,,impromptu ,,or ,how to ,think on ,your ,feet ,,by ,,grenville ,,kleiser ,with an ,essay on ,,the ,,study ,,of ,,forensic ,,eloquence ,by ,isaac ,grant ,thompson ,for the ,exclusive ,use of ,grenville ,kleiser's ,mail ,course ,students ,,funk ,,wagnalls ,,company ,,new ,,york ,,and ,,london #aiaj ,,copyright1 #aiaj1 ,,by ,,funk ,,wagnalls ,,company ,printed in the ,united ,states of ,america ,,to ,,the ,,student ,i am constantly asked to make suggestions for developing alertness of mind and facility in formulating one's thoughts while actually addressing an audience4 ,i know of nothing more effective for this purpose than daily practise in impromptu speaking as described in this book4 ,in hundreds of instances the results of this simple exercise have been little less than wonderful1 not only in stimulating mental quickness1 but also in developing resourcefulness1 concentration1 and self-confidence4 ,the rules for successful impromptu speaking are1 tersely1 these3 #a4 ,think clearly4 #b4 ,express yourself clearly4 #c4 ,be yourself4 ,,grenville ,,kleiser4 ,,contents ,,impromptu ,list of ,subjects ,,specimen ,,one-,,minute ,,speeches ,a ,minute ,lincoln as a ,speaker ,salesmanship ,providence ,bismarck ,george ,washington ,a ,dedication ,government by the ,people ,brevity ,public ,speaking ,henry ,clay ,woman and ,speech ,boys ,votes for ,women ,lincoln ,the ,value of the ,public ,speaking ,club to the ,business ,man ,,the ,,study ,,of ,,forensic ,,eloquence ,,impromptu ,,impromptu6 ,the game of ,impromptu is the outgrowth of an exercise devised by the author and used by him in ,the ,public ,speaking ,club of ,america4 ,a number of cards1 each bearing a separate subject1 are placed in a hat4 ,then a member of the club stands up1 selects one of the cards1 announces the subject named on the card1 and proceeds to speak on that particular theme for one minute4 ,at the expiration of that time another member rings the bell4 ,this exercise can be carried on by two or more persons4 ,it is surprizing how rapidly through this simple pastime one gains facility in speech and increased self-confidence4 ,many of these maiden efforts at impromptu speaking are necessarily very funny1 and sometimes send the listeners into fits of laughter2 but the basis of the exercise is serious1 and there is disclosed new and unsuspected talent in the participants4 ,the ability to think and speak on one's feet is not usually a gift of nature1 but is acquired through simple and regular practise4 ,curran1 the distinguished ,irish orator1 was known in his early days as ,stuttering ,jack4 ,he has described his first experience in attempting to speak before a small debating club4 ,on standing up1 he trembled from head to foot1 and when he saw all eyes fixt upon him--there were seven persons present6--he became almost petrified with fear4 ,his friends cried ,hear him6 but altho his lips moved1 not a sound came from them4 ,he profited by his experience1 however1 since through study and practise he became one of the greatest orators of his day4 ,impromptu implies ready1 offhand1 without previous study or preparation1 and provides one of the best tests of a man's fund of thought and readiness in expression4 ,in practising ,impromptu the student is advised to set his mind rapidly to work the instant he reads the subject on the card chosen1 to content himself with the first idea that comes to him1 and to speak very deliberately4 ,this will give the appearance of self-possession1 while permitting his mind to reach out for fresh material4 ,so rapidly does the mind work that1 after a little practise1 the speaker will be able to arrange his thoughts in a certain sequence1 even in the few seconds that elapse between choosing his subject and uttering the first word4 ,a conscientious student will endeavor to make each succeeding effort better than the last4 ,he will aim to keep strictly to his subject1 to speak fluently1 to employ the best possible language1 and to express only those ideas that are worth while4 ,where circumstances render it necessary1 one may practise the exercise by himself4 ,a list of subjects is offered here 7which the student may himself supplement71 together with specimen one-minute speeches prepared and delivered by the author's pupils4 ,a man who has himself well in hand and knows precisely what he wants to talk about1 can make a most interesting speech in the short space of one minute4 ,,list ,,of ,,subjects ,,list ,,of ,,subjects ,,list ,i #a4 ,automobile1 ,the4 #b4 ,audiences4 #c4 ,after-dinner ,speaking4 #d4 ,adaptability4 #e4 ,bachelors4 #f4 ,battles4 #g4 ,bores4 #h4 ,boarding ,houses4 #i4 ,comedy4 #aj4 ,coffee4 #aa4 ,clubs4 #ab4 ,chicago4 #ac4 ,cause and ,effect4 #ad4 ,college ,education4 #ae4 ,conversation4 #af4 ,disappointment4 #ag4 ,decision4 #ah4 ,deep ,breathing4 #ai4 ,debating4 #bj4 ,death4 #ba4 ,dignity4 #bb4 ,etiquette4 #bc4 ,endurance4 #bd4 ,emergencies4 #be4 ,enemies4 #bf4 ,experiment4 #bg4 ,envy4 #bh4 ,equality4 #bi4 ,electricity4 #cj4 ,fishing4 #ca4 ,fire4 #cb4 ,friends4 #cc4 ,faces4 #cd4 ,flowers4 #ce4 ,farm1 ,the4 #cf4 ,frankness4 #cg4 ,familiarity4 #ch4 ,gossip4 #ci4 ,golf4 #dj4 ,geniality4 #da4 ,ghosts4 #db4 ,honesty4 #dc4 ,horse1 ,the4 #dd4 ,hospitals4 #de4 ,industry4 #df4 ,immigration4 #dg4 ,immortality4 #dh4 ,invention4 #di4 ,inspiration4 #ej4 ,japanese1 ,the4 ,,list ,,ii #ea4 ,laughing4 #eb4 ,marriage4 #ec4 ,mastication4 #ed4 ,meditation4 #ee4 ,manners4 #ef4 ,mob1 ,the4 #eg4 ,money ,making4 #eh4 ,newsboy1 ,the4 #ei4 ,old ,clothes4 #fj4 ,oratory4 #fa4 ,old ,maids4 #fb4 ,positive ,thinking4 #fc4 ,pride4 #fd4 ,pictures4 #fe4 ,poetry4 #ff4 ,personal ,magnetism4 #fg4 ,progress4 #fh4 ,procrastination4 #fi4 ,pluck4 #gj4 ,prejudice4 #ga4 ,perseverance4 #gb4 ,resourcefulness4 #gc4 ,resolutions4 #gd4 ,real ,estate4 #ge4 ,rainy ,day1 ,the4 #gf4 ,restaurants4 #gg4 ,railroads4 #gh4 ,relaxation4 #gi4 ,secrets4 #hj4 ,society4 #ha4 ,solitude4 #hb4 ,summer ,vacation4 #hc4 ,smoking4 #hd4 ,socialism4 #he4 ,self-denial4 #hf4 ,system4 #hg4 ,simplicity4 #hh4 ,self-confidence4 #hi4 ,sociability4 #ij4 ,skyscrapers4 #ia4 ,suggestion4 #ib4 ,sunshine4 #ic4 ,theater1 ,the4 #id4 ,temperance4 #ie4 ,trees4 #if4 ,truth4 #ig4 ,toasts4 #ih4 ,tragedy4 #ii4 ,walking4 #ajj4 ,women4 ,,list ,,iii #aja4 ,abraham ,lincoln4 #ajb4 ,airships4 #ajc4 ,anarchist1 ,the4 #ajd4 ,american ,humor4 #aje4 ,arbitration4 #ajf4 ,america a ,world ,power4 #ajg4 ,books4 #ajh4 ,brotherhood of ,man4 #aji4 ,business4 #aaj4 ,bank ,account1 ,a4 #aaa4 ,clothes4 #aab4 ,character4 #aac4 ,church1 ,the4 #aad4 ,chivalry4 #aae4 ,criminal1 ,the4 #aaf4 ,charity4 #aag4 ,capital ,punishment4 #aah4 ,conscience4 #aai4 ,city ,life4 #abj4 ,drama1 ,the4 #aba4 ,devil1 ,the4 #abb4 ,demagog1 ,the4 #abc4 ,divorce4 #abd4 ,doctor1 ,the4 #abe4 ,death ,penalty4 #abf4 ,election of ,senators4 #abg4 ,english ,literature4 #abh4 ,education4 #abi4 ,future of ,america4 #acj4 ,free ,speech4 #aca4 ,fear4 #acb4 ,great ,men4 #acc4 ,good ,luck4 #acd4 ,humor4 #ace4 ,happiness4 #acf4 ,home ,life4 #acg4 ,habits4 #ach4 ,health4 #aci4 ,i ,will6 #adj4 ,ideals4 #ada4 ,imagination4 #adb4 ,investments4 #adc4 ,jewelry4 #add4 ,jury ,system1 ,the4 #ade4 ,love4 #adf4 ,lawyer1 ,the4 #adg4 ,leadership4 #adh4 ,murder ,trials4 #adi4 ,mistakes4 #aej4 ,might and ,right4 ,,list ,,iv #aea4 ,millionaires4 #aeb4 ,municipal ,ownership4 #aec4 ,man's ,chance at ,fifty1 ,a4 #aed4 ,modern ,advertising4 #aee4 ,music4 #aef4 ,newspaper1 ,the4 #aeg4 ,negro1 ,the4 #aeh4 ,national ,ideals4 #aei4 ,originality4 #afj4 ,optimism4 #afa4 ,opportunity4 #afb4 ,pessimist1 ,the4 #afc4 ,power of ,silence1 ,the4 #afd4 ,power4 #afe4 ,poverty4 #aff4 ,public ,opinion4 #afg4 ,phrenology4 #afh4 ,pathos4 #afi4 ,patent ,medicines4 #agj4 ,politics4 #aga4 ,prosperity4 #agb4 ,physical ,culture4 #agc4 ,public ,speaking4 #agd4 ,poverty and ,crime4 #age4 ,personality4 #agf4 ,panics4 #agg4 ,religion4 #agh4 ,reformers4 #agi4 ,self-criticism4 #ahj4 ,strenuous ,life1 ,the4 #aha4 ,stock ,speculation4 #ahb4 ,selfishness4 #ahc4 ,sympathy4 #ahd4 ,suicide4 #ahe4 ,self-culture4 #ahf4 ,success4 #ahg4 ,story-telling4 #ahh4 ,specialist1 ,the4 #ahi4 ,survival of the ,fittest4 #aij4 ,salesmanship4 #aia4 ,slang4 #aib4 ,shakespeare4 #aic4 ,sleep4 #aid4 ,trusts4 #aie4 ,travel4 #aif4 ,tramp1 ,the4 #aig4 ,tipping the ,waiter4 #aih4 ,unemployed1 ,the4 #aii4 ,wealth and ,happiness4 #bjj4 ,woman ,suffrage4 ,,specimen ,,one-,,minute ,,speeches ,a ,,minute ,in one minute a man can run about a quarter of a mile1 if he is a good runner2 a horse can trot about half a mile1 if it is a good trotter1 and can run about three-quarters of a mile if it is a thoroughbred4 ,in the same period of time1 the ,empire ,state ,express goes something more than a mile1 and a racing automobile about two miles4 ,as the earth turns on its axis1 its surface1 at the ,equator1 travels about seventeen miles a minute1 and in its greater journey in its ellipse around the sun the earth rushes through space at the rate of a thousand miles a minute4 ,in this country alone1 about