memory that shall deliver up ? 
 when called' upon to do so, every word of a speech in 
 its proper place, that had been given to its keeping, is 
 not required. But one that can give forth great prin- 
 ciples, no matter how or when collected, is that which 
 is needed, and that which may be obtained by men 
 generally. It is true there is a great difference between 
 being able to deliver a long lecture or speech from 
 memory and giving a few facts or dates, and such like, 
 the omission of which, or any uncertainty in that re- 
 spect, would at times place a man in a very awkward 
 position ; but men in general have sufficient memory 
 in this respect to fit them for public speaking. And 
 in cases where such is not so, it is, with some few 
 exceptions, owing to the fault of the parties them- 
 selves. Every part of the human constitution, whether 
 it belongs to our physical, moral, or spiritual nature, 
 may be improved and strengthened, or become enfeebled 
 and weak, through our own care and management, or 
 our neglect and abuse. If burdening the memory for 
 a continual series of years, and taxing it beyond its 
 powers of endurance, would impair the general health 
 of the man, so, on the other hand, being indolent in 
 our actions, spending our time in building castles in 
 the air, being intemperate in our mode of living, and 
 indulging in vicious practices, would also impair both 
 mind and body, and degrade our whole spiritual nature. 
 If, however, a man really wish to improve his 
 
104* THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, 
 
 memory, he must adopt means to that end. The first 
 step is rigid temperance in his mode of living — mode- 
 ration in eating, in drinking, and sleeping. There 
 should be early retiring to rest, and early rising in 
 the morning. There should be a moderate amount of 
 exercise given to the memory, so as not to burden it, 
 and the mind should be thoroughly disciplined and 
 trained. We should seek to acquire concentration of 
 thought ; for until we can do so, our general reading 
 will profit us little. The mind, like other things, needs 
 the government of the will, and when the latter is 
 brought to bear upon it, it duly performs its task. 
 Without concentration of thought we may read a book 
 over and over again before we grasp hold of its 
 leading features and ideas ; and in making a speech, 
 our minds would wander here and there, to the con- 
 fusion rather than the edification of our hearers. We 
 sum up, therefore, by saying that strict temperance, 
 disciplining and training the mind to a habit of con- 
 centration of thought, and a moderate exercise of the 
 memory, are the chief rules to be observed for its 
 improvement. 
 
 And this we urge upon all, not simply because it 
 will promote our ends, but because it is right, and 
 will tend to ennoble the man. Indeed, there are few 
 of our moral faculties, the cultivation of which will 
 afford us greater pleasure, both here and hereafter, 
 than that of the memory. We look back upon our 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 105 
 
 past lives and re-people the world again with those 
 of our former companions, who have either long since 
 gone to their last resting-place, or who are separated 
 from us by distance. Once more we seem to live in 
 the past. Again we seem to hear the merry voices 
 and laugh of those we loved, and again we seem to 
 live in their midst. We recall some act of kindness on 
 our part which brought forth an approval, or some act 
 of unkindness which caused pain. There are the kind 
 deeds and loving words which give us pleasure to recall 
 to mind, and there are the harsh tones of unkindness 
 which we wish perhaps to forget, and are not able. 
 We arouse ourselves again to what is stirring around 
 us, and feel sad; but learn, nevertheless, a lesson, 
 We learn to look on our friends as lent to us, and 
 to treat them kindly and lovingly ; we feel the pain 
 which unkindness and wrong leave behind, and learn 
 to shun them. . 
 
 But how great will be the pleasure which the glori- 
 fied Christian shall derive from memory in the world 
 to come ! As he takes his stand on the heights above, 
 and looks back on the way in which he has been 
 led, and remembers that here were dangers, and there 
 were foes, all of which he has escaped ; when he sees 
 that, at one time, mercies were given to bless him, 
 and, at another, trials were sent to prove his faith ; 
 when he then sees more clearly how oft he strayed, 
 and how frequently he sinned and did amiss, — how 
 
] 06 THE PUBLIC SPEAKEK, 
 
 will his praise and adoration ascend to Him that spared 
 him, and led him all his journey through ! To con- 
 verse with those of whom he read and heard on earth 
 — to renew acquaintance with loved ones from whom 
 death for a time separated, and to recall the conversa- 
 tions which he had when tabernacling in the flesh — to 
 remember difficulties in the pursuit of knowledge 
 when he knew in part, and saw as through a glass 
 darkly those things which he then sees face to face 
 — to remember those sighings after perfection, and 
 greater likeness of spirit to Him who then dwells in 
 his midst — to think how sin at one time humbled, 
 how Satan tempted and tried, and how sorrow cast 
 him down, — all this we think will enhance the blessed- 
 ness of heaven, and is a power of the memory which 
 is here well worth trying to cultivate. Hopes will 
 then be realised, and faith will be swallowed up in 
 enjoyment ; but the memory will continue to exercise 
 her powers, and to look back upon the experience of 
 her past existence. 
 
 We come now to what will be thought by many a 
 most important subject, when taken into consideration 
 with public speaking ; and that is the state of a man's 
 nerves. To speak of the nerves themselves is, perhaps, 
 a physician's department rather than otherwise ; we 
 shall therefore confine ourselves chiefly to their effects ; 
 and in doing so we would speak with the greatest 
 caution, and with all due consideration to men's feel- 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 107 
 
 ings. To cry down all feelings of nervousness would 
 be folly, as it would be deriding facts, and which, in 
 some instances, are painful ones too. We will there- 
 fore be just, and try to take an impartial view of the 
 case. 
 
