“At last I have him in my power,
    This fatal foe, this haughty conqueror! 
    Through him my captives leave their slavery.”

Here the body must be calm; there is a sort of vehemence in the eyes; it will be less in the head than in the arms.  All these movements are made, but the body remains firm.  Generally the reverse takes place; the whole body is moved; but this is wrong.

In these words:  “Where are they, these wretches?” there must be great violence in the upper part of the body, but the step is very calm.

To affect a violent gait is an awkward habit.  A modified slowness in the small agents creates emphasis; if we give them too great facility of movement, the gestures become mean and wretched.

Rhythm is in marvelous accord with nature under the impulse of God.

Importance of the Laws of Gesture.

We never really understand an author’s meaning.  Every one is free to interpret him according to his individual instinct.  But we must know how to justify his interpretation by gesture.  Principles must aid us in choosing a point of view in accordance with his individual nature; otherwise incoherence is inevitable.  Hence rules are indispensable.  But when the law is known, each applies it in accordance with his own idea.

The author himself cannot read without rules, in such a manner as to convey the ideas he intended to express.  Only through rules can we become free in our interpretation; we are not free without law, for in this case we are subject to the caprice of some master.

The student of oratory should not be a servile copyist.  In the arrangement of his effects, he must copy, imitate and compose.  Let him first reproduce a fixed model, the lesson of the master.  This is to copy.  Let him then reproduce the lesson in the absence of the master.  This is to imitate.  Finally, let him reproduce a fugitive model.  This is to compose.

Thus to reproduce a lesson, to give its analysis and synthesis, is to disjoint, to unite and to reunite; this is the progressive order of work.

The copying and imitative exercises should be followed by compositions, applying the principles already known.  The orator may be allowed play for his peculiar genius; he may be sublime even in employing some foolish trick of his art.  But whatever he does, he must be guided by fixed rules.

Chapter V.

Of Gesture in Particular.

The Head.

The dynamic apparatus is composed of the head, the torso and the limbs.  As in the vocal apparatus, we have the lever, the impelling force, and the fulcrum.

The dynamic apparatus produces gesture, which renders the moral or normal state; as the voice expresses inflection and reveals the sensitive state.

The head must be studied under two relations:  as the agent of expression through its movements, and as the centre of attraction; that is, the point of departure or arrival for the different gestures of the arm.