five times every minute1 or once in every twelve seconds1 the last good-bys are said and a soul solves the great mystery of eternity4 ,the minute which is gone can never be recalled1 while the next minute is fraught with uncertainty4 ,we are sure--not of this minute1 but of this instant only1 of time4 ,then1 while we may1 let us say the loving word1 do the kind act1 suppress the unkind remark1 encourage those who are struggling by the way--this minute4 ,,lincoln ,,as ,a ,,speaker ,president ,lincoln owed his success as a speaker to his ancestry and parentage1 his knowledge of human nature1 and his mastery of ,english4 ,his ,puritan-pioneer ancestry endowed him with the great physical and mental vigor that characterized all his life2 and his parents inspired him with the love of learning1 the high moral sense and the devotion to truth1 freedom and religion1 that made him the man we so revere4 ,his knowledge of human nature was due to his early life and studies1 and is best illustrated by his use of stories4 ,by them he could at need rebuke1 explain1 or encourage1 for he had studied men till he knew them and their motives as he did his scanty library4 ,his mastery of ,english was due to his study of the best models in our tongue1 the ,bible1 ,shakespeare1 ,milton1 and ,blackstone4 ,these books he read until he had memorized their words and absorbed their spirit so thoroughly that when he came to clothe in words his own great and wise thoughts he spake as a master of ,english style4 ,lincoln's early environment was rough1 but he made it subserve great and mighty purposes2 and those of us who labor in his spirit may hope also to do great works4 ,,salesmanship ,what kind of a man should the salesman be1 in order to be successful8 ,the essential qualifications are1 good health1 good appearance1 a thorough knowledge of what he offers for sale1 and a general knowledge of his competitors' goods4 ,furthermore1 he must know how to judge a customer1 so as to present his thoughts in a manner to gain his confidence4 ,he should also develop his sense of humor1 in order to overcome the hard knocks that may be in store for him4 ,he must be able to smile1 no matter what happens4 ,if he possesses these qualifications1 together with the proper goods to sell1 plus the capacity for work1 work1 work1 then he will assuredly make a successful salesman4 ,,providence ,if genius is a mark of divine ,providence made manifest in the preferred of human kind1 the life of ,lincoln shows clearly the power and guidance of ,god4 ,notwithstanding the adverse conditions surrounding his early life1 he struggled upward1 almost unknowingly1 to the preeminent position of power and trust ordained for him1 fully equipped to meet and master every problem4 ,like all ,god's ambassadors1 his life ended when his life's great work was done1 and returning to his long home1 he left ,footprints1 that perhaps another1 sailing o'er life's solemn main1 a forlorn and shipwrecked brother seeing1 shall take heart again4 ,,bismarck ,bismarck lived up to his claim that difference between nations could only be settled through blood and iron4 ,the key-note of his public policy was1 to make ,prussia the leading power of the ,germanic ,states1 and to create a ,united ,germany with the ,king of ,prussia as ,german ,emperor4 ,the first task was accomplished at ,sadowa1 in #ahff1 where the ,austrian army was defeated4 ,the second task--,paris capitulated according to terms dictated by him and ,king ,william was proclaimed ,german ,emperor at ,versailles on ,january #ah1 #ahga4 ,in the estimate of ,europe and of the world1 he then ranked as the greatest living diplomat and statesman4 ,as ,chancellor of the ,german ,empire1 he insisted above all that ,germany should keep its place at the head of ,europe as a military power4 ,his theory was ,as we shall attack nobody1 we shall have peace1 if we show ourselves so strong that nobody will attack us4 ,it is in this theory that many men now repose their faith in the peace of the world4 ,,george ,,washington ,there is no individual whose life is more closely identified with the history of his country than ,george ,washington4 ,you all know the story of his life by heart4 ,to-day1 on the anniversary of his birth1 it is proper and fitting for ,americans to dwell upon the virtues of this great man4 ,washington's character was magnanimous4 ,he was kind to the aged1 and sympathetic toward his fellow men4 ,thomas ,jefferson may have had ,washington in mind when he wrote1 in the ,declaration of ,independence1 the words ,life1 liberty and the pursuit of happiness4 ,he was a brave and courageous patriot1 with the rare power of persuading men4 ,persuasion6 ,listen to his words to his soldiers after their disastrous defeat in the battle of ,long ,island3 ,the eyes of all our countrymen are now upon us1 and we shall have their blessings and praises if happily we are the instruments of saving them from the tyranny meditated against them4 ,let us1 therefore1 animate and encourage each other1 and show the whole world that a freeman contending for liberty on his own ground is superior to any slavish mercenary on earth4 ,gentlemen1 do you feel the power of those inspiring words8 ,a ,,dedication ,we have met here to-night to dedicate this beautiful church to the memory of the late ,russell ,sage1 given by ,mrs4 ,sage to the congregation of the ,first ,presbyterian ,church of ,far ,rockaway as a testimonial of his fidelity to the old church which this new one will replace4 ,i1 therefore1 warmly congratulate you upon the interesting object which has caused you to assemble1 in such numbers and spirit1 as you have here to-night4 ,this occasion is in some respects remarkable4 ,wise and thoughtful men who have led their race in finance have accumulated great wealth1 and it is only the true ,christian principle which this man possest1 that has led to the erection of this magnificent church4 ,they lend grace1 glory1 and honor to the object for which we have here assembled1 and may ,god's blessing rest upon her1 the donor of this gift1 and upon him in whose name it is given1 and upon you1 and upon all the future congregations of this church forever4 ,animated by these sentiments may we earnestly strive to make this in the highest and truest sense1 a temple of the living ,god4 ,,government ,,by ,,the ,,people ,the powers of our republican form of government originated with the governed4 ,it is the theory of our fundamental law that the people choose their representatives1 yet no fact is so true as that this object is deliberately thwarted of accomplishment4 ,nor is it less true that the primary cause of this condition may be traced to a sordid commercialism which pervades the body politic and stops not even at the threshold of government4 ,but whatever may be known of alliances between predatory interests and party leaders1 whatever may be known of corruption of public officials1 it is beyond denial that a despotic influence invades alike political conventions and the halls of legislatures4 ,policies sacrificing the public welfare are dedicated by a bold and powerful coterie of men whose motives are governed1 not by a sense of right1 but by the false ethics of expediency and self-interest4 ,shall this system forever prevail1 or shall the intelligence and conscience of the people be aroused to its iniquity1 and the money-changers be driven from the temple of our government8 ,there can be but one answer4 ,remembering with ,lincoln--and with ,hughes--that ours is a government of the people1 and for the people1 let us return to the pure ideal of the ,constitution and secure a government by the people4 ,,brevity ,the feature of any address should be its brevity4 ,few people realize the importance of this1 on account of their very great love for self4 ,i often recall the story of the ,rev4 ,dr4 ,joseph ,channing1 whose brother was an eminent surgeon in ,new ,york4 ,one day a stranger called on the medical doctor in error1 and after being admitted said1 ,i hope you are well1 but you have changed considerably since ,i heard you preach4 ,heard me preach8 said ,dr4 ,channing4 ,why1 yes1 preach8 said ,dr4 ,channing4 ,why1 yes1 answered the visitor2 aren't you the ,dr4 ,channing that preaches8 ,no2 ,i am the doctor that practises1 answered the eminent physician4 ,and so do ,i4 ,,public ,,speaking ,a course in public speaking is a most desirable training for the professional or commercial man4 ,it will give him training to address a public meeting1 but it will also greatly improve his conversational powers4 ,it will make him careful in the selection of his words1 their pronunciation and exact meaning2 it will extend his vocabulary and give more power and intonation to his voice4 ,it will also train his mind to quick thinking and to select without hesitation just such words as are best adapted to express his thoughts4 ,few people can speak out their ideas in a clear1 concise manner1 and fewer yet can ask a good1 direct question that