 It must be admitted that there are either more cases 
 of nervousness in our day than at any other period of 
 our history, or that we hear more of it than was heard 
 of it before. The truth, then, is, either that there are 
 more cases, or that the disease existed to the same 
 extent as before, but that in our day the right name is 
 applied to it. The disease, or weakness, or whatever 
 we choose to call it, is of such a painful nature that 
 the object of it is entitled to our greatest sympathy 
 and forbearance. In one instance it manifests itself 
 in the mind, in another the body, in a third in both 
 mind and body. One man's nervousness is seen in great 
 anxiety of mind- — " making mountains of mole-hills,'' 
 and troubles where there are none. In another there 
 is great fear of danger, which seems to lurk in every 
 quarter, and which is seen at every turning. Another 
 will have great fear and trembling at the very thought 
 of coming before an audience, or at being put into 
 a prominent position. Whilst others are more or less 
 subject to all these feelings combined. One man has 
 an abundance of spirits, and is void of anxiety or 
 melancholy, but would fear a straw that was placed in 
 his way. Another would be bold, and fear no danger 
 
108 THE PUBLIC SPEAKEK, 
 
 whatever, but would dread the thought of making a 
 speech. Others there are who would speak before an 
 audience, however great, without fear or nervousness, 
 and would, nevertheless, be the prey to fear, anxiety, 
 and doubt. Nervousness, as it affects public speaking, 
 is really all that a writer on elocution would have to 
 consider ; but the remarks which we shall make will, 
 we trust, be serviceable to all our readers. We think 
 that all will agree with us when we state that cases 
 of diseased, weak, or shattered nerves, are far more 
 numerous in our day than at any other period ; and 
 that, too, when the excess of population is taken into 
 consideration. The points, then, to be considered are, 
 what is the cause ? and what is the remedy ? 
 
 The nerves are the organs of sensation, having their 
 seat in the brain, and passing to all parts of the body. 
 Whatever, therefore, acts upon the brain, acts, to some 
 extent, upon the nervous system also, and conversely. 
 Now, how far a child may inherit its parent's constitu- 
 tion and habits of thought, need not here be considered ; 
 but we shall only treat of how far each individual may 
 impair or strengthen that nervous system with which 
 he came into the world. The artificial mode of living 
 which now prevails — the dwelling in warm houses from 
 which every current of fresh air is with care excluded 
 — the over-burdening the body with garments on every 
 occasion of going into the open air — the long hours 
 given to sleep, and those very frequently the best of 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 109 
 
 the twenty- four — the too little exercise we take — the 
 frequent use of warm water instead of cold for ablution 
 — the sedentary habits or pursuits which prevail at the 
 present day — and, above all, the constant wear and 
 tear and exercise of the brain,- — these we consider to 
 be the chief, if not the sole cause of diseased nerves, 
 further than what may be inherited from our parents. 
 Hence females who spend most of their time in-door s, 
 in reading and sedentary pursuits, clerks, students, and 
 schoolmasters, as also those that have any stress of the 
 mind or continued study, are those who are generally 
 enervated, timid, and weak. The brain is supposed to 
 be the seat of the mind, being also the centre of the 
 nervous system; it follows that a diseased nervous 
 system must affect the brain, and as a sequence the 
 mind also. It may also be assumed that the mind 
 being once diseased, produces a reaction on the nerves, 
 and thus the two go on reacting upon each other, 
 paralysing and destroying each other's power. 
 
 It will be thought by some that this is rather an 
 extreme view to take of the case ; but it is almost 
 impossible to exaggerate the painful condition of those 
 that have "high-strung," "diseased," or "shattered 5 ' 
 nerves. If it be true that the mind and the body 
 sympathise with each other, which all must admit, 
 then that which would affect the health of the body 
 must also impair the tone of the mind, and vice versa. 
 " A sound mind in a sound body " is not only that 
 
110 THE PUBLIC SPEAKEK, 
 
 which should be sought after by all, but it is seldom 
 that one exists without the other. It is true that many 
 clever, learned, intellectual men have an apparently 
 sound mind, and one, too, that is gifted with extra- 
 ordinary powers, coupled, at the same time, with a weak 
 nervous system; but still, we think, there must be 
 some point of weakness through which the disease will 
 manifest itself at times. It is also true that there are 
 strong, robust, country men, who enjoy perfect health, 
 and who are, nevertheless, superstitious and easily 
 terrified. They fear no bodily harm, or mortal foe; 
 but a man of learning may easily, by some scientific 
 experiment, alarm a whole host of them, weak and 
 nervous though he be himself. But this may be 
 attributed to their extreme ignorance, and the fact that 
 their minds have never been strengthened and developed 
 by a moderate amount of exercise and training. With 
 reading, and an enlightened mind, their mental powers 
 would be as strong as those of the body ; for it is a 
 proof of the darkness of the mind rather than of its 
 feebleness and disease. 
 
 We are not writing a medical treatise, but as we 
 have given a few causes of weak nervous systems, we 
 would also suggest a few rules to be adopted as a 
 remedy. The will, then, must be brought to bear upon 
 the mind, or if it be considered that the will is an 
 operation of the mind, which we need not discuss, the 
 mind must be brought to bear upon itself, and outward 
 

 AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. Ill 
 
 remedies applied to the body. Or in other words, the 
 will must brace up the mind, and a rational mode of 
 treatment must brace up the body. A vigorous deter- 
 mination not to give way to the doubts, the fears, and 
 melancholy forebodings of the mind — a firm trust in 
 and dependence upon a Divine Providence— a mind 
 strengthened by religious principle, by holy love and 
 prayer, — these, we think, are the rules to be observed 
 for the fortifying and strengthening of the mind. But 
 there must also be a proper attention paid to the body, 
 for God has created us reasonable beings, and He 
 therefore expects us to act as such. Plenty of out-door 
 exercise, walking, gardening, active sport, and real 
 manual labour, proportioned, of course, to the strength 
 of the individual — early rising, and early retiring to 
 rest, the time spent in bed never exceeding eight hours 
 — a cold bath every morning, and plenty of grooming 
 and exercise afterwards — the strictest temperance in 
 plain, substantial food — avoiding over-heated and ill- 
 ventilated rooms, excess of clothing, and soft, downy 
 beds, a good comfortable mattress being by far the 
 best — freedom from too much stress of mind, — indeed, 
 though we have never ourselves been under any regime 
 of medical treatment, yet we hear that in many hydro- 
 pathic establishments nervous patients are not per- 
 mitted to exercise the brain at all, no not even light 
 reading or a game of draughts is allowed, — these we 
 think to be the best means of strengthening not the 
 
