43. The FREQUENCY of gesture will depend on the variety of ideas and moods that occur in the language. A uniform strain will require little gesture; and a variable, flighty, passionate strain, will demand many gestures.

44. Gestures are either DIRECTIVE, ILLUSTRATIVE, or EMOTIVE. DIRECTIVE gestures carry the eye of the spectator to the objects spoken of, which are either visible, supposed to be visible, or figuratively presented to the "mind's eye.” Directive gestures are most appropriate with language in the present tense. They are necessary when the demonstrative words, Lo! yon, this, that, behold! &c. are used.

45. Directive gestures must be arranged with pictorial accuracy. Thus, the hand and eye must be elevated in pointing to the firmament, to mountains, and to near objects above the speaker; and depressed below the horizontal elevation, for rivers, and for near objects below the level of the speaker's eye. They must be horizontal in addressing persons around us, and in pointing to objects at a distance.

46. Directive gestures must be suited to the language. Thus, in the following lines:

""Tis morn, but scarce yon level sun

Can pierce the war-clouds, rolling dun," &c.

"The sun has almost reached his journey's close," &c.

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we must not point upwards to the sun; for at morn," and at his "journey's close," the sun must be near the horizon. Thus, too, in the following:

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"His setting ushers in a night to some,
Which morning shall not break."

Suppose the setting sun pointed to on the right, the
night" must be ushered in from the left; and "morning"
must not "break" on the right, but-opposite to where
the sun set,-
on the left.

47. Having located any fixed object by a directive gesture, we must recur to the same point in again speaking of it, or of any object associated with it without change of scene. Thus in the following lines:

"Scaling yonder peak,

I saw an eagle wheeling near its brow
O'er the abyss :- his broad, expanded wings
Lay calm and motionless upon the air,

As if he floated there without their aid-
By the sole act of his unlorded will

That buoyed him proudly up. Instinctively
I bent my bow," &c.

If the "peak" be supposed on the speaker's left side, the action of bending the bow must not be directed to the right, but towards the peak-to the left.

48. ILLUSTRATIVE gestures must be suited to the idea or action they illustrate. Thus in the following lines :— 'By torch and trumpet-sound arrayed, Each horseman drew his battle blade, And furious every charger neighed

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To join the dreadful revelry;"

the word "arrayed" should be illustrated by a slow, horizontal expansion of the arm, the hand flat and pointing outwards, as if to the serried rank of soldiers: at the words" drew his battle blade,” there may be an imitative action, but it must be correctly imitative; the right arm, in drawing the sword, must not be curved backwards across the body, but straightly drawn upwards as if it had a yard of steel behind it. The hand must be reversed in taking hold of the hilt, and turned round when the act of drawing the blade is completed, as if to elevate the point in the air. The left hand-the "horseman's" bridle-hand, —must take no part in the action. In drawing an infantry-sword the left hand grasps the scabbard; but a calvary-sword has a heavy scabbard to resist the pull.

49. SHAKESPEARE'S admirable compendium of the principles of gestic application :—

"Suit the action to the word, the word to the action, with this special observance, that you o'erstep not the modesty of nature!" must not be so interpreted as to lead the speaker to aim at illustrating individual words. "To THE WORD," must be understood to mean, 66 TO THE UTTERANCE," "to the general import of the language in connexion with. the circumstances of time and place, and the relative position of speaker and hearer." This only would fully

"suit the action to the word." That sort of imitative gesture, in which many orators indulge at the mere mention of any word which is susceptible of imitative illustration, is to be condemned, and must not be allowed to plead a misinterpretation of Shakespeare's rule as a justifying authority. Some speakers carry the principle of "suiting the action to the word" so far, that, if they would not imitate the sounding of a trumpet, and the neighing of a charger, in the lines quoted in the last paragraph, they do perform actions equally ridiculous in every sentence of their oratory.

The

50. EMOTIVE EXPRESSION will be, in a greater or less degree, associated with ALL GESTICULATION. speaker's feelings, with respect to the object spoken of, should invariably find expression in his delivery. If the orator is thoroughly conversant with the expressiveness of the different varieties of gesture, and well exercised in the mechanical principles of graceful motion, he may trust to the spontaneous development of Emotive Gesture in his delivery, without fear of its being inappropriate.

The

51. All the parts of the body must blend in HARMONIOUS ACCOMPANIMENT to the Gesticulating member. Isolated motions are ungraceful and unnatural. impulse that moves the hand will not be unfelt by every muscle in the frame. If gesture were practised merely as a mechanical art, this united expression might not be attained; but the Mechanics of Action should be studied chiefly for the sake of grace, and as a means to keep in check the energy that might else run wild. For

"In the very tempest, torrent, and, as I may say, whirlwind of your passion, you must acquire and beget a temperance that may give it smoothness."

A speaker who loses command over himself either in language, intonation, or gesture, must not be surprised if he preserve none over his audience.

52. GESTURES have been divided into COLLOQUIAL AND ORATORICAL. Colloquial gestures differ from Oratorical actions, principally in their extent. In the former, the arm is bent, and held closer to the side,—but not in contact with it, and the action is chiefly confined to the

hand; for the latter, the arm- the "oratorical weapon,' -is fully unfolded and advanced, and moved directly from the shoulder.

53. With reference to the application of Gesture, the following is a grand precept :

"To this one standard make your just appeal,

Here lies the golden secret,- Learn to feel!"