goes to the very heart of an issue4 ,and yet1 this ability to frame a concise question at the right moment is one of the most desirable attainments for a person that has much intercourse with his fellow men4 ,,henry ,,clay ,picture in your mind's eye a tall1 gaunt1 melancholic figure--a product of the wilderness--not handsome but of noble character1 of commanding appearance1 indomitable courage1 and magnetic personality--picture this and you have a mental vision of ,henry ,clay4 ,his voice was powerful1 as his logic was keen and convincing4 ,he was resourceful in sarcasm1 wit and satire1 which made him an opponent to be feared in debate4 ,his time was contemporaneous with such giants as ,john ,calhoun1 the silver-tongued son of the ,south1 and ,daniel ,webster1 the favored orator of ,massachusetts4 ,it was the ,golden ,age of ,american ,oratory1 but in the legislative councils of the nation ,henry ,clay towered above them all1 admittedly ,america's most popular statesman4 ,notwithstanding this1 the ,presidency was denied him twice by an ungrateful republic1 merely because he dared be right rather than be ,president4 ,this is the spirit that should inspire our young men of to-day1 and fit them for true leadership4 ,,woman ,,and ,,speech ,let your women keep silence in the churches1 is sometimes misunderstood to mean that women disobey a ,bible injunction when they engage in public speaking4 ,on the contrary1 ,saint ,paul realized the demoralizing influences surrounding the ,church of ,corinth1 and forbade female questioning4 ,so far from commanding women to be silent1 he specially commends the ,greek woman ,phoebe as minister in the ,greek church of ,cinchua4 ,most of the converts to ,christianity were made by women who spoke and spoke well4 ,the missionary movement in ,china1 ,japan1 and ,india utterly failed until women who could speak persuasively were sent4 ,nearly all the work of the ,salvation ,army is done by women1 and its leader in this country is a woman4 ,who are the women of influence in ,america to-day8 ,they are those who can speak well--teachers1 lecturers1 social workers1 and others engaged in professional and business pursuits4 ,who are the coming women of this country8 ,those who can speak their innermost convictions with certainty and power1 help to solve great national problems1 and give a message to the world that shall ring through the centuries6 ,,boys ,boys1 you will get out of life just what you put into it4 ,a smile and a kind word will be repaid in kind4 ,a sullen and grouchy disposition reaps similar fruits through life4 ,labor diligently with your studies2 and play just as hard after school sessions4 ,many a man owes his success in life to the companions of his school days4 ,learn to lead clean and wholesome lives4 ,become thoroughly imbued with the love of country4 ,always salute her glorious flag1 which ever waves for freedom and liberty4 ,and strive to live all your days that they will end in peace and happiness4 ,,votes ,,for ,,women ,the persistence with which the women of the civilized world have advocated ,woman-,suffrage has at last borne fruit4 ,the phrase ,votes for ,women has become a general topic of conversation wherever men and women congregate1 and has also become one of the leading political questions of the day4 ,professional politicians and the bosses are alike filled with fear and unrest1 as they realize that women are in earnest and demand1 not a privilege1 but a right4 ,it was ,abraham ,lincoln who said that no man was good enough to govern another man without that other man's consent4 ,the women of this country say that no man is good enough to govern a woman without that woman's consent4 ,they ask that they be given representation in the government on the same basis as the men4 ,votes for ,women means better laws1 better education1 and a better country in which to live4 ,victory is already close at hand4 ,the fight1 for fight it is1 is almost won1 and soon ,votes for ,women will no longer be a dream and a hope1 but an accomplished fact6 ,,lincoln ,lincoln's power lay in his common sense and clear judgment4 ,he was unquestionably inspired4 ,he was not a creature of circumstances1 but surely one of ,god's elect4 ,studying his life1 we see little amid his early surroundings to assist or guide him1 save light from heaven4 ,yet he reached manhood strong and brave1 overcame every obstacle1 and so controlled his natural feelings and tendencies toward visionary dreams1 that he developed all his faculties for the practical uses of everyday life4 ,fearless in his convictions1 he zealously urged them upon his fellow men with the gifted powers of an orator4 ,he reached the place of eminence for which he was destined1 despite the bitterest opposition1 because he was thoroughly equipped for every emergency4 ,what was the secret of this man's greatness8 ,it was inspiration from ,god4 ,,the ,,value ,,of ,,the ,,public ,,speaking ,,club ,,to ,,the ,,business ,,man ,the question has been asked1 ,of what practical value is the ,public ,speaking ,club to the business man8 ,my answer is because it teaches him to think4 ,there is no greater difficulty confronting the business man to-day than that of finding men to fill positions where initiative and original thought are necessary4 ,the call comes from the business world everywhere1 ,give us men of ideas--men of ability--men who have mastered the art of thinking for themselves4 ,our schools and colleges are engaged in the task of storing the mind with facts4 ,this is a splendid work1 but we need to go one step farther1 we must teach men how to apply and develop and use this knowledge4 ,it is not how much a man knows that makes him a successful business man2 it is what he thinks and does4 ,success is not measured by the size of a man's hat4 ,the educational problem of the hour is not one of better schools and larger public libraries2 it is the practical development of the mind2 it is the awakening of the creative powers of thought1 the birth of new ideas2 it is training men how to put these ideas into concrete form1 how to present and express them in such words and with such power that they shall carry conviction to the hearts of their fellow men4 ,,the ,,study ,,of ,,forensic ,,eloquence ,,the ,,study ,,of ,,forensic ,,eloquence ,by ,,isaac ,,grant ,,thompson ,there is another essential1 aside from the knowledge of the law1 for the successful court lawyer--that is eloquence2 the sort of eloquence which ,blair defines to be the art of speaking in such a manner as to attain the end for which we speak4 ,most young men1 who study with a view of coming to the bar1 have an ambition1 more or less strong1 to become advocates--to be able to convince judges and persuade juries by the power of their logic and the graces of their style and utterance2 but a visit to our courts is but too likely to show how lamentably the great majority of them fail of achieving their desire4 ,lack of perseverance in performing the labor necessary to the student of elocution1 or ignorance of the method to be pursued2 or1 in many cases1 a notion that orators1 like poets1 are born1 not made1 has served to make the number of eloquent advocates very small indeed4 ,the most universal idea seems to prevail1 that industry can effect nothing2 that every one must be content to remain just what he happens to be1 and that eminence is the result of accident4 ,for the acquirement of any other art1 men expect to serve long apprenticeships2 to study it carefully and laboriously2 to master it thoroughly4 ,if one would learn to sing1 he attends a master and is drilled in the elementary principles2 and it is only after the most careful discipline that he dares to exercise his voice in public4 ,if he would learn to play a musical instrument1 how patiently and persistently does he study and practise1 that he may draw out1 at will1 all its various combinations of harmonious sounds1 and its full richness and delicacy of expression4 ,and yet1 adds a learned writer1 a man will fancy that the grandest1 the most complex1 the most expressive of all instruments1 which is fashioned by the union of intellect with power of speech1 may be played upon without study or practise4 ,he comes to it a mere tyro1 and thinks to manage all its stops1 and command the whole compass of its varied and comprehensive power2 he finds himself a mere bungler in the attempt1 wonders at his failure1 and settles it in his mind forever that the attempt is vain--that it can be done only by genius4 ,nothing can be more mischievous and unfortunate to the student than for him to fall into such an error--to hold the opinion that excellence in speaking is a gift of nature and not the result of patient and persistent labor and study4 ,if all men had entertained and acted upon such an opinion1 those who have won fame and honor by their eloquence would have remained mute and inglorious4 ,never would ,demosthenes have charmed an ,athenian audience1 nor ,cicero have hurled his