112 THE PUBLIC SPEAKEB, 
 
 nervous system only, but the general health of the 
 body. As regards the use of medicine, we do not con- 
 demn it. There will, perhaps, be times when it will be 
 required; but if a man would carry out the above rules 
 he would rarely need medical assistance. Indeed, a 
 man should depend on himself for health, rather than 
 the doctor, and the less need he has of medicine, the 
 stronger will his health and constitution become. And 
 the above rules are of so simple a nature, and so en- 
 tirely within the reach of every one to carry out, that 
 we have no hesitation in recommending them. And 
 when we come to think of that greatest of earthly bless- 
 ings, good health — of the power which it gives to the 
 mind, the amount of work, both mental and bodily, 
 which it enables a man to carry out — and of the strict 
 account which we shall hereafter have to give of it, as 
 to how we have preserved, improved, and employed it, — 
 we think that every means which we have within our 
 reach for its preservation and improvement should be 
 thankfully embraced and rightly made use o£ 
 
 Perhaps we might be thought severe if we also 
 stated that either there are more cases of diseased 
 throats in our day, or that people fancy their throats 
 are diseased. To a person that has to stand up in 
 pubEc and address his fellow-men either as a preacher 
 or lecturer, a sore throat must be a great affliction, and 
 such a person needs all our commiseration. We know 
 there are many excellent men in the world who desire 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 113 
 
 to spend and to be spent in works of philanthropy and 
 the cause of God, but who are unable to accomplish 
 that which they would, from what has been called "the 
 parson's sore throat." Here, again, we would keep 
 clear of grounds which belong to the medical profes- 
 sion, and enter those only which are common to all. 
 There are, no doubt, several kinds of sore or relaxed 
 throats, commonly so called. The author can only 
 speak of one, besides that which usually attends a 
 violent cold, and that is the one he was afflicted with, 
 and with which the generality of sore-throated speakers 
 are also afflicted. After being in orders some few 
 months, the author began to feel a peculiar sensation 
 in the throat, which went on increasing to a painful 
 degree for the next two years. Many and many an 
 uneasy hour has it caused' him, fearing that he would 
 be entirely laid up, and obliged to desist from clerical 
 work altogether. Had he been a man of fortune, he 
 would probably have given way to the fear : as it was 
 he fought against it; but no one, except those similarly 
 afflicted, can tell the extreme pain which he endured. 
 Throughout this work he has spoken from experience 
 and his own success, and therefore he gives his re- 
 marks for the encouragement of others. And from the 
 pain which he endured in the throat, and his ultimate 
 freedom from it, no one need ever despair. To de- 
 scribe the feelings, he cannot do better than take his 
 readers back to their childhood's days. Perhaps all, 
 
114 THE PUBLIC SPEAKEK, 
 
 when children, have experienced some trouble or sor- 
 row, which for the time filled the heart with bitterness. 
 It was when keeping in the tears, and stemming back 
 the torrent of grief, that a painful choking sensation 
 of fulness was felt in the throat, to the almost entire 
 hindrance of speech. It was this same kind of feeling, 
 to a very painful degree, which the author felt during 
 ■the first two years or more of his ministry, and which 
 very much affected his voice at the time, making it 
 hoarse and husky, so that it was perceived by all who 
 knew him. 
 
 But our readers will say, " Tell us not of the pain, 
 but of the cause and the cure/' The cause, then, is 
 nothing but nervousness, and the cure depends partly 
 on the man himself, and partly on his experience as a 
 public speaker. There may be some that object to 
 this as the cause, and say that they have felt the same 
 sensations, but no feeling of nervousness. So they 
 may think, but this is, in fact, the way in which their 
 nervousness shews itself. There may be, it is true, 
 some little irritation of the throat from over-exertion, 
 and the feelings may be slightly different from those 
 above stated ; but these are, in general, the kind, and 
 the cause is generally the same. The author's experi- 
 ence proves it, for whenever he thought of the Sun- 
 day's duty^ this feeling would arise in the throat, and 
 all the time he was in the desk he had it, together with 
 the usual tremor, but no sooner had he ascended the 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 115 
 
 pulpit than both, left him immediately. In one person 
 nervousness shews itself in the throat, and as a 
 sequence in the voice; in another, in extreme dizzi- 
 ness ; in another, by a violent trembling ; in another, 
 it affects the eyesight. A clergyman remarked to the 
 author, the other day, that, " when first taking orders, 
 and ascending the pulpit, he could not see a word of 
 his manuscript — that once he had dismissed the con- 
 gregation without a sermon — once he had broken 
 down in attempting to give it — once he had fainted 
 away altogether, and that for several years he had 
 experienced a dimness of sight at such times." We 
 again, therefore, repeat, that there may be other 
 feelings of sore throat, but there is hardly a doubt but 
 that they arise from the sensitiveness of the nervous 
 system. It is in vain to gargle, or to rest from labour 
 as the means of cure ; for though they may afford a 
 temporary respite, they will fail to accomplish a per- 
 manent cure. To one that is so afflicted, we would 
 say, get a fresh sphere of work, so that no old associa- 
 tions may remind you of the feeling ; begin, as it 
 were, anew — brace up the mind and body, and make 
 a strong determination not to give way — and the 
 mind being thus fortified, the continued ' experience 
 in the work of public speaking will generally banish 
 the feeling from the throat. It may appear strange to 
 some of our readers that we recommend a new sphere 
 of duty, but in our case we tried hard to overcome the 
 
116 THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, 
 
 feeling at the first sphere, but in vain ; and even now, 
 when we take an occasional duty in the same church, 
 the old feelings, though to a less degree, come into the 
 throat. There is a kind of sore throat brought on by 
 the stooping position in which some men read in 
 public and preach from manuscript. This stooping 
 position is not only unnatural, but it also causes the 
 whole force of the lungs to impinge upon the side of 
 the throat, and thus to produce pain and irritation. 
 To speak with ease, to be well heard, to favour the 
 chest and throat, the speaker should keep his lungs 
 inflated, stand in an erect position, and not make too 
 long sentences or speak too fast. These, we think, 
 are not only the best means of favouring the lecturer, 
 and thus making the task of speaking much easier, but 
 it is also a more dignified position, and more in 
 character with the office of a speaker, at the same 
 time that it enables the audience to hear more dis- 
 tinctly, and gives them time to lay hold of the 
 speaker's remarks and meaning. The best way, in- 
 deed, for a speaker to be independent of the memory 
 in speaking, to banish all feelings of nervousness, 
 and all painful sensations from the throat when they 
 arise from a feeling of nervousness, is to feel the 
 responsibility of the office devolving upon him, to 
 forget himself, and to think of nothing else but how 
 he may benefit his hearers. He should be willing to 
 be himself nothing, that God may be everything ; and 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 117 
 