VII. EXAMPLES OF APPLICATION OF Gesture. 54. The following Examples are added as Illustrations of the mode of applying Gesture. The pieces selected are various in style, and all naturally adapted for effective Gesticulation. The aim of the action indicated is simply to realize the scene. This indeed is the principle of all oratorical action. The Shakesperian precept, "Suit the action to the word," is-as we have shown-liable to a serious misapplication; its true meaning will be unambiguously conveyed by the equally laconic direction, REAL

IZE THE SCENE.

55. The Extracts are printed prosaically, that the student may not be misled by the customary lines of metrical printing, to make pauses or tones otherwise than in accordance with the sense. Verse requires no separate Rules for Reading. In strictly following the sense, there should be no discord between the reader's voice and the poet's rhythm. If any want of harmony exist, the poet is in fault. One rule is common to both poet and reader, "Make the sound an echo to the sense."

I. 10 young Lochinvar is come out of the west! Through all the wide Border his steed was the best; and, save his good broadsword, he weapon had none; he rode all unarmed, and he rode all alone! So faithful in love, and so dauntless in war, there never was knight like the young Lochinvar!

2He staid not for brake, and he stopped not for stone; he swam the Esk river where ford there was none-but, 3ere he alighted at Netherby gate, the bride had consented!- the gallant came late : for a laggard in love, and a dastard in war, was to wed the fair Ellen of brave Lochinvar!

"So boldly he entered the Netherby Hall, 7mong bride's-men, and kinsmen, and brothers, and all: II. 6 Then spoke the bride's father, his hand on his sword- for the poor, craven bridegroom

said never a word

9 O, come ye in peace here, or come ye in war? 10or to dance at our bridal,—young Lord Lochinvar?"

11 I long wooed your daughter, my suit you denied: love swells like the Solway, but 12ebbs like its tide! And now am I come, 13with this lost love of mine to lead but one measure, drink one cup of wine!-- There are maidens in Scotland 14more lovely by far. "that would gladly be bride to the young Lochinvar !"15

16The bride kissed the goblet! the knight took it up; he quaffed off the wine, and he threw down the cup! She looked down to blush, and she looked up to sigh — with a smile on her lip, and a tear in her eye. He took her soft hand, 18ere her mother could bar.- 8. Now tread we a measure!" 19said young Lochinvar. 20 So stately his form, and so lovely her face, that never a hall such a galliard did grace! While her mother 21did fret, and her father did fume, and the bridegroom stood 24dangling his bonnet and plume; 25and the bride-maidens whispered, 26 "Twere better by far to have matched our fair cousin with 27young Lochinvar!"

28One touch to her hand, and one word in her ear, when they reached 29the hall-door, and the charger stood near;-31so light to the croupe the fair lady he swung, so light to the saddle before her he sprung! 32" She is won! we are gone, over bank, bush, and scaur! they'll have fleet steeds that follow!" 19quoth young Lochinvar.

34There was mounting 'mong Græmes of the Netherby clan; Fosters. Fenwicks, and Musgraves, they rode and they ran; there was racing and chasing on Cannobie Lea — but the lost bride of Netherby ne'er did they see. 36So daring in love, and so dauntless in war, have ye e'er heard of gallant like young Lochinvar ?39

Pictorial Arrangement.-I. Lochinvar on the left - Netherby on the right II. The father on Lochinvar's right- the bridegroom on the left- the bride and the mother in front.

Details of action, &c.-1 Looking with admiration to left alternately with speaking to front. 2 energetic tone with accentual swaying of the head. 3 quiet undertone to front-indicating the position of Netherby by a motion of the head to the right. 4 strong tone of denunciation. clasping the hands, or otherwise expressing disappointment and determination. 6 to right. 7 alternately to left and right. 8 to left. 9 turn and speak to left. 10 with mocking courtesy. 11 turn and speak to right. 12 pointing to the breast. 13 carelessly tossing the head to left. 14looking askaunce to left. 15 a contemptuous nod, then turn to left. 16 look to left alternately with speaking to front, as if describing to the audience what is taking place. 17 turning to left and extending left hand. 18 looking smilingly to right. 19 to front. 20 stepping backwards, as if to make room, and carrying the eye from left to right, as if following the motion of the dancers. 21 imitative sound of vexation. 22 panting with anger, and grasping the scabbard with left hand, while repeatedly opening and closing the right hand. 23 pointing with the thumb to the left, and looking in the opposite direction. 24 imitative-supporting the right arm in the left hand and dangling the right hand from the wrist, keeping time to the action with a motion of the head. 25 pointing and looking to front with face averted. 26 26 applying the back of right hand to the left corner of the mouth, and speaking in an undertone. 27 indicating his position by looking askaunce to left, and nodding the head in that direction. 28 speaking to front in a semi-whisper. 2 pointing and looking askaunce to left. 30 to front with look of eager surprise. 31 quick utterance in undertone progressively intensified. 32 loud tone, with action as if drawing the bridle in the left hand. 33 backward action of right hand, as if urging the steed with a whip. 34 indicate commotion on all sides by alternately moving the right hand to the right and the left hand to the left. 35 both hands pointing to front. 6.looking to front and pointing left hand to left. 37 right hand extended open to front. 38 both hands pointing to left. 39 bow.