denunciations against ,cataline4 ,lord ,chatham would have remained simple ,william ,pitt1 and ,erskine live an ordinary ,english barrister4 ,curran would have been ,orator ,mum to the end of his days1 and ,choate died unwept1 unhonored1 and unsung4 ,men who believe that eloquence is the result of genius1 and not of labor1 are like the dwellers in the ,east1 as described by ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds in his address to the pupils of the ,royal ,academy4 ,he says3 ,the travelers into the ,east tell us that when the ignorant inhabitants of those countries are asked concerning the ruins of stately edifices yet remaining among them1 the melancholy monuments of their former grandeur and long-lost science1 they always answer3 ',they were built by magicians4' ,the untaught mind finds a vast gulf between its own powers and those works of complicated art1 which it is utterly unable to fathom2 and it supposes that such a void can be passed only by supernatural powers4 ,what ,sir ,joshua says of painting is true of oratory4 ,those who know not the cause of any thing extraordinary and beyond them may well be astonished at the effect2 and what the uncivilized ascribe to magic others ascribe to genius--two mighty pretenders who1 for the most part1 are safe from rivalry only because by the terror of their names they discourage in their own peculiar sphere that resolute and sanguine spirit of enterprise which is essential to success4 ,but as has been well said1 all magic is science in disguise1 and it is our object to proceed to take off the mask--to show that the mightiest objects of our wonder1 so far as eloquence is concerned1 are mere men like ourselves1 have attained their superiority by steps which we can follow1 and that we can walk in the same path even tho there remain at last a broad space between us4 ,lord ,chesterfield was not very far wrong when1 in his letters to his son1 he told him that any man of reasonable abilities might make himself an orator2 not an orator like ,cicero's magnificent myth1 who should have the acuteness of the logician1 the wisdom of the philosophers1 the language almost of poetry1 the memory of lawyers1 the voice of tragedians1 the gesture of the best actors2 such orators1 we admit1 must be nascitur1 non fit--born1 not made--and they are rarely to be found2 but orators like ,pitt and ,fox1 like ,mansfield and ,erskine1 like ,pinckney and ,choate--orators who can sway listening senates1 who are stormy masters of the jury-box4 ,chesterfield was perhaps an illustration of his own theory1 for he said that he at one time determined to make himself the best speaker in ,parliament1 and set about a severe course of training for it2 and we have the opinion of so able a judge as ,horace ,walpole that he was the first speaker of the ,house4 ,every schoolboy can tell you of the gigantic labors of ,demosthenes in training himself for a public speaker4 ,it will be refreshing for any student who desires to improve himself in speaking to turn to ,plutarch's life of ,demosthenes1 and read of his early struggles with obstacles which would have discouraged at the threshold the great majority of mankind4 ,laughed at and interrupted by the clamor of the people in his first efforts1 by reason of his violent and awkward manner1 and a weakness and stammering in his voice1 he retired to his house with covered head and in great distress1 yet not disheartened4 ,at one time he complained to ,satyrus1 the player1 that tho he was the most laborious of all the orators1 and had almost sacrificed his health to that application1 yet he could gain no favor with the people4 ,satyrus seems to have been a judicious adviser1 and proceeded to correct his faults1 as ,hume says he who teaches eloquence must--by example4 ,he requested ,demosthenes to read some speech from ,euripides or ,sophocles4 ,when he had done1 ,satyrus pronounced the same speech with so much propriety of action that it appeared to the orator quite a different passage4 ,he now understood so well1 says ,plutarch1 how much grace and dignity of action adds to the best oration1 that he thought it a small matter to premeditate and compose1 tho with the utmost care1 if the pronunciation and propriety of gesture were not attended to4 ,upon this he built himself a subterranean study1 whither he repaired every day to form his action and exercise his voice2 and he would often stay there two or three months together1 shaving one side of his head1 that if he should happen to be ever so desirous of going abroad1 the shame of appearing in that condition might keep him in4 ,the contemporaries of ,demosthenes esteemed him as a man of but little genius1 and concluded that all his eloquence was the result of labor4 ,certain it is that he was seldom heard to speak extempore2 and tho often called upon in the assembly to speak1 he would not do it unless he came prepared4 ,it is undoubtedly true1 that nature had sowed in ,demosthenes the seeds of a great orator2 but they were brought to perfection only by the most patient labor and severe discipline--labor and discipline that would make any student of the law1 of ordinary judgment and sense1 the equal of ,pinckney1 of ,wirt1 or of ,choate4 ,think of the eloquence of ,cicero6 ,how wonderful the grandeur and magnificence of his style2 how copious and elegant his diction2 how various and comprehensive his knowledge2 surely1 we say1 like the dwellers in the ,east1 this is the work of magic--of genius4 ,but when we take off the mask we find that it is mainly the result of careful1 unflagging1 untiring study and practise4 ,middleton says3 ,his industry was incredible1 beyond the example or even conception of our days2 this was the secret by which he performed such wonders1 and reconciled perpetual study with perpetual affairs4 ,nor were these orators of antiquity singular in their devotion to the art of speaking4 ,all the great orators of modern times have emulated their greatness by emulating their love of labor4 ,lord ,chatham1 who has been justly regarded as the most powerful orator of modern times1 was from his early youth a most laborious and devoted student of oratory4 ,his biography says of him3 ,at the age of eighteen1 ,mr4 ,pitt 7afterward ,lord ,chatham7 was removed to the ,university of ,oxford4 ,here1 in connection with his other studies1 he entered on that severe course of rhetorical training which he often referred to in after life as forming so large a part of his early discipline4 ,he took up the practise of writing out translations from the ancient orators and historians1 on the broadest scale4 ,demosthenes was his model2 and we are told that he rendered a large part of his orations again and again into ,english1 as the best means of acquiring a forcible and expressive style4444 ,as a means of acquiring copiousness of diction and an exact choice of words1 ,mr4 ,pitt also read and reread the sermons of ,dr4 ,barrow till he knew many of them by heart4 ,with the same view he performed a task1 to which1 perhaps1 no other student in oratory has ever submitted4 ,he went twice through the folio dictionary of ,bailey1 examining each word attentively1 dwelling on its peculiar import and modes of construction1 and thus endeavoring to bring the whole range of our language completely under his control4 ,at this time1 also1 he began those exercises in elocution by which he is known to have obtained his extraordinary powers of delivery4 ,tho gifted by nature with a commanding voice and person1 he spared no effort to add everything that art could confer for his improvement as an orator4 ,his success was commensurate with his zeal4 ,garrick himself was not a greater actor1 in that higher sense of the term in which ,demosthenes declared action to be the first1 and second1 and third thing in oratory4 ,the labor which he bestowed on these exercises was surprizingly great4 ,probably no man of genius since the days of ,cicero has ever submitted to an equal amount of drudgery4 ,lord ,mansfield1 equally famous as an advocate and judge1 affords us another example of unwearying patient discipline4 ,he studied oratory with the greatest fervor and diligence4 ,he read everything that had been written on the subject of the art2 he made himself familiar with all the great masters of eloquence in ,greece and ,rome1 and spent much of his time in translating their finest productions as the best means of improving his style4 ,during his study of the law at ,lincoln's ,inn1 he carried on the practise of oratory with the utmost zeal1 and was a constant attendant and speaker in a debating society which he had joined4 ,one day1 says his biographer1 he was surprized by a friend1 who suddenly entered his room1 in the act of practising before a glass1 while ,pope 7the poet7 sat by to aid him in the character of an instructor4 ,such are the arts by which are produced those results that the uninitiated ascribe to genius4 ,sheridan was one of the most brilliant orators of modern times1 and yet his