 to be himself cast down, that the cause of philan- 
 thropy and Christianity may be promoted and ex- 
 tended in the earth. And if he be a well-read man — 
 one who has disciplined the mind to a concentration 
 of thought — who has stored it with useful knowledge 
 — who has endeavoured to fit himself for the position 
 which he occupies, so as not to feel he has mistaken 
 his office, or is in the wrong place — and if, in addition 
 to this, his object be to benefit mankind, he will 
 endeavour to give right impressions, to instil principles 
 for good within the souls of his hearers, and to im- 
 prove their moral and spiritual nature. "My little 
 children/' says St Paul, "of whom I travail in birth 
 until Christ be formed in you." This should be the 
 spirit in which we stand up to address our fellow- 
 men ; and if we can take this with us into the study, 
 the pulpit, and on to the platform, we shall depend 
 less on memory, we shall feel less tremor and nervous- 
 ness, and, perhaps, we may add, less of the sore throat, 
 and be undoubtedly eloquent. 
 
118 THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Haying given a few general directions on subjects 
 which we think of importance when considered with 
 respect to extempore speaking, we would conclude our 
 remarks by saying a few words as to the object which 
 every orator should keep in view. Throughout this 
 work, the art of speaking has been treated of as one 
 that may be acquired. And why should this be thought 
 strange ground to take ? By manly exercise we 
 strengthen the body, develop the muscle, and inure 
 ourselves to the undergoing of toils which one who is 
 accustomed to an inactive life would faint under. By 
 mental exercise we discipline the mind, and train it to 
 a course of right thinking, correct reasoning, and im- 
 partial judgment. By a proper exercise and discipline 
 of any gift or faculty, whether of mind or body, we 
 develop and strengthen it. But, by neglecting our men- 
 tal or bodily powers, and letting them lie waste, they 
 only become stunted, dwarfish, and of a miserable 
 growth. Indeed, it seems to be a part of the divine 
 wisdom, that the germs only of powers and gifts should 
 be intrusted to us ; and that they should increase and 
 grow, or languish and die, according as we ourselves 
 cherished and rightly used them, or neglected and 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 119 
 
 abused them. For as the infant is the father of the 
 man, to be developed and led onwards to manhood by 
 nourishing diet, moderate exercise, and surrounding in- 
 fluences ; so also are the powers of the mind and soul 
 to be trained in like manner, namely, by mental and spiri- 
 tual food and culture, and other surrounding influences 
 for good. And to discipline and train the mind, to de- 
 velop and strengthen the powers of the soul, to culti- 
 vate and cherish the nobler parts of our nature, to 
 encourage and bring out all that is noble, elevating and 
 good within us, and to crucify, stifle, and resist, all that 
 is degrading to the man, must be no more than what 
 an almighty Being, who created us, would require. 
 
 No one can doubt but that man, from the very 
 nature and construction of his body, was made for 
 labour. Neither can any one doubt but that, from our 
 relationships to one another, and our mutual depend- 
 ences, each one has a work to do, and a mission to 
 fulfil. It cannot, therefore, but be pleasing to God, 
 when He sees a man not only anxious to ascertain what 
 his work or mission is, and combating with all obstacles 
 that would hinder him in the doing or fulfilling of it, 
 but when He also sees him endeavouring to fit himself 
 fordoing it nobly and well, and as "one that must give 
 an account/' Most certainly we have each one a work 
 to do, a mission to fulfil, duties to discharge, which 
 have been marked out for us by our Creator, for which 
 we have to a certain extent been fitted, and which no 
 
120 THE PUBLIC SPEAKEK, 
 
 one else could do or discharge so well as ourselves. 
 And here let it be understood that what has been said 
 has not been with reference to any particular part of a 
 man's duty or office, but with respect to his work and 
 duties when taken as a whole. From the highest in- 
 telligences clown to the meanest work of creation there 
 is one continued chain of cause and effect ; any link of 
 which being broken, would destroy the harmony and 
 beauty of the whole. " Nothing has been created in 
 vain," is an old and true saying; least of all, therefore, 
 has any individual man. Let no one, then, think that 
 he is occupying an indifferent position in the scale of 
 creation, or that he can neglect with impunity the 
 discharge of his duties ; but let each one " in his own 
 vocation and calling/' endeavour to ennoble his position 
 in life, to do the work which God has given him to do, 
 and to do it with all his might. And as regards the 
 perfecting and fitting of himself for that work, much 
 will depend on his own resolutions and energies. For, 
 instead of man being exactly fitted and prepared for 
 his work by the workings of nature, it seems to be a 
 part of divine Providence that he should be disciplined 
 and trained, even for the fulfilling of his mission, by 
 care, and labour, and pains on his own part. And it 
 cannot be doubted that since man is a reasonable and 
 responsible being, he is still further ennobled, and God 
 still further glorified, than if he had been created as an 
 automaton, in the full development of his powers, to 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 121 
 
 go through his work and to discharge his duties in a 
 mechanical manner. How many noble instances have 
 there been in the world of manly strivings against 
 poverty and misfortune, of learning being acquired un- 
 der difficulties, and of greatness being achieved in spite 
 of the opposition and reproach of the times in which 
 they lived! How many examples have we seen of 
 patient endurance, of earnest exertion, and of Christian 
 fortitude ! Wherein has been manifested and proved 
 how Christianity supports, and what an indomitable 
 spirit, bent on doing that which is good, can accom- 
 plish. In numberless instances have poverty and trial 
 been ennobled, human nature dignified, and God hon- 
 oured and glorified by the vigorous strivings and suc- 
 cess of a determined, persevering man. Such instances 
 may be compared to a soldier scaling the walls of a 
 besieged fortress, boldly facing dangers and death, 
 beating down his enemies one after another, and plant- 
 ing at the last, his banner on the embattled heights in 
 token of his success. 
 
