Hor.

My Friend the Templar, whom I have so often mentioned in these Writings, having determined to lay aside his Poetical Studies, in order to a closer Pursuit of the Law, has put together, as a Farewell Essay, some Thoughts concerning [Pronunciation and Action, [1]] which he has given me leave to communicate to the Publick.  They are chiefly collected from his Favourite Author, Cicero, who is known to have been an intimate Friend of Rostius the Actor, and a good Judge of [Dramatick [2]] Performances, as well as the most Eloquent Pleader of the Time in which he lived.

Cicero concludes his celebrated Books de Oratore with some Precepts for Pronunciation and Action, without which Part he affirms that the best Orator in the World can never succeed; and an indifferent one, who is Master of this, shall gain much greater Applause.  What could make a stronger Impression, says he, than those Exclamations of Gracchus: 

’Whither shall I turn?  Wretch that I am!  To what Place betake my self?  Shall I go to the_ Capitol?—­Alas! it is overflowed with my Brother’s Blood.  Or shall I retire to my House?  Yet there I behold my Mother plung’d in Misery, weeping and despairing!’

These Breaks and Turns of Passion, it seems, were so enforced by the Eyes, Voice, and Gesture of the Speaker, that his very Enemies could not refrain from Tears.  I insist, says Tully_, upon this the rather, because our Orators, who are as it were Actors of the Truth it self, have quitted this manner of speaking; and the Players, who are but the Imitators of Truth, have taken it up.

I shall therefore pursue the Hint he has here given me, and for the Service of the British Stage I shall copy some of the Rules which this great Roman Master has laid down; yet, without confining my self wholly to his Thoughts or Words:  and to adapt this Essay the more to the Purpose for which I intend it, instead of the Examples he has inserted in his Discourse, out of the ancient Tragedies, I shall make use of parallel Passages out of the most celebrated of our own.

The Design of Art is to assist Action as much as possible in the Representation of Nature; for the Appearance of Reality is that which moves us in all Representations, and these have always the greater Force, the nearer they approach to Nature, and the less they shew of Imitation.

Nature herself has assigned to every Emotion of the Soul, its peculiar Cast of the Countenance, Tone of Voice, and Manner of Gesture; and the whole Person, all the Features of the Face and Tones of the Voice, answer, like Strings upon musical Instruments, to the Impressions made on them by the Mind.  Thus the Sounds of the Voice, according to the various Touches which raise them, form themselves into an Acute or Grave, Quick or Slow, Loud or Soft Tone.  These too may be subdivided into various kinds of Tones, as the gentle, the rough, the contracted, the diffuse, the continued, the intermitted, the broken, abrupt, winding, softned, or elevated.  Every one of these may be employed with Art and Judgment; and all supply the Actor, as Colours do the Painter, with an expressive Variety.