maiden speech in ,parliament1 delivered when he was nearly thirty years old1 was a failure4 ,woodfall1 the reporter1 used to relate that ,sheridan came up to him in the gallery1 when the speech was ended1 and asked him1 with much anxiety1 what he thought of his first attempt4 ,i am sorry to say1 replied ,woodfall1 that ,i don't think this is your line2 you would better have stuck to your former pursuit4 ,sheridan rested his head on his hand for a few minutes1 and then exclaimed1 with vehemence3 ,it is in me1 and it shall come out of me4 ,quickened by a sense of shame1 he now devoted himself1 with the utmost assiduity1 to the cultivation of his powers as a speaker4 ,seven years after he brought forward1 in the ,house of ,commons1 the charges against ,warren ,hastings1 relating to the princesses of ,oude1 in a speech of such brilliancy and eloquence that the whole assembly1 at its conclusion1 broke forth into expressions of tumultuous applause1 and the ,house adjourned to recover from the excitement produced by it4 ,pitt said1 ,an abler speech was perhaps never delivered1 and ,fox and ,windham1 years after1 spoke of it with undiminished admiration4 ,as ,sheridan had said to ,woodfall1 it was in him and it did come out1 but it was wrought out by patient toil and study4 ,moore paints him at his desk at work on this very speech--writing and erasing with all the care and painstaking of a special pleader4 ,indeed1 it transpired after his death that his wit was most of it studied out before hand4 ,his commonplace book was found to be full of humorous thoughts and sportive turns1 written first in one form and then in another--the point shifted from one part of the sentence to another to try the effect4 ,how little did his delighted hearers imagine1 as some playful allusion1 keen retort1 or brilliant sally flashed out upon them from his speeches1 in a manner so easy1 natural1 and yet unexpected1 that it had been long before laboriously molded and manufactured4 ,johnson tells us that ,butler1 the author of ,hudibras1 had garnered up his wit in the same way4 ,how conclusively do these examples illustrate the truth of ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds' remark1 that the effects of genius must have their causes1 and that these may1 for the most part1 be analyzed1 digested1 and copied1 tho sometimes they may be too subtle to be reduced to a written art4 ,charles ,james ,fox rose1 says ,mr4 ,burke1 by slow degrees1 to be the most brilliant and accomplished debater the world ever knew1 and ,fox himself has told us the secret of his skill4 ,he gained it1 he says1 at the expense of the ,house1 for he had frequently tasked himself1 during an entire session1 to speak on every question that came up1 whether he was interested in it or not1 as a means of exercising and training his faculties4 ,curran1 the ,irish orator and advocate1 was known at school as stuttering ,jack ,curran2 and1 while studying at an ,inn of ,court1 the members of a debating society to which he belonged called him ,orator ,mum1 in honor of his signal failure as a speaker4 ,but he made up his mind to become an orator1 and was not to be put down by obstacles4 ,he spent his mornings1 as he states1 in reading even to exhaustion1 and the rest of the day in the more congenial pursuits of literature1 and especially in unremitting efforts to perfect himself as a speaker4 ,his voice was bad1 and his articulation hasty and confused2 his manner was awkward1 his gestures constrained and meaningless1 and his whole appearance calculated only to produce laughter4 ,such is the picture of him left us by his biographers4 ,surely1 one would think1 an orator could never be made out of such materials4 ,yet all these faults he overcame by severe and patient labor4 ,constantly on the watch against bad habits1 he practised daily before a glass1 reciting passages from ,shakespeare1 ,junius1 and the best ,english orators4 ,he frequented debating societies1 and unmindful of the ridicule that greeted his repeated failures1 he continued to take part in the discussions4 ,at last1 he surmounted every difficulty4 ,he turned his shrill and stumbling brogue1 says one of his friends1 into a flexible1 sustained1 and finely-modulated voice2 his action became free and forcible2 and he acquired perfect readiness in thinking on his legs2 in short1 he became one of the most brilliant and eloquent advocates that the world has ever produced4 ,well might one of his biographers say3 ,his oratorical training was as severe as any ,greek ever underwent4 ,the biographies of ,pultney1 of ,burke1 of ,pitt1 of ,erskine1 of ,grattan1 of ,brougham--of all the great orators of ,england--contain records of the same careful training and discipline in the art of speaking4 ,nor have ,american orators found the path to success less difficult4 ,rufus ,choate--who was1 perhaps1 the most accomplished advocate ,america has yet produced--was a noble illustration of what systematic culture and discipline can do4 ,he was1 in the truest sense of the term1 a made orator4 ,forensic rhetoric was the great study of his life1 and he pursued it with a patience1 a steadiness1 a zeal1 equal to that of ,chatham or ,curran4 ,he trusted to no native gift of eloquence1 but practised elocution every day for forty years as a critical study4 ,everything that could be prepared1 was prepared2 every nerve1 every muscle1 that could be trained was trained2 every power that daily practise could strengthen was invigorated4 ,so thoroughly imbued was he with a zeal for oratory1 that it formed the subject of his almost daily conversation1 as it did of his daily practise2 and his biography will rouse an ambitious student as the sound of the trumpet does the war-horse4 ,daniel ,webster may1 perhaps1 be considered to have been as nearly a natural orator as any this country has produced2 and yet the students are few indeed that cultivate the art of oratory so laboriously as he did4 ,even his genius was mainly science in disguise4 ,he himself told the late ,senator ,fessenden that those figures and illustrations in his speeches1 which had become so famous and been so often quoted1 were1 like ,sheridan's wit1 the result of previous study and preparation2 and that that passage in his speech1 wherein he describes the glory and the power of ,england--a passage known and quoted the world over--was conceived and fashioned while he was standing on the ,american side of the ,niagara ,river1 listening to the ,british drum-beats on the ,canada shore4 ,from these examples we may learn that all truly noble orators in every age have trusted1 not to inspiration1 but to discipline2 that great as were their natural abilities1 they were much less than the ignorant rated them2 that even the mightiest condescended to certain rules and methods of study by which the humblest are able to profit4 ,it is good for the student to read of the studies and labors1 the trials and conflicts1 the difficulties and triumphs1 of such men4 ,it is to the ambitious student as the touch of mother earth was to ,antus in his struggle with ,hercules--renewing his strength and reviving his flagging zeal4 ,it rouses him to severer self-denial1 to more assiduous study1 to more self-sustaining confidence1 and leads him to feel1 like ,themistocles of old1 that the trophies of ,miltiades will not let me sleep4 ,these examples will teach him that ,god has set a price on every real and noble achievement2 that success in oratory1 as in everything else worth succeeding in1 can be purchased only by pain and labor2 and lastly and mainly1 that those who would follow in their steps must give their days and nights to study1 and emulate their greatness by emulating their love of labor4 ,having endeavored to show that eloquence is not so much the result of natural gifts as of persevering and persistent labor1 we now proceed to offer some suggestions as to the best means of improvement in forensic eloquence4 ,socrates used to say that all men are sufficiently eloquent in that which they understand2 but it would have been nearer truth to say that no man can be eloquent on a subject that he does not understand2 nor on a subject that he does understand1 unless he know how to form and polish his speech4 ,the two essential things to the orator are something to say and a knowledge of how to say it4 ,there is no art that can teach one to be eloquent without knowledge4 ,attention to style1 diction1 and all the arts of speech1 can only assist the orator in setting off to advantage the stock of materials which he possesses2 but the stock1 the materials themselves1 must be brought from other quarters than from rhetoric4 ,in the first place1 the advocate must have a profound knowledge of the law4 ,on this depends his reputation and success1 and nothing is of such consequence to him or deserves more his deep and serious study4 ,in no other profession is superficial knowledge sooner detected or more ruthlessly exposed1 and however brilliant as a speaker one may