 The art of speaking well is, commonly speaking, 
 more an acquirement than a gift. Gifts, indeed, there 
 must be, but they are such as are common to most 
 men, have been liberally bestowed, and were doubtless 
 given that mankind should devote them to the noblest 
 ends and acquirements. And nothing can be a greater 
 acquirement than to be able to speak in such a manner 
 as shall gain the ears of our fellow-men., keep their 
 
122 THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, 
 
 attention, and excite them with feelings of moral virtue 
 and rectitude. But great as this may be, it is no 
 more than what thousands might accomplish, if they 
 would only bring care and determination to bear on 
 the subject. Having said thus much concerning the 
 attaining to and acquiring of this art, let us now say a 
 few words as to the value of it, or, perhaps, we should 
 rather say, the responsibility devolving on him that has 
 acquired it. Of the value of this art we need say but 
 little, for most men would acknowledge it to be an 
 acquirement of the greatest worth. But let us remind 
 our reader that the responsibility is as great as the 
 value. Indeed, wherever a thing has been bestowed or 
 acquired, there also are a trust and a responsibility. 
 And it behoves the possessor of it to treasure it with 
 care, to make a good and diligent use of it, and to put 
 it to good account. 
 
 Constituted as society is at present, and in the pres- 
 ent state of the moral atmosphere, we need hardly fear 
 such evil consequences from the contaminating effects 
 of one man of depraved taste and mind on the one 
 hand; nor, on the other, can we expect so great and 
 beneficial results from the exalted virtue and goodness 
 of another, however great their powers of eloquence, 
 as might have been expected at another period of our 
 history. Among the upper ranks of society, we find 
 many who have arisen entirely by their own merits 
 and deservings ; unaided by royal influence or court 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 1 28 
 
 patronage, apart from their worth, but promoted and 
 raised on account of their virtuous action, their zeal 
 for their country's good, and their success in the pur- 
 suit of knowledge, science, or art. Such also is the 
 moral tone of the nation, that public feeling runs in 
 favour of those who cherish within and around them" 
 influences for good, and who strive to improve the 
 well-being of their species. It is, indeed, discouraging 
 to go into some districts, or overgrown parishes and 
 towns, and to see how ignorance and vice prevail, 
 and how feebly light and truth seem to be struggling 
 against the almost heathen darkness which prevails in 
 those places. But on glancing at society at large, and 
 comparing its moral and spiritual state with those of 
 society in a former period, as may be learnt from 
 books written at that time, we must conclude that not 
 only have science and art wonderfully increased around 
 us, but that knowledge, religion, and virtue have in- 
 creased in like proportion. We must also admit, that 
 never was there a greater thirst after knowledge than 
 in this our day, and never were patient industry, and 
 striving in the pursuit of it, more liberally encouraged 
 and rewarded than at present. So that whilst such is 
 the case — whilst philanthropy, earnest diligence, and 
 moral virtue are rewarded according to their deserv- 
 ings, and whilst the public voice is so ready to denounce 
 and expose what is false, degrading, and unmanly — we 
 need hardly fear the evil effects of an individual of 
 
124 THE PUBLIC SPEAKEE, 
 
 corrupt taste and mind, nor can we expect to see such 
 visible effects from the workings of a man of contrary 
 virtue. 
 
 But still, notwithstanding all these present advan- 
 tages, the gift of eloquence, whether natural or acquired, 
 is a responsible one to the possessor of it — to be used 
 for his own and his fellow- creatures' good, or to prove 
 to his own hurt and others' eternal ruin. For although 
 goodness and worth are appreciated among us, and 
 wickedness and vice, injustice and falsehood, are ex- 
 posed and condemned; yet noble gifts and acquire- 
 ments put to a bad account will produce long and 
 lasting effects. For like as when a stone is cast into a 
 pool of water, and causes a succession of little circles 
 and eddyings, which go on increasing and widening till 
 they reach the water's edge ; so the evil counsel and 
 bad example of one man will cause evil principles to 
 arise, which will go on increasing and strengthening as 
 long as the world shall last. And like as when we 
 attempt to trace some river to its source, we find that 
 its waters have been swollen by numberless small 
 tributary streams, so that, as we proceed onwards in 
 our upward search, we find that its first risings are 
 almost altogether lost to us. So, conversely, the force 
 of holy example, the cheering words of kindness and 
 advice, the magnanimity of soul, the philanthropic 
 efforts of one man, will cause effects which shall run 
 into different channels, fertilising and influencing 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 12-5 
 
 wherever they go, till the whole world shall become 
 fertilised and refreshed by their spirit, and which shall 
 be felt as long as the world shall last. And just as 
 one or other of these influences shall prevail, or rather 
 just as the causes of these respective influences prevail 
 the one over the other, so also in proportion will truth, 
 justice, and morality, or wickedness, injustice, and 
 wrong prevail among us. It has been supposed by 
 some historians that the great French revolution was 
 chiefly brought about by the writings of Voltaire. If 
 such be the case, who can tell where and when the 
 influence and results of his "writings will end ? When 
 we come to think upon that horrible event, what a 
 frightful scene presents itself to the imagination ! The 
 destruction of property, the hindrance of commerce 
 and agriculture, the breaking up and dispersing of 
 ruined families, the shedding of torrents of human 
 blood, the violated hearth, the demolished temple, and 
 the fallen throne, are among the chief features of the 
 scene ; whilst in the back-ground may be discerned 
 hostile nations in battle array — brother striving with 
 brother unto death — the mother and widow bewailing 
 some lost one, and cities and villages in flames. And 
 even now, though more than half-a-century has passed 
 away since that time, the passions which were then 
 aroused have not settled down, nor have the principles 
 which were then promulgated disappeared from among 
 us ; but instability in present affairs, change, and war, 
 
126 THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, 
 
 are omens which seem to hover over Europe, as the 
 results of that direful period. It will be said by some 
 that such a revolution is nothing more than a painful 
 ordeal which all nations must pass through at one time 
 or another of their existence — that it was the destroy- 
 ing of old abuses which the cause of civilisation and 
 freedom demanded — that it was a step in the right 
 direction, in that it freed the serf, overthrew an aris- 
 tocratic despotism, and destroyed a kingly power which 
 was absolute — that the excesses, the cruelties, and blood- 
 shed were no more than a just retribution from those 
 who had long been ground down and oppressed by 
 tyranny and wrong, and who perceived at last that they 
 were free. These and many similar excuses will be 
 made in favour of it which cannot be discussed at 
 present ; but the above instance has been given as a 
 proof of what one man may bring about. 
 