be1 if it but become known that he is not well grounded in the law1 few will choose to commit their cause to him4 ,besides a knowledge of the general principles of law1 another thing highly material to the success of every advocate is a diligent and careful attention to every cause that is intrusted to him1 so as to be thoroughly master of all the facts and circumstances relating to it1 ,cicero has left a very instructive record of the method pursued by him in the preparation of a cause for trial1 and which we commend to the careful consideration of every student and lawyer4 ,he tells us1 under the character of ,antonius1 in the second book ,de ,oratore1 that he always conversed at full length with every client who came to consult him2 that he took care there should be no witnesses to their conversation1 in order that his client might explain himself more freely2 that he was wont to start every objection1 and to plead the cause of the adverse party with him1 that he might come at the whole truth and be fully prepared on every point of the business2 and that after the client had retired he used to balance all the facts with himself under three different characters3 his own1 that of the adversary1 and that of the judge4 ,he censures very severely those of the profession who decline to take so much trouble2 taxing them not only with shameful negligence1 but with dishonesty and breach of trust4 ,quintilian likewise urged the necessity of carefully studying every cause1 again and again recommending patience and attention in conversation with clients4 ,for1 said he1 to listen to something that is superfluous can do no hurt2 whereas to be ignorant of something that is material may be highly prejudicial4 ,the advocate will frequently discover the weak side of a cause1 and learn at the same time what is the proper defense1 from circumstances which to the party himself appeared to be of little or no moment4 ,it is said of ,rufus ,choate1 that he began to study a case the moment it was brought to him1 and that he continued to study it till the day of trial4 ,besides the knowledge of the law1 the advocate must make himself acquainted with the general principles of logic4 ,he must learn how to reason2 how to draw conclusions from premises2 how to found an argument4 ,without a knowledge of these things1 no matter how copious his diction or elegant his delivery1 his speeches will be little more than sounding brass and tinkling cymbals4 ,the object of the advocate is chiefly to convince1 and to do this he must satisfy the understanding4 ,solid argument and clear method must1 therefore1 be used4 ,nothing can be more erroneous than the idea that mere declamation is eloquence4 ,it may have the show1 but never can produce the effect2 it may tickle the ear1 but it will never lead a judge to pass that judgment or a jury to adopt that side of the cause to which we seek to bring them4 ,there is no talent1 ,i apprehend1 said ,dugald ,stewart1 so essential to a public speaker as to be able to state clearly every step of those trains of thought by which he himself was led to the conclusions he wishes to establish4 ,especially is this true at the bar--the eloquence suited to which is of the calm and temperate kind1 connected with close reasoning4 ,let the advocate take for his motto the advice of ,quintilian1 ,to your expression be attentive2 but about your matter be solicitous4 ,there was much wisdom in the remark of ,sir ,william ,jones1 that an elegant method of arranging the thoughts is powerful to persuade as well as to please4 ,william ,pitt1 being asked how he acquired his talent for reply1 answered at once that he owed it to the study of ,aristotle's logic in early life1 and the habit of applying its principles to all the discussions he met with in the works he read and the debates he witnessed4 ,so it is said of ,rufus ,choate1 he was a thorough master of logic4 ,he had studied it1 not only in detail and immediate application of style and arrangement1 but in its essence and origin4 ,the treatise best calculated to give the student an insight into the rules and principles of logic is that by ,dr4 ,whately4 ,the book recommended for the strengthening of the reasoning faculties is ,chillingworth's ,the ,religion of ,protestants a ,safe ,way to ,salvation1 which was written in answer to the arguments of an adversary1 and which has for years been considered the most perfect specimen of logical argument4 ,locke1 than whom there could not be a more competent authority1 proposes for the attainment of right reasoning1 the constant reading of ,chillingworth2 and ,lord ,mansfield pronounced it the perfection of reasoning4 ,law and logic are the immediate and foundation studies of the advocate1 but they are not all4 ,besides these he must drink deep at the fountains of science1 philosophy1 history and belles-lettres4 ,these are the handmaids of oratory4 ,they enlarge and liberalize the mind1 embellish the style and afford illustrations1 ideas1 arguments1 phrases1 words1 and last1 tho not least1 intellectual enthusiasm4 ,there are few occasions1 indeed1 on which an advocate will not derive assistance from a cultivated taste and extensive knowledge4 ,their illustrations1 allusions and principles1 woven in with the weightier matters of the law1 will make a pattern which will not fail to please and interest--will throw around the dry and uninteresting legal principles a freshness and charm that will fix the attention and fascinate the hearer4 ,but perhaps the chief benefit to be derived from their study is the improvement they afford to style and language4 ,cicero remarked in the third book ,de ,oratore1 that all elegance of language1 tho it receive a polish from the science of grammar1 is yet augmented by the reading of orators and poets4 ,from this source have all great orators drawn their copious and elegant diction and their polished and graceful style4 ,erskine is represented by an excellent authority as having spoken the finest and richest ,english ever spoken by an advocate4 ,for two years prior to his call to the bar1 he devoted himself exclusively to the study of literature1 and probably no two years of his life were so profitably spent4 ,in addition to his reading in prose1 he devoted himself with great ardor to the study of ,milton and ,shakespeare4 ,his biographers tell us that he committed a large part of the former to memory1 and became so familiar with the latter that he could almost1 like ,person1 have held conversations on all subjects for days together in the phrases of the great ,english dramatist4 ,here it was that he acquired that fine choice of words1 that rich and varied imagery1 that sense of harmony in the structure of his sentences1 that boldness of thought and magnificence of expression for which he was afterward so much distinguished4 ,he could have drawn these things from no richer source4 ,to use the words of ,johnson1 slightly varied1 he who would excel in this noblest of arts must give his days and nights to the study of ,milton and ,shakespeare4 ,hither1 as to a fountain1 ,other suns repair1 and in their urns ,draw golden light4 ,lord ,chatham read and reread ,dr4 ,barrows' sermons until he knew many of them by heart1 for the purpose1 as he himself said1 of acquiring copiousness of diction and an exact choice of words4 ,william ,pitt1 his son1 obtained his remarkable command of the ,english tongue from the same source1 in connection with ,shakespeare and the ,bible2 the latter he studied not only as a guide of life1 but as the true well of ,english undefiled4 ,no wonder that his contemporary1 ,fox1 should have said of him1 ,he always has the right word in the right place4 ,william ,pinckney has himself unlocked the secret of his intellectual affluence and elegant diction4 ,he says that he made it a rule from his youth never to see a fine idea without committing it to memory4 ,rufus ,choate1 in speaking of this fact1 said the result was the most splendid and powerful ,english spoken style ,i ever heard4 ,choate pursued a plan equally commendable4 ,during the greater portion of his life he made it a practise to read aloud every day a page or more from some fine ,english author4 ,this he did for the improvement of his expression4 ,he was a most indefatigable student of words1 and made the whole round of literature tributary to his vocabulary4 ,the following extract from the address of ,lord ,brougham to the ,university of ,glasgow will be a sufficient guide1 with what has been already said1 to the selection of those authors that will tend most to improve the style and diction3 ,the ,english writers who really unlock the rich sources of the language are those who flourish from the end of ,elizabeth's to the end of ,queen ,anne's reign2 who used a good ,saxon dialect with ease1 but correctness and perspicuity--learned in the ancient classics1 but only enriching their mother tongue where the ,attic could supply its defects--not overlaying it with a profuse pedantic coinage of words4 ,the great masters of oratory should be studied most carefully and diligently2 ,erskine1 ,burke1 ,pinckney1 ,webster1 and1 above all1 the legal orations of ,cicero are the best models for a young lawyer4 ,read ,bolingbroke for specimens of the splendid and ornate2 ,fox and ,pitt for the classical and argumentative2 advantage may likewise be derived from the letters of ,junius4 ,in pursuing these studies1 the motto must be multum haud multa--much1 not many4 ,no real advantage and improvement will be gained from a rambling1 desultory course of reading4 ,there is a whole sermon in that saying of ,hobbes1 of ,malmesbury1 ,if ,i had read as many books as other persons1 ,i should probably know as little4 ,the wisest and best informed teach us1 both by counsel and example1 to read a little and that well2 to count not by the books we have read1 but by the subjects we have exhausted4 ,swift said that the reason a certain university was a learned place was that most persons took some learning there and few brought any away with them1 so it accumulated4 ,such is the effect of a proper course of reading--everything adds and nothing takes away4 ,we are not counseling an imitation of the men of one book1 but the pursuit of one system4 ,choose those authors most suited to the object in view and know them4 ,the advocate should make choice of his book1 ,shakespeare1 ,milton1 ,bacon1 ,burke1 ,erskine1 ,bolingbroke1 and make that his chief study4 ,one sterling author to call my own1 ever most conspicuous and most at hand1 read1 reread1 marked and quoted1 will do much to form the mind1 to teach one to think1 to give precision of expression1 purity of taste1 loftiness of views and fervency of spirit4 ,no better selection can be made by the advocate than the works of ,edmund ,burke4 ,among the characteristics of ,lord ,erskine's eloquence1 observes one of his recent biographers1 the perpetual illustrations derived from the writings of ,burke is very remarkable4 ,in every one of the great state trials in which he was engaged1 he referred to the productions of that extraordinary person as to a text-book of political wisdom--expounding1 enforcing and justifying all the great and noble principles of freedom and of justice4 ,when ,i look1 says ,lord ,erskine himself1 into my own mind and find its best lights and principles fed from that immense magazine of moral and political wisdom which he has left an inheritance to mankind for their instruction1 ,i feel myself repelled by an awful and grateful sensibility from perpetually approaching him4 ,take1 then1 the words of this sublime philosopher and orator1 bind them up in one thick volume1 on which write wisdom in gold letters1 and begin to read it through every ,new-year's day4 ,another means of acquiring a command of language is translation1 and it is commended alike by the precepts and example of the great masters4 ,two thousand years ago ,cicero stocked his vocabulary by this plan1 translating from the ,greek into ,latin4 ,chatham translated the orations of ,demosthenes again and again into ,english4 ,mansfield declared that there was not one of the orations of ,cicero that he had not translated more than once4 ,pitt pursued the same plan for ten years1 and to this he ascribed his extraordinary command of language1 which enabled him to give every idea its most felicitous expression1 and to pour out an unbroken stream of thought hour after hour without once hesitating for a word or recalling a phrase1 or sinking for a moment into looseness or inaccuracy in the structure of a sentence4 ,choate was a most indefatigable translator4 ,this exercise he persevered in daily1 even in the midst of the most arduous business4 ,five minutes a day1 if no more1 he would seize in the morning for this task4 ,tacitus was his favorite author4 ,he attended chiefly to the multiplication of synonyms4 ,for every word he translated1 he would rack his brain and search his books till he got five or six corresponding ,english words4 ,this is the true way to translate when style and diction is the object4 ,turn the passage read into regular ,english sentences1 aiming to give the idea with great exactness and to express it with idiomatic accuracy and ease4 ,this plan of translating is infinitely better than the plan sometimes advised of taking some passage of classic ,english1 getting the ideas from it and then expressing them in the best manner possible4 ,in this latter method1 the author has already selected the most appropriate words1 and if the student use the same words he will receive no profit1 or if other words1 it is prejudicial1 as it accustoms one to use such as are less eligible4 ,the student of advocacy can not give too much attention to the culture of expression4 ,orators in every age have made it a specific study4 ,cicero says1 ,the proper concern of an orator1 as ,i have already often said1 is language of power and eloquence accommodated to the feelings and understanding of mankind4 ,language and its elements1 words1 are to be mastered by direct1 earnest labor4 ,a speaker ought daily to exercise and air his vocabulary and add to and enrich it4 ,the advocate does not want a diction gathered from the newspapers1 caught from the air1 common and unsuggestive2 but one whose every word is full freighted with suggestion and association1 with beauty and power4 ,it is a rich and rare ,english that one ought to command1 who is aiming to control a jury's ear4 ,chesterfield1 in his letters to his son1 said1 ,manner is of as much importance as matter2 and that this has been the opinion of all great orators may be gathered from the vast labor expended by them on the cultivation of expression and delivery4 ,how much stress was laid upon this by the greatest of all orators1 ,demosthenes1 appears from a noted saying of his related by both ,cicero and ,quintilian1 when1 being asked what was the first point in oratory1 he answered1 action2 and being asked what was the second1 he answered1 action2 and afterward what was the third1 he still answered1 action4 ,and ,plutarch said of him that he thought it a small matter to premeditate and compose1 tho with the utmost care1 if the pronunciation and propriety of gesture were not attended to4 ,esteeming delivery of such vast importance to the orator1 there is no wonder that he should have labored for months together in his subterranean study to form his action and improve his voice4 ,to the superficial thinker1 the study of gesture and of the management of the voice may appear to be but vanity of vanities--gaudy tinselry and worthless decoration2 but the experience of all time has proved that they are powerful to persuade and strong to convince4 ,we all know how much meaning--how much expression--how much power there may be in a look1 in a tone of the voice1 or in a motion4 ,the impression they make on others is frequently much stronger than any that words can make4 ,they are the language of nature1 and are understood by all far better than words1 which are only the arbitrary conventional symbols of ideas4 ,the speaker who should use bare words1 without aiding their meaning by proper tones and accents1 would make but a feeble impression1 and leave but a misty and indistinct conception of what he had delivered4 ,it is surprizing1 indeed1 to see how perfectly persons practised in the art of gestures can communicate even complicated trains of thought and long series of facts without the aid of words4 ,this fact was known and appreciated by the ancient ,greeks and ,romans1 who made the subject a study far more than have subsequent nations4 ,cicero informs us that it was a matter of dispute between the actor ,roscius and himself whether the former could express a sentiment in a greater variety of ways by gestures1 or the latter by words4 ,during the reign of ,augustus1 both tragedies and comedies were acted by pantomime alone4 ,it was perfectly understood by the people1 who wept and laughed1 and were excited in every way as much as if the words had been employed4 ,it seems1 indeed1 to have worked upon their sympathies more powerfully than words2 for it became necessary1 at a subsequent period1 to enact a law restraining members of the ,senate from studying the art of pantomime--a practise to which1 it seems1 they had resorted in order to give more effect to their speeches before that body4 ,there have been volumes written on this subject of delivery1 but they are little better than a vexation of spirit4 ,the tone of the voice1 the look1 the gesture1 suited to express a thought or emotion1 must be learned from experience and the example of living speakers and masters4 ,curran and many others have made it a practise to speak before a glass1 that they might themselves judge of the propriety of their gestures1 and correct those at fault4 ,a more condensed or sensible treatise on this subject can not be found than ,hamlet's direction to the players3 ,speak the speech1 ,i pray you1 as ,i pronounce it to you--trippingly on the tongue2 