 And who shall say when and where that glorious /m 
 Kef ormation, which was begun by a Wycliffe, a Luther, 
 and a Melancthon, and which was still further advanced 
 by our own " noble army of martyrs " giving their tes- 
 timony to it and sealing it with their blood — who, it 
 may be asked, can tell when and where it shall cease 
 to be felt? Who can tell how much Christian zeal 
 and love, how much true evangelical purity and morality, 
 how much godliness and piety which at present exist 
 in the world, are owing to the labours of Whitefield, 
 Wesley, Simeon, Venn, and many other clergymen of 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 127 
 
 our Church who lived at that period ? They have gone 
 to their rest, but their spirit still rests on the world, 
 and the influence of their lives is strengthening and 
 widening still. They have departed, but their names 
 will be household words for ages, and the effects of 
 their labours will be felt as long as the world shall 
 last. Peace be to the memories of such men as these ! 
 They stand in the foremost ranks of God's heroes, yea, 
 and of the world's heroes too, and will shine as stars 
 in the kingdom of heaven. 
 
 It is a tenet of the Church of Eome that a man will 
 suffer in purgatory not only till he himself is purified 
 from the sins which he committed when on earth, but 
 till the evil influence of his life and labours has worn 
 out and entirely disappeared from the earth. And, 
 although — as Edward Irving so beautifully expresses 
 it — " there is no purgatory to purge away the spiritual 
 dross your spirits are incrusted with and make you 
 clean for heaven " — although " it is not true that after 
 a season the prince of the bottomless pit will hand you 
 at length to heaven " — yet this in itself, were it true, 
 would be sufficient, we think, to restrain men from 
 evil, and to incite them to do that which is good. As 
 was before said, then, perhaps it is not to be expected 
 that such direful effects will be produced by one man 
 of depraved taste and mind, nor, on the other hand, 
 that such universal impressions for good will result from 
 
1 28 THE PUBLIC SPEAKEE, 
 
 the man of a pure and virtuous mind as at any other 
 period of our history, however eloquent they may be ; 
 but enough has been said to shew that all men are 
 more or less influencing their neighbours for good or 
 evil, and that none can pass through the world without 
 leaving " footprints on the sands of time/' Such being 
 the case, we may expect that when a bad or a good 
 example is set by one that possesses an agreeable and 
 captivating manner — when bad or good advice comes 
 enforced by all the eloquence of some powerful orator, 
 the effects produced will be great in proportion. And, 
 surely, to have it in our power to direct our fellow- 
 men in the paths of learning, or in forming right ideas 
 — to incite to earnest action and a steady and an up- 
 right course — to cheer the drooping spirits of those 
 bowed down by anxiety and failure — and to raise the 
 fallen in life's journey — must be well worth living for, 
 and pleasing in the sight of God. We may go on and 
 say that, to comfort the sorrowful and desponding — 
 to rouse the dormant faculties of the listless and inac- 
 tive, and of those whose soul and spirit have long been 
 sluggish within them — to picture moral virtue and 
 goodness in all their loveliness and beauty — to exhibit 
 evil and wrong in all their deformity, and the frightful 
 consequences which they entail on their followers in 
 their truest light — is the highest work to which man 
 can devote his powers, at the same time that it brings 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 129 
 
 with it a great amount of responsibility. And to those 
 who are ministers of the sanctuary we would say with 
 Christmas, in his work on preaching : — 
 
 " Every man undertaking this high and holy office 
 should be thoroughly persuaded of its inherent dignity 
 and importance ; while willing to humble himself, he 
 should ever, like the apostle, magnify his office. If he 
 allow himself to fancy, even for a moment, that any 
 other is equal to it in solemn and august dignity, he 
 is committing an act of treachery towards it. He is 
 God's minister, Christ's ambassador ; his position is at 
 once regal and sacerdotal — his message is divine — his 
 commission is stamped with the seal of heaven's 
 chancery. The Lord who sends him is the Prince of 
 Peace, and his object is the salvation of souls." 
 
 This needs no comment. Every man who is thus 
 employed should bring every faculty which he possesses 
 to the work, so as to reach the minds and hearts of all. 
 Winning by gentleness and love, exhorting with all 
 earnestness, denouncing sin in terms of withering scorn 
 and condemnation, preaching and teaching concerning 
 the kingdom of God. But what shall we say to those 
 who are otherwise engaged as lecturers — who possess 
 great powers of eloquence, but who devote them to a 
 wrong purpose? We think this class of orators is 
 extremely small in our day. It is well, for language 
 can hardly be found strong enough to condemn the 
 practice of devoting noble gifts and acquirements to a 
 
130 THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, 
 
 wrong purpose. To lead others astray — to fire one 
 nation with feelings of deadly hatred against another, 
 or one man against his fellow — to hold up religion and 
 virtue to contempt, and to spread the principles of infi- 
 delity abroad in the world — to rouse all the bad feelings 
 and passions of an ignorant multitude against the peace- 
 ful and more orderly members of the state, is to incur a 
 fearful amount of punishment which will fall hereafter 
 with a terrible weight on the head of the guilty. To 
 have the germs of gifts, and never attempt to develop 
 and perfect them, or talents, and neglect them, is bad ; 
 but to perfect them and employ them in a bad cause 
 is worse. To see around us misery and sorrow with- 
 out trying to relieve the one or to comfort those bowed 
 down by the other — to see wickedness and wrong rear- 
 ing their head, and fail to rebuke them — to see de- 
 spondency and doubt without speaking a word to 
 cheer and to raise up those who are thus cast down — ■ 
 shews a selfish and narrow spirit ; but to lead to ruin 
 and misery in this world, and to sorrow and spiritual 
 death in another — to raise anarchy and division among 
 the orderly and loyal, and the sneer and contempt 
 against the holy and good — in one word, to do injury 
 to man and the cause of God, shews a misanthropic 
 spirit, and a profane and wicked mind. 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. ] 31 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 It may not be amiss if we here give, in conclusion, a 
 few extracts taken from other works, some of which 
 have reference to what has gone before ; and others 
 as being fine specimens of composition, and which 
 will, therefore, not be out of place in a work on elocu- 
 tion. In a work on " Preachers and Preaching/' by 
 the Eev. H. Christmas, he has the following words : — 
 " What is meant in the present day by extempore 
 preaching is not the getting into a pulpit altogether 
 unprepared, and preaching according to the whim or 
 presumed inspiration of the moment, but simply the 
 discarding the presence of the written discourse ; and 
 the question at issue is no other than this — Ought a 
 sermon to be read or spoken ? No member of Parlia- 
 ment thinks of reading his speech — no barrister thinks 
 of reading his defence of his client — indeed, in neither 
 case would the practice be permitted — and why, then, 
 it is urged, should it be adopted by the ministers of 
 the Church? The admitted advantages of speaking 
 over reading are, first, the greater power which it gives 
 of riveting the attention of the congregation. It is 
 manifest that if I go to any man and tell him that I 
 have somewhat to say to him which is of great import- 
 