but if you mouth it1 as many of our players do1 ,i had as lief the town crier spoke my lines4 ,nor do not saw the air too much with your hand2 but use all gently1 for in the very torrent1 tempest1 and 7as ,i may say7 whirlwind of your passion1 you must acquire and beget a temperance that may give it smoothness4 ,oh1 it offends me to the soul1 to hear a robustious1 periwigpated fellow tear a passion to tatters1 to very rags1 to split the ears of the groundlings1 who1 for the most part1 are capable of nothing but inexplicable dumb shows and noise4444 ,be not too tame1 neither1 but let your own discretion be your tutor2 suit the action to the word1 the word to the action2 with this special observance1 that you o'erstep not the modesty of nature2 for anything so overdone is from the purpose of playing1 whose end1 both at the first and now1 was1 and is1 to hold1 as 'twere1 the mirror up to nature2 to show virtue her own feature1 scorn her own image1 and the very age and body of the time1 his form and pressure4 ,now1 this overdone1 or come tardy off1 tho it make the unskilful laugh1 can not but make the judicious grieve2 the censure of which one must1 in your allowance1 o'erweigh a whole theater of others4 ,the student who shall follow these directions1 which are as applicable to the speaker as to the player1 will not go very far wrong4 ,the first consideration of a speaker must be to make himself heard by all those to whom he speaks4 ,this1 tho often neglected1 is of the first importance1 and is a matter that rests mainly in the management of the voice1 and not in the strength of lungs4 ,nor is it1 as many suppose1 a natural talent1 for the voice is susceptible of the greatest culture1 and may be formed after almost any model4 ,to make oneself audible1 it is not necessary that the voice should be pitched on a high key4 ,strength of sound does not depend upon the key or note on which one speaks1 but on the proper management of the voice4 ,a speaker may render his voice strong and full while speaking in a middle or conversational tone1 and will be able to give the most sustained force to that pitch1 as it is the one to which in conversation he is accustomed4 ,the conversational key is the one that the advocate should1 with rare exceptions1 adopt2 otherwise he will exhaust himself and be heard with pain by his audience4 ,grattan tells us that he heard ,lord ,chatham speak in the ,house of ,lords2 and it was just like talking to one man by the buttonhole1 except when he lifted himself in enthusiasm1 and then the effect of the outbreak was immense2 and of ,harrison ,gray ,otis it is said that when you met him in the street and heard him talk1 you heard the orator ,otis almost as much as if he were in ,faneuil ,hall talking about politics4 ,in the next place1 the student of advocacy must study to articulate clearly and distinctly4 ,on this1 as much as on the quantity of sound1 depends the capacity to make oneself heard4 ,we need say nothing with regard to emphasis1 pauses1 tones and gestures4 ,every one who goes about his work in earnest will devote proper attention to these matters1 and will gain more from experience and observation than from the rules laid down in the books4 ,one thing seldom laid down in the books is of the highest importance to the advocate3 that is1 to study always to feel what he speaks4 ,unless he do this1 his oratory will be little more than an empty and puerile flow of words4 ,the author who will make me weep1 says ,horace1 must first weep himself4 ,in reality1 adds ,henry ,fielding1 no man can paint a distress well which he doth not feel while he is painting it2 nor do ,i doubt but that the most pathetic and affecting scenes have been writ with tears4 ,in ,shakespeare's ,richard ,,ii1 the ,duchess of ,york thus impeaches the sincerity of her husband3 ,pleads he in earnest8 ,look upon his face1 ,his eyes do drop no tears2 his prayers are jest2 ,his words come from his mouth2 ours1 from our breast2 ,he prays but faintly and would be denied2 ,we pray with heart and soul4 ,no kind of language is so generally understood1 or has such force and weight1 as the language of feeling4 ,the advocate must be in downright earnest before he can impress his hearers4 ,it only remains for us to add1 that the student of oratory must exercise himself continually in both writing and speaking4 ,writing is said by ,cicero to be the best and most excellent modeler and teacher of oratory2 for1 he continues1 if what is meditated and considered easily surpasses sudden and extemporaneous speech1 a constant and diligent habit of writing will surely be of more effect than meditation and consideration itself4 ,write with as much pains as possible1 and write as much as possible4 ,it is even as ,quintilian said3 ,it is not writing rapidly that you come to write well1 but by writing well you come to write rapidly4 ,in mental culture1 as in the culture of the earth1 the seed sown in the deepest furrows finds a more fruitful soil1 is more securely cherished and springs up in its time to more exuberant and healthful harvest4 ,without this discipline1 the power and practise of extemporaneous speech will yield only an empty loquacity--only words born on the lips4 ,in this discipline1 deep down there are the roots1 there the foundations2 thence must the harvest shoot1 thence the structure ascend2 there is garnered up1 as in a more sacred treasury1 wealth for the supply of even unanticipated exactions4 ,thus1 first of all1 we must accumulate resources sufficient for the contests to which we are summoned4 ,in writing1 seek for the best2 do not eagerly and gladly lay hold on that which first offers itself2 apply judgment to the crowd of thoughts and words which fill your mind and retain those only of which your judgment deliberately approves4 ,nor should every word be allowed to occupy the exact spot where the order of time in which it occurs would place it4 ,seek rather by a variety of experiments and arrangements to attain to the utmost power and eloquence of style4 ,there is nothing like the pen to correct vagueness of thought and looseness of expression4 ,every argument1 every speech should1 so far as possible1 be carefully written out4 ,it is not necessary1 nor is it even advisable1 to commit it to memory1 save in rare instances4 ,the mind should be left untrammeled by any set speech to take advantage of the inspiration of the moment4 ,but the simple act of carefully composing and writing down an argument will fix in the mind the general order and sequence of facts and illustrations1 and will greatly aid in a clear and forcible arrangement4 ,the night before ,alexander ,hamilton delivered his celebrated speech1 which more than anything else led to the establishment of a liberal and more just law regarding libel and slander in the ,state of ,new ,york1 he wrote the argument all out and then deliberately tore it up4 ,besides frequent practise in writing1 the student must have constant practise in speaking1 which is of more real value than all the precepts of the masters4 ,it is sometimes said that men by speaking succeed in becoming speakers1 but it is just as true that men by speaking badly succeed in becoming bad speakers4 ,it is frequently the case1 that students do nothing more in practise than to exercise their voice1 and not even that skilfully--and try their strength of lungs and volubility of tongue4 ,such practise is but a waste of breath4 ,the student should make it a cardinal rule always to do his best even while practising in his room2 to speak on subjects that he has deliberately considered1 and in such a style as he would adopt were an audience before him4 ,of course1 that kind of speaking will be most advantageous to the advocate which is most in accordance with the business of his life4 ,prominent advocates in every age have1 while developing their powers1 made it a practise to propose a case similar to those brought in the courts1 and to make arguments thereon as nearly as possible as they would were it an actual case in court4 ,cicero followed this plan two thousand years ago1 as he himself has told us1 and ,curran and ,choate were both indefatigable in this practise4 ,such are the means1 such the labors by which the student may make himself an advocate4 ,it is not the work of an hour or a day or a year1 but of years--years of application and of industry--of patient plodding and painful study4 ,it is not by starts of application and intermittent labor that anything valuable can be achieved4 ,it is the outgrowth of well-directed and persistent effort4 ,in nothing more than oratory are the lines of the poet true3 ,the ,father of our race ,himself decrees ,that culture shall be hard4 ,it has been the glory of the great masters of the art to confront and to overcome2 and all the wisdom of these latter days has discovered no other road to success4 ,these suggestions apply not only to the lawyer1 but to every man who would become an efficient public speaker and a leader of men4