132 THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, 
 
 ance to his welfare, he will be much more disposed to 
 listen to me if I look him in the face and tell him 
 what my mind is — as the Germans expressly say, be- 
 tween four eyes — than if I take a paper from my 
 pocket and read it to him. The latter proceeding 
 could have but one excuse — namely, that a record was 
 necessary of the ' ipsissima verba which passed be- 
 tween us ; in which case, as an ambassador does with 
 a secretary of state, I must leave him a copy of my 
 communication. The speaker, too, as contradistin- 
 guished from the reader, can see what effect his state- 
 ments are making on the minds of his auditory ; he 
 can freshen their attention, if he find it begins to flag, 
 by some change of voice or gesture, by some apt illus- 
 tration, some striking anecdote ; if he is soaring above 
 their comprehension, he can come down to their level ; 
 if he be too commonplace, and losing his hold upon 
 them, he can — always supposing him equal to the 
 situation — elevate his language or subject, or both. 
 Another advantage is the appearance of sincerity and 
 earnest feeling which it gives. Deep emotion ought 
 always to appear not only to spring from the heart, 
 but to originate at the moment. Enthusiasm con- 
 cocted in the study on Thursday or Friday, and then 
 warmed up in the pulpit on Sunday, may be — very 
 often is — a real and genuine feeling ; but it does not 
 appear so in the same degree as the words which seem 
 to come unpremeditated, and to arise out of the emo- 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 133 
 
 tions of the moment. It is hardly expected — can 
 hardly be expected — that the feelings should retain 
 their glow so long after the expression of them has 
 been committed to paper. Another advantage which 
 the extempore preacher possesses is, that he is at 
 liberty to adopt that quiet, graceful, and dignified 
 .amount of action, the want of which makes most ser- 
 mons so cold, so dry, and so unattractive/' 
 
 In another place, when speaking of men who, from 
 their nervous timidity, or their slowness of conception, 
 or from other causes, are unable to preach extempore, 
 he says : — 
 
 "We have no hesitation in saying that it is only 
 through a bad custom that such men occupy the 
 pulpit at all. A surgeon who trembled when called 
 upon to perform an operation, a commander who could 
 not decide as rapidly as events took place in the field, 
 would, by the common consent of mankind, be regarded 
 as unfit for their various professions. Why should it 
 not be so also in the Church ? Because our system of 
 patronage and preferment is radically wrong ; because 
 every day men are being introduced into the ministry 
 whose gifts and powers of usefulness lie in a totally 
 different direction ; because the benefices and emolu- 
 ments of the Church are bestowed for all causes, and 
 on all grounds, save that of capacity to preach the 
 gospel. . . « Very few dissenting communities tole- 
 rate written sermons at all — among the Wesleyan 
 
134 THE PUBLIC SPEAKER. 
 
 Methodists such a thing is unknown ; and yet few will 
 venture to say that the style of preaching most valued 
 among Nonconformists is inferior to that heard from 
 the pulpits of the Establishment. How do they con- 
 trive to obtain so many men, all of whom possess, in a 
 most respectable degree, this * very rare ' endowment ? 
 They succeed in obtaining it simply by making il^ 
 indispensable. The man who cannot speak does not 
 propose to himself admission to the pulpit ; he takes 
 the witholcling of this gift as a token that the path of 
 duty lies elsewhere, and he seeks accordingly another 
 sphere for his labour. The truth is that the endow- 
 ment is by no means rare ; and, moreover, it is one 
 peculiarly susceptible of culture. Where it is found 
 among Dissenters, much store is set by it ; they know 
 its value, and almost always endeavour to direct it into 
 the channel of the ministry. In the Church, however, 
 the vocation is determined by other causes. Mr A. 
 
 B must be a clergyman, and Mr A. B has not 
 
 the gift of utterance ; well, he will be able to read his 
 sermons, and the rest of his brethren do the like. It 
 is no detriment to a man's prospects that the church is 
 half empty when he preaches. ' He is a very learned 
 man, or a very well-connected man, or a very 
 good man, or an excellent parish priest. It is a pity 
 he is not more successful in the pulpit; but then, 
 really preaching is the smallest part of a clergyman's 
 duty.' Such is the way in which such a subject is 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 135 
 
 treated within the pale of the Establishment, and thus 
 the mischief is perpetuated. The flock are not fed ; 
 and it is taken to be sufficient excuse for the shepherd 
 who does not know how to feed them, that really they 
 do not want the food/' 
 
 In some parts of this work we have spoken of 
 cultivating gifts, and putting them to a right use — 
 of perfecting the human soul, and commencing a work 
 now which shall go on for ever hereafter. The follow- 
 ing extract, from a sermon by the Rev. J. M. Bellew, 
 will therefore not be out of place, being most beautiful 
 in its composition, and most forcibly describing the 
 last moments of one who had neglected life's duties : — 
 
 "See, here is the bed of death. The clouds are 
 closing about the sight of this dying man, like as they 
 thicken • round expiring day. The beam of light is 
 sinking in his eye to rest ; and furrowed lines dim the 
 face, like the dark shadows that foretell the deadly 
 storm. There is an oppressive weight in the very air. 
 There is a killing silence, a leaden stillness in the 
 breath-suspended trepidation of those who watch and 
 wait around ; and, in the midst, the hollow, gurgling 
 groan of inward agony startles every ear, and appals 
 every heart. Then the attenuated hands clutch con- 
 vulsively at the objects on which they rest ; the tongue, 
 trembling to its last silence, wrestles in thick, palsied 
 whispers to pray; and, like a last flash of light as 
 the sun sets, a beam of awful lustre kindles in the eye, 
 
136 THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, 
 
 telling the tale the tongue refused its offices to bear — 
 and all is over ! The night has come ; and life's work 
 is left undone ! " 
 
 Another extract from a work already mentioned is 
 the following : — " That the power of extemporaneous 
 speaking is, to a great extent, one which may be ac- 
 quired, is asserted by all the best authorities ; and the 
 following remarks of Lord Stanhope, at his installation 
 as Lord Eector of the University of Aberdeen, are pecu- 
 liarly valuable as illustrating this : — ' Gentlemen,' said 
 the noble Earl, ' I have not yet done with this point, 
 r of the importance of study in all the walks of life ; iot 
 that, in reality, is the key-stone of success. Now, there 
 is one scene of success to which you may think that my 
 remarks will not apply. I mean speeches, such as you 
 hear in public assemblies — in the House of Commons, 
 for example, where you find an extemporaneous and 
 immediate reply, delivered with great force and effect, 
 to some speech which has only just been uttered. You 
 will find, if you consider this more closely, that the 
 power of making such quick replies is only to be gained 
 by great study, and by slow degrees. And I will give 
 you on this subject the opinion of one of the most judi- 
 cious, perhaps the most judicious, writer who ever wrote 
 upon the subject. I will give you a sentence from the 
 great work of Quintilian. Does Quintilian think that the 
 mere extemporaneous faculty or power of speaking is de- 
 rived from genius alone ? He says, " Sine hac quidem 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 1 37 
 
 conscientia (multum inscribendo laborem insumpsisse) 
 ilia ipsa ex tempore dicendi f acultus inanem modo loqua 
 citatem dabit et verba in labris nascentia." Observe that 
 happy expression — " verba in labris nascentia." Now, I 
 ask you, may not these words remind you of that sort 
 of rant which we sometimes hear on some hustings'? 
 are they not wholly distinct from that measured^ 
 well-considered wisdom which we find to proceed from 
 the leaders of opposite parties in the House? Does 
 it not shew in the clearest manner, in the language 
 of Quintilian, that study makes the difference be- 
 tween the mere flow of words and the real power of 
 addressing argument, and wit, and eloquence in im- 
 mediate reply? To make this still clearer to you, I 
 would venture to illustrate this by a story derived 
 from a different career of success. It is related, in 
 Italy, of a great painter, that, having produced a most 
 powerful, though perhaps unfinished, picture in three 
 days, he asked as its price a hundred sequins. It is 
 said that the churlish patron demurred at the price, 
 saying that the sum seemed to him excessive for the 
 work of three days. " But what ! " cried the artist, 
 " do you forget that I have been thirty years in learn- 
 ing how to make this picture in three days ? " When, 
 therefore, you see an immediate reply proceed from 
 some of the great leaders of public opinion, do not 
 deceive yourselves that this was a mere outburst of 
 extempore genius, but be assured that there has been 
 
138 THE PUBLIC SPEAKEE, 
 
 study, persevering study, to give the power and facility 
 of this outburst, which seemed to spring up at the 
 moment. I feel tempted at this place to state to you, 
 from the highest authority, some of the means by which 
 that important gift of readiness of speech can be most 
 easily and completely acquired. And you will observe 
 that the power of extemporaneous speaking is not con- 
 fined merely, so far as utility goes, to men engaged in 
 public life, but may in many circumstances in private 
 life be found of great service. Perhaps you may like 
 to hear some practical advice, which came from a man 
 of the highest reputation in this respect. No man had 
 that gift of using, in public speaking, the right word in 
 the right place — no man carried that gift to a higher 
 degree of perfection, as all parties have owned, than Mr 
 Pitt. Now, my father had the honour to be connected 
 in relationship with that great man, and as such he had 
 the privilege of being in the house with him sometimes 
 for several weeks together. Presuming on that familiar 
 intercourse, he told me he ventured on one occasion to 
 a^k Mr Pitt by what means — by what course of study 
 —he had acquired that admirable readiness of speech, 
 that aptness of finding the right word. Mr Pitt re- 
 plied, that whatever readiness he might be thought to 
 possess in that respect, he believed he derived very 
 much from a practice his father, the great Lord 
 Chatham, had enjoined on him. Lord Chatham had 
 bid him take up any book in some foreign language 
 
AND HOW TO MAKE ONE. 139 
 
 with wliich he was well acquainted — in Latin, Greek, 
 or French, for example. Lord Chatham then enjoined 
 him to read out of this work a passage in English, 
 stopping where he was not sure of the word until the 
 right one came, and then proceeding. Mr Pitt states 
 that he had assiduously followed this practice. At first 
 he had often to stop for a while before he could find the 
 proper word, but he found the difficulties gradually 
 disappear, until what was a trial to him at first became 
 at last an easy and familiar task/ " 
 
 To those, then, who have made up their minds to 
 excel, and to devote their powers to noble purposes, we 
 would say, with Channing, — "Go forth, then, my friends, 
 with a confiding spirit. Go forth in the strength of 
 faith, hope, and charity. Go forth to increase the 
 holiness of earth, and the happiness of heaven. Go 
 to the dark alleys^ ^ 
 
 poor. Go in the Spirit of that God to whom the soul 
 of the poor man is as precious as your own. Go in 
 the Spirit of Him who for our sakes was poor, and had 
 not where to lay His head. Go in reliance on, that- 
 omnipotent grace, ..which ,m ^X^^ ^>^^^^ t fallen, 
 cleanse the most polluted, enrich the .poorest with more 
 than royal wealth, console the deepest sorrows and 
 sanctify the sorest trials of life. Go_cheerfully, for 
 into 'the darkest dwellings you carry the light of life. 
 And think not that you alone visit those humble habi- 
 

 140 THE PUBLIC SPEAKEK, ETC. 
 
 tations. God is there, Christ is there, angels are there. 
 Feel their presence, breathe their love, and through 
 your wise, unwearied, effectual labours, may the poor 
 man's dwelling become a consecrated place, the abode 
 of love, ' the house of God, and the gate of heaven.' " 
 
 THE END. 
 
 LBA P ?9 
 
 BALLANTYNE AND COMPANY, PRINTERS, EDINBURGH.